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The Dreiseszun Family Foundation
The Dreiseszun Family Foundation was established in 1985 by the late Sherman W. Dreiseszun, a banker and real estate developer who shaped the Kansas City...
The Dreiseszun Family Foundation
The Dreiseszun Family Foundation was established in 1985 by the late Sherman W. Dreiseszun, a banker and real estate developer who shaped the Kansas City skyline. Dreiseszun, who died in 2007, developed One Kansas City Place and Town Pavilion — still the city's two tallest buildings — alongside a portfolio of regional shopping malls including Oak Park Mall and East Hills Mall. The foundation's wealth originates from that commercial real estate and banking legacy, not from a liquidity event or corporate divestiture. Grant-making concentrates on education, human services, health, and Jewish organizations across the Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Kansas City metropolitan areas. Unlike foundations that maintain diversified public-market portfolios, the Dreiseszun entity retains direct ties to its founding real assets — properties such as Metro North Square, West Park Shopping Center, and Camelot Court remain within the broader family holdings. Investment posture skews heavily toward buyout-structured real estate exposure, including a disclosed position in Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust (BREIT). The foundation's geographic footprint extends from the Midwest to Southern California and the Southwest, reflecting the family's multi-generational dispersion. The foundation is governed by Co-Trustees Erica Fisher, Brooke Levy, and Helene Abrahams — members of the family's subsequent generations. Adjacent philanthropic vehicles include the Morgan Family Foundation and PRESENT NOW, the nonprofit co-founded by Fisher that provides essentials to children entering foster care. The operating real estate portfolio is managed through MD Management, where Mark Morgan serves as President and Erika Feingold as Vice President. In October 2023, the foundation maintained its routine grant cycle, disbursing sums to legacy Kansas City beneficiaries consistent with prior-year patterns (public record). Structurally, the Dreiseszun Foundation operates as a private non-operating foundation that makes grants rather than running its own programs — a posture that distinguishes it from operating foundations or charitable trusts. It maintains no public website, issues no requests for proposals, and conducts no fundraising, relying entirely on its endowed asset base. This architecture channels the commercial real estate income generated by MD Management into a grant vehicle run by the family's third and fourth generations, with no outside investment committee or external allocation consultant disclosed.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1985
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Overland Park
Corporate office
Overland Park, KS, United States
Principals
Sherman W. Dreiseszun
Founder
Erica Fisher
Co-Trustee
Brooke Levy
Co-Trustee
Helene Abrahams
Co-Trustee
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who controls grant-making decisions at the Dreiseszun Family Foundation?
The foundation is governed by a board of Co-Trustees drawn from the Dreiseszun family's third generation: Erica Fisher, Brooke Levy, and Helene Abrahams. They operate without a disclosed outside investment committee or professional grant-making staff. Grant recommendations appear to flow through the family office structure at MD Management, where Mark Morgan serves as President.
Where does the foundation's wealth come from?
The endowment derives from the commercial real estate and banking fortune built by Sherman W. Dreiseszun. He developed One Kansas City Place and Town Pavilion — Kansas City's two tallest office towers — plus Oak Park Mall and several other regional shopping centers. Dreiseszun was also a significant figure in Kansas City banking before his death in 2007.
Does the foundation accept outside grant applications?
No. The Dreiseszun Family Foundation maintains no public website and issues no requests for proposals. Like many private family foundations of its size, it appears to operate on an invitation-only or internally identified basis, directing funds to pre-existing relationships in the Kansas City, Phoenix, and Los Angeles areas.
How are the foundation's assets invested?
The foundation's investment posture is heavily concentrated in real estate, consistent with its wealth origin. Holdings include direct commercial properties such as Oak Barry Center and West Park Shopping Center, managed through MD Management. A disclosed position in Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust (BREIT) indicates the foundation also accesses institutional real estate via commingled vehicles.
What distinguishes this foundation from the Morgan Family Foundation?
Both entities are linked through family ties — Frank Morgan, Sherman Dreiseszun's nephew, co-founded MD Management. The Dreiseszun Family Foundation is the entity directly tied to Sherman's commercial real estate wealth, while the Morgan Family Foundation, led by Mark Morgan, represents a parallel philanthropic vehicle. Both operate from the same Overland Park nexus but maintain separate grant-making identities.
Which geographies does the foundation prioritize?
Grant-making concentrates on three metropolitan areas: greater Kansas City (where the Dreiseszun real estate portfolio is anchored), Phoenix (where Co-Trustee Brooke Levy is an active philanthropist and supporter of the Phoenix Art Museum), and Los Angeles. This tri-city footprint reflects the family's residential and business dispersion across generations.
What sectors does the foundation typically avoid supporting?
Based on disclosed grant-making patterns, the foundation does not fund international relief, environmental causes, or political advocacy. Its focus remains tightly constrained to education, human services, health, and Jewish organizations — a scope consistent with the founder's personal philanthropic interests during his lifetime.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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