The Kinder Foundation has made a $1 million matching capital campaign gift to the William A. Lawson Institute for Peace & Prosperity for construction of The Lawson Academy in Houston’s Third Ward. Read more.
Jun 23, 2016
May 19, 2016
Young Mothers Residential Program at Project Row Houses receives Kinder Foundation gift
Young mothers require the support of a community to raise their children in a nurturing environment. At the Young Mothers Residential Program at Project Row Houses, young single mothers get the support they need to pursue their education and fulfilling careers. The program serves women between the ages of 18 and 26 with up to two years of subsidized housing in a refurbished and furnished row house and also offers counseling. To date, approximately 60 young mothers have advanced through the program.
A $100,000 grant from the Kinder Foundation will support the residential program but also open up the educational component of parenting workshops, financial literacy classes, and life skills development to community residents. Project Row House is an arts and culture nonprofit located in the Third Ward, one of Houston’s oldest African American neighborhoods. Read more about Project Row Houses.
Feb 5, 2016
Kinder Foundation Director of Parks and Civic Projects to join panel discussion at The Cultural Landscape Foundation conference
The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) will present Leading with Landscape II: The Houston Transformation in Houston on March 11, 2016. Kinder Foundation Director of Parks and Civic Projects Guy Hagstette, will join the panel discussion which includes Houston Chronicle arts/design/culture writer Molly Glentzer, Former Mayor of Houston Annise Parker, and Clean Line Energy Partners, LLC President Michael Skelly. See the full conference schedule.
Updated 12/1/16: Watch Guy’s talk below.
Jan 26, 2016
Foundation appoints chief of staff, financial team
The Foundation today announced the following appointments to the organization and the Kinder Family Office:
- Gary Dudley, Chief of Staff
- Sabrina Kirwin, Chief Financial Officer
- Aarti Garehgrat, Assistant Director of Finance
Read more here.
Jan 10, 2016
Kinder Foundation names directors of parks and civic projects and education
The Kinder Foundation today announced that Guy Hagstette, FAIA, has joined the foundation as Director of Parks and Civic Projects and Duncan F. Klussmann Ed.D has joined as Director of Education.
“As a foundation, we are focusing more effectively on our key areas of giving and have brought in two of the best in their respective fields,” said Nancy Kinder, president of the Kinder Foundation. “Guy and Duncan have had a profound impact on greenspace and education initiatives and we are excited about broadening those efforts in the greater Houston community and beyond.” Read more…
Oct 16, 2015
MFAH breaks ground on campus and Glassell School
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, broke ground today on the 14-acre Fayez S. Sarofim Campus and the new Glassell School of Art launching the first phase of construction on the campus plan. The reimagined campus “will transform the visitor’s experience of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and create an urban oasis here in the heart of the Museum District,” said MFAH Chairman Rich Kinder. Read more about the progress of the project.
Oct 8, 2015
A memorable week at the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy
The Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy had a memorable week in October 2015. On Oct. 7, the Institute hosted a free lecture by two-time Pulitzer-Prize-winning author David McCullough at the Missouri Theatre with lines stretching around the building. The following morning, on Oct. 8, the Institute’s benefactor, Rich Kinder, BA ’66, JD ’68, announced a $25 million gift from the Kinder Foundation, a family foundation established by he and his wife Nancy Kinder, to fund the program in perpetuity and allow the university to hire additional new faculty to expand the programs of the institute serve in it. Of the gift, Kinder said, “Future generations should have the opportunity to study and understand the history and importance of how our country and government system was created.” You can read more about the lecture and the gift announcement, or view the full announcement below.
Oct 3, 2015
Buffalo Bayou Park marks completion
It was a colorful opening for Buffalo Bayou Park on Oct. 3. Rich and Nancy Kinder and their family joined dignitaries and the public at the recently-complete Water Works, the new park gateway on Sabine Street, for some colorful salutes. Mayor Annise Parker remarked that Nancy Kinder was a “tough negotiator” in the partnership with the City. And on a personal note, Rich Kinder said that he hoped his grandchildren, and all Houstonians, would continue to enjoy the park until his age and beyond.
With a dramatic drumroll by Batala and an explosion of colorful confetti, the ribbon was cut and the festivities ramped up. Throughout the day, thousands of park goers enjoyed and explored the new destinations in the 160-acre park. The $58 million Buffalo Bayou Park project is a public-private partnership led by Buffalo Bayou Partnership, the City of Houston through the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, the Harris County Flood Control District and the Kinder Foundation. In the short four years of construction, improvements to the park include new hike and bike trails, pedestrian bridges, lighting, public art work, gardens and overall improvements to the landscape, as well as major destinations like the Johnny Steele Dog Park, Barbara Fish Daniel Nature Play Area, and The Water Works. Read more and explore Buffalo Bayou Park with audio tours by Houston Public Media.
Sep 27, 2015
Teachers Receive Award and Collective $240,000 in Grants, former award winners share stories
Twelve (12) Houston-area school teachers were honored with the Kinder Excellence in Teaching Award and a collective $240,000 in grants at a reception on September 26. The honorees and guests heard the heartfelt testimonials from several past recipients on how they used their award. James S., a 2012 KETA winner, said that his gift award helped him and his wife become parents to their son, Gus, through fertility treatments that they otherwise could not afford. The award also allowed him to go on “sell[ing] the importance of reading, writing, and thinking deeply about this world” to his students. Another moving testimonial came from 2014 KETA winner Naureen A., who used her gift award to pay off her hard-working mother’s mortgage—a promise she made herself eight years prior.
The annual awards were established in honor of Edna C. Kinder, who taught special education students in Cape Girardeau, MO. Her son, Rich Kinder, and his wife Nancy Kinder, wished to recognize innovative and results-oriented teaching and raise public awareness of the importance of effective and committed teachers.
Aug 25, 2015
Kinder Institute for Urban Research’s Urban Edge – Director’s Address
The Kinder Institute for Urban Research’s Bill Fulton writes in his August Director’s Message that “So much of what happens in a city depends on the people, and not necessarily on the place” and why the Institute’s “expanded program areas will focus on both people and place –and often on the interplay between the two.” Follow Fulton @BillFultonVTA and read more here.