Higher Education

Kansas City, Mo.

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The team at Kinetic has been integral to MCC’s success throughout the College’s largest capital campaign. Their counsel and guidance has allowed our institution to broaden our efforts into a second and final phase, the scope of which impacts all five of MCC’s campuses and the students they serve. When The Path Forwardis complete, our institution will have five new academic buildings. The campaign has impacted students from across the Greater Kansas City area allowing us to achieve more for the entire metropolitan area and surrounding region.

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Dr. Kimberly Beatty
Chancellor
Metropolitan Community College

Metropolitan Community College (MCC) embarked on its most ambitious capital campaign ever with the inception of The Path Forward. This initiative sought to strengthen the region’s workforce pipeline by cultivating homegrown talent through the establishment of cutting-edge facilities tailored for student and community success.

The Path Forward enabled MCC to construct new, state-of-the-art facilities and generated student scholarships and programmatic support, ushering current and future students into a 21st-century learning environment. Thanks to the unwavering support of many donors, including several private foundations, individuals and businesses, MCC achieved remarkable progress. Since the beginning of the campaign, MCC has opened three new academic facilities, and two more are planned.

The biggest challenge—launching the campaign at the beginning of Covid lockdowns—made the final outcome even more extraordinary: $59.8 million raised, comprised of $39.8-million in private and public dollars and a $20-million match through MCC bond dollars. Equally impressive was raising $20-million in the first two years through virtual meetings over Zoom and Teams.

“The team at Kinetic has been integral to MCC’s success throughout the College’s largest capital campaign. Their counsel and guidance has allowed our institution to broaden our efforts into a second and final phase, the scope of which impacts all five of MCC’s campuses and the students they serve. When The Path Forward is complete, our institution will have five new academic buildings. The campaign has impacted students from across the Greater Kansas City area allowing us to achieve more for the entire metropolitan area and surrounding region,” said MCC Chancellor Dr. Kimberly Beatty.

Offered Kinetic Chairman and CEO Matt Beem, “Initially, with everything that was going on, MCC asked if they should proceed with a campaign. Based on Kinetics’ decades of experience navigating unanticipated events, I shared that the demand for workforce development would only increase during this time. More people would need to re-tool for new career tracks, and MCC was positioned to be a solution to the challenges ahead. This certainly turned out to be the case, and Chancellor Beatty’s boldness and leadership proved invaluable in moving the campaign forward. In addition, MCC was particularly skilled at leveraging an influx of public dollars made available at that time in order to raise more in private philanthropy.”

Shared MCC Vice President of Institutional Advancement Billy Dunbar, “Kinetic played a pivotal role in MCC’s successful campaign. Matt Beem and his team were remarkably dedicated to MCC’s needs—always available for calls, meetings and our weekly and monthly scheduled consultations. Their unwavering support, from beginning to end, provided invaluable guidance every step of the way. Kinetic was also instrumental in forging many new pathways and opportunities for MCC throughout this journey. Their strategic and proactive efforts opened doors to several new donors, while fostering deeper connections with our existing network throughout the region. Kinetic not only helped MCC find success throughout, but also strengthened our foundation’s groundwork for future growth and impact as we move onward.”

Significant support from the campaign’s honorary co-chairs, Terry and Peggy Dunn, gave the project tremendous momentum; and the Sunderland Foundation’s $5-million gift helped bring the Advanced Technical Skills Institute to its final stage of completion. The Path Forward transforms Kansas City’s urban core by providing students with greater access to MCC’s skilled and technical programs. MCC proudly unveiled its campaign to the greater Kansas City community during a public celebration, where it was announced that nearly 80% of the campaign’s ambitious goal had been raised. “Successful campaigns are the product of strong staff members, committed volunteer engagement and loyal donor support. Dr. Beatty’s remarkable vision for the campus, Billy’s exemplary leadership, along with that of the Board of Trustees, Foundation Board of Directors and donors, have forever changed the trajectory of the institution,” shared Matt Beem.

The Path Forward was fortunate in that early success was achieved far more quickly than anticipated. This allowed MCC to stay on time and on budget with its projects. The early onset of success also made it possible for MCC to increase its original goal and move forward into a second phase to fund two additional institutes. MCC’s The Path Forward campaign stands as a pillar of progress, not just for Kansas City, but for the entire metropolitan area and surrounding region. Together, MCC and the community have created a wide path towards a stronger future, where every individual, regardless of background or circumstance, can flourish and thrive.