What’s Next
On the Move
The REACH Board of Directors and staff are making plans to relocate from the foundation’s original office location of 16 years in Merriam, KS, to a new, permanent home in downtown Overland Park, KS in 2020. REACH is co-investing in the property, which will be managed by EPC Real Estate Group, with longtime neighbor BRR Architecture, an architectural design firm and lead designer for the building.
The new headquarters at 82nd and Metcalf Avenue will be more accessible to public transportation, a thriving farmer’s market and small business district, and will contribute to Overland Park’s continued revitalization by promoting a healthier, more walkable community.
The property will feature offices for up to 8 staff and a community room able to accommodate groups of up to 100 people. The community room will be available for use by REACH’s nonprofit partners, continuing our longstanding interest in encouraging collaboration and learning.
The opportunity to co-invest in the Avenue 82 property emerged at the right time as the REACH Foundation began exploring a more permanent location for the organization. The REACH Foundation Board of Directors was pleased to secure this location, which is both publicly accessible and offers space that can support community dialogue and improvement.”
– Vicki Hohenstein, Board Chair
The Avenue 82 office development broke ground in January 2019 with a scheduled move in date of early 2020.
2020 Census
Recognizing the role nonprofits can play in influencing community participation in the 2020 Census, in 2018, the REACH Foundation joined forces with foundations in Kansas and Missouri to encourage state and local government efforts to ensure an accurate and complete count for Kansas and Missouri.
Decennial census data determine allocation of billions in federal funding for core programs such as education, roads, transportation and health care. This funding adds up: Based on the last census count, Kansas and Missouri received $6 and $16.5 billion in federal funds, respectively, to support these core programs.
REACH, in collaboration with other regional funders, contributed $25,000 to the establishment of a Census Equity Fund at the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation to support Census 2020 outreach and engagement efforts. Additionally, REACH awarded $31,000 to the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) to organize a regional Complete Count Committee, design a communications strategy to inform and encourage census response, and establish partnerships with community organizations for a coordinated approach. The MARC work was supported with an additional grant from the Health Forward Foundation.
Through these investments, REACH hopes to combat projected undercounting of traditionally hard-to-count populations, such as people of color, low-income households, immigrants, seniors and youth, and secure equitable fund distribution for Kansas and Missouri.
Census Facts
11
questions on the online questionnaire
13
languages available for the online questionnaire
10
minutes to complete per person
Approximately $800 billion in federal funding is distributed to communities across the U.S. each year based on census data.
2020 Strategic Planning
Examining funding priorities for the next five years
In 2019, REACH marked the fourth year of its five-year strategic plan, which placed the emphasis on three outcome investment areas that contribute to our goal of health equity: enrolling all eligible people in health insurance programs, closing the health coverage gap and strengthening the capacity of safety net services. The strategic plan also guided our focus on four populations that are frequently underserved: undocumented immigrants and refugees, youth transitioning out of foster care, and youth and adults experiencing homelessness.
As the foundation closes out 2019, the REACH Board of Directors will begin outlining a process for development of a new five-year strategic plan in 2020.
SINCE 2004
REACH has maintained a focus on health access and a strong safety net.
THANK YOU
for supporting the REACH Healthcare Foundation in our mission to advance equity in health care coverage, access, and quality for poor and underserved people. To stay up to date on future projects, subscribe to our newsletter below.
