The REACH Healthcare Foundation is excited to announce the return of the Rapid Equity Fund, in partnership with the Wyandotte Health Foundation, to provide flexible funding for organizations responding to urgent community needs.
The Rapid Equity Fund offers grants of up to $10,000 in unrestricted funding to support Black-, Brown-, immigrant-, refugee-, and rural-serving organizations across REACH’s six-county service area. The fund is designed to reduce barriers to accessing support and allow organizations to use resources in ways that best meet their needs.
“For us, this work is about continuing to invest in the organizations that are deeply rooted in Wyandotte County and trusted by their communities,” said Randy Lopez, president of Wyandotte Health Foundation. “The success of last year’s Rapid Equity Fund showed us how meaningful unrestricted support can be. It pushed us to think more expansively about how we can continue showing up for partners who are creating healthier outcomes, especially during times of funding uncertainty.”
The Rapid Equity Fund reflects what we have heard directly from community partners about the realities of their work today—growing community needs, limited time and capacity, funding cuts and tight budgets, and the challenges of navigating traditional grant processes. In response, REACH and the Wyandotte Health Foundation have adopted a more responsive approach by minimizing administrative barriers and offering flexible funding with a quick turnaround to address an organization’s programmatic or operational needs.
“Over the past year, we’ve been listening closely to our partners about what they need to keep moving their work forward,” said Carla Gibson, vice president of programs at REACH. “The changes we’ve made to the Rapid Equity Fund reflect that learning. By increasing the award amount and adjusting eligibility parameters, we hope to create more opportunities for organizations to access flexible funding. This is part of our trust-based approach, listening, adapting, and removing barriers where we can.”
This year’s changes and updates to the Rapid Equity Fund are intended to open the door to more organizations and provide greater flexibility during a time of unprecedented need. With increased award amounts and expanded eligibility, the fund continues to reflect what the community needs to support their work best.
Organizations may apply once every 12 months, with applications reviewed on a rolling basis. More information about eligibility, funding guidelines, and how to apply is available on the Rapid Equity Fund webpage.
