The Village Initiative

The Village Initiative is a community advocacy group that provides social and legal services for individuals who were previously incarcerated. Other services include providing housing, food, legal support, and counseling. The Village Initiative receives much of its funding from government agencies, but also from left-of-center nonprofits including the REACH Healthcare Foundation. 1 2

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Issue Areas: Criminal Justice Policy
Website: villageinitiativeinc.com
Executive Director:

Randy George

Location: Kansas City, KS View on map
Tax ID: 90-0808727
Most Recent Filing: 2023
Budget (2024): Assets: $2,849,916 Revenue: $1,619,984 Expenses: $804,928

Contents

    Activity

    The Village Initiative is an advocacy organization that provides social and legal services for individuals who were previously incarcerated. These include legal advocacy, a food pantry, free clothing, mental health counseling, and customized simulation programs. 1

    The Village Initiative also hosts Alcoholics Anonymous and Cocaine Anonymous meetings. 1

    In May 2024, The Village Initiative opened The Village Café, a coffee shop in Kansas City that employs formerly incarcerated individuals. 3

    Funding

    In 2023, The Village Initiative earned $1,973,007 in revenue, almost entirely generated through contributions and grants, $688,405 of which came from government sources. 4

    The Village Initiative has previously received funding from both for-profit corporations and non-profit foundations. These include Sherwin Williams, REW Materials, the Security Bank of Kansas City, the Sunderland Foundation, Wholesale Sheet Metal, Avenue of Life, the Cohen Family Foundation, Brooks Brothers, Chick-Fil-A, the Kansas Health Foundation, Electrical Enterprises, the Hall Family Foundation, the Interurban Arthouse, the Kansas Black Farmers Association, KC Faithworks, Nebraska Furniture Mart, the Health Forward Foundation, and the Sun Fresh Market. 1

    In 2023, The Village Initiative was a Nonprofit Catalyst Grantee of the United Way of Greater Kansas City. 5

    In 2021, the REACH Healthcare Foundation donated $20,000 and ongoing “technical assistance” to The Village Initiative as part of the Foundation’s Centering Black Voices Fund which gives to nonprofits that have allegedly “not had equitable access to foundation funds and networks.” 6

    The Village Initiative has received funding from unions, including Pipe Fitters Local Union 553 and the AFL-CIO. 1

    The Village Initiative has received funding from local governments and government agencies, including the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas; the Kansas City Board of Public Utilities; and the Kansas Department of Corrections. 1

    In 2021, The Village Initiative requested $350,000 in funding from the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas through the American Rescue Plan Act (one of the major COVID-19 economic relief efforts from the federal government) to fund its Houses of Hope housing for formerly incarcerated individuals. The four housing units assisted ten individuals. The Village Initiative was granted $325,000. 7

    Also in 2021, The Village Initiative was given a grant by the Health Forward Foundation’s Vaccine Education Equity Fund to “leverage weekly food and household sanitation and hygiene item distribution efforts to educate vulnerable families on vaccine safety and availability.” 8

    Leadership

    Randy George is the founder and executive director of The Village Initiative. He is a business owner; retired supervisor for the Kansas City, Kansas, School District; and a church elder.  1 In 2023, George’s compensation from The Village Initiative was $25,000. 4

    Merril Bennekin is the chair of the board of The Village Initiative. Bennekin is a member of the Kansas City Missouri Police Department’s Board of Police Commissioners’ Office of Community Complaints. 1 4

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2024 $2,849,916 $1,619,984 $804,928
    2023 $2,134,956 $1,973,007 $570,705 View
    2022 $718,352 $1,032,458 $486,730 View
    2021 $232,992 $566,002 $395,300 View
    2020 $157,070 $608,375 $496,320 View
    2019 $75,828 $314,949 $299,976 View

    Prior year filings: 2018, 2017, 2016

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    • Number of Employees: 13

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Randy GeorgeEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR$30,231

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $2,684,000
    • Number of Grants: 28
    • Number of Funders: 15

