2024

Annual
Report

Brenda Sharpe

President & CEO

Guy Collier

Board Chair

2024 Annual Reflections

The REACH Healthcare Foundation is proud to release its 2024 Annual Report, a celebration of the philanthropic investments and key partnerships supported by the foundation to create a more equitable, just and accessible health ecosystem across our six-county service area.  

While there is much to celebrate, we are also humbled by the task ahead for the nonprofit health and human services sector. We certainly expected significant changes in the direction of health policy following the November elections, but we now know that the scope and scale of those deviations will have profound implications for public health, the work of our organization, and that of our grantee partners for decades to come.   

Despite tremendous uncertainty, the leadership of REACH holds firm to the foundation’s guiding principles and remains steadfast in our mission and purpose. We have always asserted that healthcare is a human right, and our funding priorities and activities will continue to reflect that core value. 

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2024 Community Investments

REACH uses a community investment framework that serves as a roadmap for grantmaking priorities. The framework is centered on three outcome areas that support bolstering equitable health outcomes. The Strengthen the Safety Net area represents the most significant portion of the foundation’s grant awards, totaling $2,210,500, with $1,700,000 of that total dedicated to unrestricted funding for our core operating partners and $282,000 for capacity building grants. Bridge the Coverage Divide includes longstanding investments in care connectors and enrollment assisters, and grants in support of civic engagement, including voter registration and education. As part of the Close the Health Equity Gap outcome investment, the foundation is entering its third year of the Centering Black Voices initiative, while continuing to invest in support for immigrant and rural health.

$2,210,500

Strengthen the Safety Net

$908,355

Close the Health Equity Gap

$1,082,000

Bridge the Coverage Divide

$88,368

Discretionary

Deepening Impact Through Flexible, Long-Term Funding

Core operating grants represent a significant investment in supporting a high-quality, effective safety-net health care system—a commitment that the REACH Foundation has upheld for over a decade. These unrestricted grants empower recipient organizations to address critical needs and further their missions without specific spending limitations. 

In the 2022-2026 Community Investment Framework, REACH refined its goals for funding Core Operating Partners, placing greater emphasis on diversity and expanding the cohort to include new community organizations. Additionally, in 2022, the foundation transitioned to structuring these grants as two-year awards, a strategic move that provides multi-year funding and underscores its long-term commitment to supporting the vital work of these organizations. 

17 Grants
$ 1 M

The Broken Triangle: A Framework for Philanthropic Relationships

Written in collaboration with REACH’s long-term Centering Black Voices Consultant, Kathryn Evans, “The Broken Triangle: A Framework for Reparative Philanthropic Relationships” examines the systemic barriers that Black-led and Black-serving organizations encounter within traditional philanthropic structures. This exploration was prompted by a 2018 portfolio review that revealed these organizations were often excluded from grantmaking opportunities. In response, REACH launched the Centering Black Voices (CBV) pilot project, which gathered firsthand insights from Black nonprofit leaders in Kansas and Missouri to advise the foundation on its investments in the Black community. These leaders highlighted significant challenges, including limited access to funding and strained relationships with funders and consultants. The findings from this initiative led REACH to reevaluate its grantmaking practices, with the goal of repairing, rebuilding and strengthening its connections with the Black community.

At the heart of the report is the concept of the “broken triangle,” which symbolizes the often-fractured relationships among funders, grantees, and consultants. To address these issues, REACH has implemented several strategic changes, including transitioning to longer-term, flexible funding, deepening trust-based philanthropy practices, reducing administrative burdens, and redefining consultants as integral, culturally aligned partners through its Core Consultants program.

At the heart of the report is the concept of the “broken triangle,” which symbolizes the often-fractured relationships among funders, grantees, and consultants. To address these issues, REACH has implemented several strategic changes, including transitioning to longer-term, flexible funding, adopting trust-based philanthropy practices, reducing administrative burdens, and redefining consultants as integral, culturally aligned partners through its Core Consultants program.

“The Core Consultants model represents the healthiest and most beneficial version of a relationship between the funder, the consultant, and the grantee. This relationship pattern is so common, but too often, the power dynamics are out of balance. REACH has done a great job recognizing that each side of the ‘triangle’ brings something of value to the relationship and strengthens the work.”

Kathryn Evans
REACH Core Consultant and President of Rooted Strategies

Empowering Leaders Through Historical Understanding

The REACH Healthcare Foundation partnered with the University of Kansas Medical Center’s Center for African American Health to launch the “Building Mainstream Champions” (BMC) educational series as part of its continued commitment to advancing racial equity through reparative practices and as a springboard to future work in expanding efforts to all, not just the Black community. Designed to provide essential historical context, the series explores how systemic racism—including slavery, segregation, and resistance to diversity and inclusion—has shaped the health disparities that persist within Black communities today.

By grounding participants in this history, the series sought to foster racial healing, rebuild trust, and inspire transformative change in the places where people live and work. Through this educational experience, community leaders and advocates are empowered to implement informed strategies to reduce health disparities and promote more equitable approaches to healthcare and community well-being.

By grounding participants in this history, the series sought to foster racial healing, rebuild trust, and inspire transformative change in the places where people live and work. Through this educational experience, community leaders and advocates are empowered to implement informed strategies to reduce health disparities and promote more equitable approaches to healthcare and community well-being.

BMC Series Panelists

The State of Black Health In Kansas

In 2024, REACH partnered with the Urban Institute to develop the “Black Kansans in Review: Health Report.” This report offers an in-depth examination of health outcomes and social determinants affecting Black residents across Kansas. The analysis revealed ongoing disparities in life expectancy, rates of chronic diseases, and access to healthcare when compared to white Kansans. These health gaps are deeply rooted in systemic issues, including income inequality, lack of access to quality education and housing, and a shortage of culturally competent healthcare providers.

This report serves as a valuable resource for policymakers, healthcare leaders, and community organizations committed to advancing health equity. By identifying specific areas of concern and addressing root causes, the findings can help inform targeted and effective interventions. It also underscores the necessity for inclusive, community-driven strategies that dismantle systemic barriers and promote equitable access to care.

Meet the REACH Board

The REACH Foundation is governed by a 17-member board of directors who reside within the foundation’s six-county service area. REACH Board members bring diverse demographic and life experiences, passion for the communities where they live and work, and governance, civic, nonprofit and business expertise.

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