The giving of philanthropy Charles Koch reflects his belief in removing barriers to “self-actualization,” said David Dziok, a spokesman for the Kansas billionaire. Over the past two decades, the Koch family foundation Koch, Koch Industries and Stand Together based in Wichita (a philanthropic community founded by Koch) have provided around $ 90 million to Kansas-based organizations.
In 2019, for example, Koch gave $ 5 million to charities Wichita and Kansas, including $ 1 million to build the Koch Carousel Park in the tourist attraction Botanica park in Wichita.
Wichita State University has been a major recipient – $ 21 million in the past two decades – from Koch’s local philanthropy. Among WSU’s donations were $ 3.75 million for “space makers” at the WSU Innovation Campus, $ 4.5 million to expand and renovate the Charles Koch Arena and $ 3.64 million to support the WSU Institute for Economic Growth Studies.
Another beneficiary of Koch philanthropy is the Mary R. Koch Arts Center (named after Koch’s mother), a Wichita institution that opened in 2017 and received $ 14.8 million. In addition, Koch has funded $ 2.3 million in scholarships for Kansas visual and performance artists.
Young Entrepreneurs, a Wichita-based national program designed by Koch and his wife to teach high school students about entrepreneurial thinking, has received $ 20 million over the past 20 years. Most of the money was spent on YE programming that is managed outside of Kansas.
Other Koch-related philanthropic contributions in the past 20 years include:
• $ 3 million for Kansas State University programming and scholarships
• $ 2 million to support the Wichita Salvation Army community center
• $ 1 million to the Nature Conservancy of Kansas to expand and enhance its preservation
• $ 1 million for University of Kansas programming and scholarships
• $ 360,500 for Rise Up for Youth, a program serving the minority youth of Wichita
(Data provided by Koch Industries)
