The REACH Healthcare Foundation and the Wyandotte Health Foundation are pleased to announce this year’s Rapid Equity Fund awards, totaling $91,500, distributed across 19 organizations. Through this collaborative funding effort, both foundations sought to reduce barriers to funding by delivering flexible, unrestricted support more quickly to help grassroots organizations sustain and strengthen their programming and operations as they continue to meet the needs of highly vulnerable populations.
The Rapid Equity Fund reflects a shared commitment to addressing what our community and partners has informed us about the realities of their current work environment: growing community needs, tight budgets, limited time, and strained capacity to navigate traditional grant application processes. In response, REACH and the Wyandotte Health Foundation chose to adopt a more responsive approach, trusting the expertise of their grantee partners, removing administrative barriers, and providing support that strengthens the people and programs central to the health of both foundations’ service areas.
This year’s grants were awarded to:
- Anthropy (formerly Poetry for Personal Power)
- Chandler Turner Scholarship Fund
- Children of Homicide Victims
- Dads Against Crime
- Ebenezer Christian Fellowship Church
- Elevating Men
- Family Resource Center of Cass County
- Fountain of Life
- Hella Good Deeds
- Hidden Gems
- Hold Em Up 4 Care
- Justice for Wyandotte
- Made Men Inc.
- Neighbor2Neighbor
- Patty Cakes Family Center
- Red Apple Edco
- Regal Health and Wellness
- Shepherd’s Center of Kansas City, Kansas
- Stitching Change
These organizations play a vital role in strengthening health and well-being across Kansas and Missouri, whether through culturally responsive care, health navigation, mental health support, or services that address the social drivers of health. Their work reflects the depth of leadership within the community and the importance of timely, flexible funding that allows them to sustain staff, respond to emerging needs, and remain accessible to the people they serve.
“Community organizations have always been the backbone of health and well-being in Wyandotte County,” said Carla Gibson, vice president of programs at REACH. “Our partners are navigating real pressures, from workforce shortages to increased community need. This grant opportunity offers immediate support without unnecessary hoops, reflecting our belief that those closest to the work know best what their communities need.”
Wyandotte Health Foundation’s president and CEO, Randy Lopez, echoed the sentiment, “Our foundations share a long-standing commitment to Wyandotte County. Working together this year allowed us to pool our strengths and make sure that local organizations, especially those historically underfunded, receive the support they need to continue building a healthier, more equitable future for our residents.”
One of this year’s grants was awarded to Hella Good Deeds, a newly formed organization dedicated to promoting Asian culture, connection, and inclusivity in Kansas City. The organization shared their experience with the Rapid Equity fund through feedback that offers a firsthand look at how rapid, unrestricted support helps emerging organizations grow their capacity and deepen their reach in the community.
“Hella Good Deeds is in its first year of full-time programming, and mental health has been a top priority. Through our Hella Healing program, which includes monthly Hella Creative Healing art workshops supported by a licensed mental health professional from Asian Mental Health KC and the Hella Healing Fund that provides sponsored therapy sessions, we are introducing therapy in a culturally relevant, low-pressure way and helping reduce mental-health stigma in the Asian community, said Béty Lê Shackleford, President of Hella Good Deeds.
“This work was made possible through the REACH Healthcare Foundation’s Rapid Equity Fund and their thoughtful guidance. When we met with Andrea to share our early ideas, her insight helped us shape the program for greater impact. We have never had an experience with grantmakers quite like this, and REACH feels like a true partner in our community-driven mission.”
As organizations across Kansas and Missouri continue to face uncertainty from funding challenges, the Rapid Equity Fund remains focused on meeting partners where they are and reinforcing the essential role they play in improving community health. Looking ahead, REACH and the Wyandotte Health Foundation remain committed to advancing more equitable, accessible funding opportunities that strengthen grassroots organizations and support healthier communities for the region.
