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Steve Coen
President and CEO
Thank you for taking the time to review the Foundation’s 2008 annual report. We are pleased to present this report in an online-only format for the first time as we continue to look for ways to communicate information about the Foundation in the most accessible, easy-to-follow and responsible manner possible.
Among the features you’ll find are expanded sections detailing the Foundation’s grant making, history and principles. We are excited to once again include a complete list of the Foundation’s major initiatives from the previous year, and you will find detailed descriptions of the 12 major initiatives approved in 2008.
We also want to specifically point out the refinement of the Foundation’s primary focus areas. Over the Foundation’s history, program and focus areas have been shifted in order to keep pace with current research, react to growing state and national concerns or pinpoint the leading health risks and factors affecting Kansans.
With recent approval from our board of directors, the Foundation’s grant making moving forward will focus on the following areas:
• Promoting the healthy behaviors of Kansas children
• Strengthening the public health system
• Improving access to health care for Kansas children
• Growing community philanthropy
• Providing health data and information to policymakers
• Building civic leadership
Recently, I’ve been traveling throughout the state to hear some of the suggestions, ideas and concerns Kansans have about health issues in our state. These conversations continually reinforce the many problems people face on a daily basis. However, I am also encouraged by the countless number of efforts already under way throughout Kansas to address these issues. These are the types of projects we hope to fund and the types of people and organizations with which we hope to partner. We feel we took many positive steps in this direction during the past year, and we look forward to continuing this journey into the future. We hope you enjoy reading about our 2008 grant making. It is an honor to work with the people of Kansas and to work toward our mission to improve the health of all Kansans.
Steve Coen
President and CEO