There are a lot of words we can use to describe Kansans.

Midwesterners through and through, we are humble and kind. But we’re also gritty, hardworking folks. We care about our neighbors and our neighborhoods. We are visionary, and we’re down-to-earth. 

Kansas Health Foundation led a listening tour across the state to learn more about what the kind, hardworking, community-driven people of Kansas wanted from us – and they gave us another word to use to describe them: bold.

To meet the needs and expectations of the people we serve, we are going to be bold. 

Bold in our goals. 

Bold in our approach. 

Bold in our vision. 

And you can see our boldness reflected in the audacious goals that we have set to challenge the status quo, question established norms and create change to make our state the healthiest state in the nation.

The Model for Philanthropic Impact

One component of our purpose states that we will become the model for philanthropic impact. We want to lead the way in utilizing resources to make the greatest impact for the greatest number of people. 

Against thousands of philanthropic organizations in the U.S., that’s a pretty audacious goal. 

But we won’t accomplish that goal by simply bringing best practices from around the nation to Kansas. Instead, we need to be the organization that invents the next best practices.

With KHF President & CEO Ed O’Malley’s leadership, we are working under a comprehensive framework to achieve our goals, including six key strategies:

• Strategy #1: Build and support institutions that anchor the vision to lead the nation in health.

• Strategy #2: Build the power and influence of partners working closest to the communities with the greatest health disparities.

• Strategy #3: Mobilize Kansans in authority roles to dismantle inequities that lead to health disparities.

• Strategy #4: Cultivate and refine our network to be an ecosystem working to lead the nation in health.

• Strategy #5: Inspire and align additional resources to focus on leading the nation in health.

• Strategy #6: Foster an internal culture that aligns every KHF resource to maximize impact.

These strategies guide our efforts, keeping our work aligned to our mission, while also allowing for the freedom and flexibility needed to foster collaboration and innovation. 

Across Communities and Sectors

Innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. To achieve our goals, we’re not “staying in our lane.” We’re crossing traditional boundaries and breaking down silos so we can enable collaboration. 

Here are just a few of the ways we’re fostering this:

The Think Tank

Composed of external partners and one of our board members, the Think Tank serves as our thought partner. 

They help us think through complex issues and approach challenges and solutions through an adaptive lens. Some of the factors we consider include:

• What is the level of discord around an issue? 
• Who is involved in working on the issue? 
• How far apart are the parties involved? 
• What is our level of influence? 
• How sustainable is the solution?

Network Mobilization

Another component of our strategy is network mobilization, which involves working with various partners to address key health issues affecting our state.

The first major initiative we took on as a foundation was hunger. After three years of collaboration with partners across the state, in 2025, we stood up Hunger Free Kansas – an organization dedicated to fighting food insecurity. 

Standing up and funding organizations and institutions like Hunger Free Kansas, Kansas Health Institute and Kansas Leadership Center fulfills the first strategy in our framework. 

Public and Private Sector Collaboration

Health is interconnected among communities, employers, governments and the people who make up those groups, which is why it’s important for various sectors of society to work together. This collaboration is not limited to people and organizations in the health sector – all industries need to be involved in improving health outcomes. 

Recently, we announced a collaboration of public and private sectors, including the local and state governments, foundations and private businesses, to provide $3.5 million in funding to support health testing for Sedgwick County community members impacted by groundwater contamination.

To improve health outcomes in Kansas, and to achieve our goal to be the model for philanthropic impact, we need to think and act differently than we ever have before. Our efforts are driven by audacious goals, courageous leadership and strong partnerships.

Kansans at our core, we are committed to this bold vision and to taking even bolder actions.