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $600,0002024 The J. E. and L. E. Mabee Foundation, Inc.COMMUNITY OUTREACH
    $540,0002024 Greater HorizonsHuman Services
    $250,0002024 The Sunderland FoundationRENOVATIONS TO TRANSITIONAL LIVING HOUSE
    $150,0002024 Health Forward FoundationTHE VILLAGE INITIATIVE: BREAKING THE CYCLE OF RECIDIVISM IN WYANDOTTE COUNTY, KANSAS
    $135,0002024 The Reach Healthcare FoundationClose the Health Equity Gap / Strengthen the Safety Net
    $120,0002022 The Reach Healthcare FoundationClose Health Equity Gap / Strengthen Safety Net
    $100,0002023 Barton P. Cohen & Mary Davidson Cohen Charitable Fund Part OneGENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
    $100,0002023 Health Forward Foundation2023 PEOPLE FUNDING
    $100,0002022 Health Forward Foundation2022 MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING
    $80,0002021 Health Forward FoundationINCREASE CAPACITY TO SERVE RETUNING CITIZENS
    $57,0002023 Greater Kansas City Community Foundation
    $50,0002024 Partners People in Progress IncProvide a comprehensive range of resources to aid individuals transitioning back into society after incarceration
    $50,0002024 Annette & Sam & Jack Swirnberg CharitableTRANSITIONAL HOUSING
    $50,0002022 Kansas Health FoundationThis funding is intended as core support for The Village Initiative, an organization helping returning citizens (ex-offenders) and their families rebuild their lives as they endeavor to reintegrate back into society to become productive citizens.
    $50,0002021 Kansas Health FoundationPeer and/or community nomination process of any Black, Indigenous, Hispanic/Latino, People of Color-led nonprofit organizations doing important work benefiting communities of color. Community Keepers award to build capacity of selected organization.
    $40,0002020 Health Forward FoundationFINANCIAL ASSISTANCE DUE TO COVID-19
    $33,0002024 Greater Kansas City Community FoundationHuman Services
    $25,0002025 Wyandotte Health FoundationSUPPORT FOR CHILDHOOD BEHAVIOURAL PROGRAM (TRAUMA)
    $25,0002023 E Kemper Carter & Anna Curry Carter CommunitySUPPORT OF CHARITABLE
    $17,0002023 The Reach Healthcare FoundationDiscretionary/ Close the Health Equity Gap
    $15,0002022 Wyandotte Health FoundationSUPPORT OF INITIATIVES TO INCREASE COVID VACCINATION RATES
    $10,0002025 The SignatryCOMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
    $10,0002023 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
    $10,0002021 Wyandotte Health FoundationSUPPORT OF INITIATIVES TO INCREASE COVID VACCINATION RATES
    $10,0002020 The Shumaker Family FoundationOperating grant

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $45,000
    • Number of Grants: 1
    • Number of Recipients: 1

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $45,0002020 LA Familia Dean Lozoya Foundation IncPurchase hot spots for students without wi-fi

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. “Homepage.” Village Initiative. Accessed May 14, 2025. https://villageinitiativeinc.com/.
    2. “REACH Announces New Initiative Highlighting Black-Led Organizations.” REACH Healthcare Foundation. February 11, 2021. Accessed May 13, 2025. https://reachhealth.org/2021/02/11/reach-announces-new-initiative-highlighting-black-led-organizations/
    3. DelasBour, Leslie. “The Village Cafe shares update with community 1 month after opening to help returning citizens.” 41KSHB. June 18, 2024. Accessed May 14, 2025. https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/your-voice/the-village-cafe-shares-update-with-community-1-month-after-opening-to-help-returning-citizens
    4. “Village Initiative Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed May 14, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/900808727/202413309349301026/full.
    5. “The Village Initiative Inc.” United Way of Greater Kansas City. Accessed May 14, 2025. https://unitedwaygkc.org/community-partner/the-village-initiative-inc/.
    6. [1] “REACH Announces New Initiative Highlighting Black-Led Organizations.” REACH Healthcare Foundation. February 11, 2021. Accessed May 13, 2025. https://reachhealth.org/2021/02/11/reach-announces-new-initiative-highlighting-black-led-organizations/.
    7. “American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).” Unified Government of Wynadotte County and Kansas City, Kansas. Accessed May 14, 2025. https://www.wycokck.org/Departments/Board-of-Commissioners/American-Rescue-Plan-Act#section-3.
    8. “Kansas City area foundations award $271,600 in grants to support vaccine education.” Health Forward Foundation. May 2021. Accessed May 14, 2025. https://healthforward.org/news/kansas-city-area-foundations-award-271600-in-grants-to-support-vaccine-education/.