Dunn Family Foundation

For more than four decades, the Dunn Family Foundation has channeled one Kansas City family's legacy of generosity into lasting support for education, human services, and community well-being across the region and beyond. Rooted in a simple conviction that helping those in need matters more than profit, the foundation has grown into one of the Midwest's most consistent engines of private philanthropy. 

The foundation traces its values to John Ernest "Ernie" Dunn Sr., founder of JE Dunn Construction, whose commitment to community service was carried forward by his son, Bill Dunn Sr., and Ernie’s grandson, Bob Dunn. Bob Dunn, who joined the company in 1987 to lead its Community Impact department, helped formalize that commitment in 1981 with the creation of the Dunn Family Foundation, a private charitable foundation established to sustain the family's giving for generations to come. 

Governed by a family board of directors that now includes a fourth generation of Dunns, the foundation directs its giving toward enhancing the quality of human life and addressing community needs in the greater Kansas City metropolitan area. Its priorities include programs that enrich neighborhoods, support people in need, and strengthen spirituality. The foundation is managed by JE Dunn's Community Impact team, which also oversees the company's broader corporate philanthropy and employee engagement efforts. 

The scale of that giving has grown substantially over time. Each year, JE Dunn Construction donates a portion of its net income to nonprofit organizations nationwide, a commitment that has exceeded $17 million in recent years. A national network of community ambassadors guides local volunteerism, with employees contributing more than 54,000 hours of service annually. A 1:1 employee match program, launched in 2020, has deepened that impact further. Together, the foundation, JE Dunn, and its employees engage with 1,100+ nonprofit organizations across the country each year. 

Since its founding, the Dunn Family Foundation has donated millions of dollars to charities and educational institutions, extending a family legacy that has shaped the Kansas City community for more than 40 years. Its work reflects an enduring belief that private generosity, sustained across generations, can build stronger, more equitable communities.