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GROW II (Giving Resources to Our World)
Amount: $30,000,000      Term: 10 years
The GROW (Giving Resources to Our World) Healthy Kansas Initiative is designed to assist in the start-up and funding of community foundations throughout the state of Kansas. Originally funded in 1999, the initiative now has active participation from 12 community foundations across Kansas.

By strengthening the network of community foundations, the Foundation expects to build local philanthropic leaders and resources that will result in long-term, sustained health improvements throughout Kansas communities. Previous grants from the Foundation have provided a series of financial and technical support services to the community foundations, including matching funds for new general-operating support gifts and new endowment gifts. Based on a 2005 study, the Foundation has seen great progress from the participating community foundations. Since the beginning of the program the community foundations have, collectively, increased their assets by 141 percent, increased their total gifts by 163 percent and increased their grantmaking dollars by 43 percent. This new 10-year grant commitment will be used to expand the number of participating community foundations, as well as to encourage the regionalization of existing community foundations when appropriate.

Kansas Health Institute – Core Support
Amount: $30,000,000       Term: 10 years
This grant provides continued core support funding for the Kansas Health Institute, an independent, nonprofit health policy and research organization based in Topeka. The Institute, originally created via a Foundation grant in 1994, has become a well-respected entity providing research analysis and assistance to policy-makers in Topeka and in communities across the state. These services help to provide decision-makers with objective information so they can make informed decisions affecting the health of Kansans. Funding from this grant will allow the Institute to continue its work and maintain its quality efforts in research and education on key health issues. The 10-year commitment of this grant will provide long-term stability for the Institute, as well as reflect the important role the Institute plays in the Foundation’s long-term goals.

Nutrition and Physical Activity Project Expansion
Amount: $2,505,000      Term: 4 years
This project seeks to continue improving the value Kansans have for two important health behaviors – nutrition and physical activity, both of which directly impact several of the leading causes of death and disability, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Specifically, this initiative is designed to 1) increase Kansans’ good nutrition habits, 2) decrease sedentary lifestyles, 3) increase awareness about positive health behaviors related to good nutrition and physical activity, and 4) increase the capacity of community foundations to serve as catalysts for community change.

Funds from this grant will be used to expand the work being done with community foundations around the state in designing and implementing grassroots programs to help increase positive nutrition and physical activity habits. Four communities are currently involved with this project, and the Foundation will work with up to six additional community foundations – potentially bringing the total number to 10 – to coordinate these community programs. Funds will also be used for an evaluation to assess the success of the project in meeting each of the initiative’s four outcomes.

Secondhand Smoke Community Campaign
Amount: $1,500,000      Term: 2 years
The Foundation has long identified tobacco as an area of focus, beginning with a 1994 partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for a statewide tobacco prevention and control program. Other efforts have included funding for the Tobacco Free Kansas Coalition and the launch of the Emmy Award-winning “Let’s Take It Outside” marketing campaign. In that spirit, this grant will fund a new community-level advertising campaign designed to build on the momentum of previous tobacco-related initiatives. This campaign will be developed with the intent to target individual communities with messages centering on the health risks associated with secondhand smoke. A 2006 United States Surgeon General’s report reinforced the dangers of secondhand smoke, including increased risk of heart disease and lung cancer. This campaign will allow the Foundation to continue developing public awareness on this issue and to re-energize public discourse on this topic.

Public Health System
Amount: $2,622,500      Term: 3 years
The Foundation has worked for more than 15 years to help build a strong public health system in Kansas that’s able to protect, promote and improve the health of all Kansans. In Kansas, the public health infrastructure consists of a statewide agency, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), as well as a network of 99 county health departments and other governmental organizations. Non-governmental organizations also play a role at the community level. With additional funding, the public health system is better able to provide much needed training and professional development for its workforce.

The primary purpose of this grant is to continue the Foundation’s history of providing funds for quality continued education and training for public health professionals, thereby contributing to a strong, stable and qualified public health workforce. Funds from this grant will be used to provide technical assistance to bolster organizations within the public health system. Additionally, funds will be used to continue the Kansas Public Health Leadership Institute, a program focused on improving leadership skills within the public health workforce in order to strengthen the public health infrastructure and reduce health disparities in Kansas in the future.

Community Health Project – Interns
Amount: $900,000      Term: 5 years
The Foundation has a strong history of working to improve the quality and quantity of primary care education in Kansas. The Community Health Project Interns program supports students from the University of Kansas medical school, as well as students from other health professions, so they can be exposed to a wide range of health disciplines. For 14 years the Foundation has funded this program, which allows medical students and students in public health, nursing, occupational therapy and health administration the opportunity to work in public health and social service agencies throughout Kansas for the summer. By working with these grassroots health agencies, students will have hands-on experience working with people and services with which they might never have otherwise developed a relationship.The Community Health Project is an ongoing effort designed to provide a well-rounded experience for future practitioners – one that allows them to focus on community resources and environmental conditions in their efforts to care for individuals. The course is designed to complement required course work with a clinical experience. To date, more than 370 students have participated in the project.

Tobacco Free Kansas Coalition – Core Support
Amount: $800,000      Term: 3 years
This grant will provide continued core support funding for the Tobacco Free Kansas Coalition, an organization whose mission involves reducing the prevalence of tobacco use and addiction and decreasing the negative health and economic impact of the use of these products. Research has shown that tobacco is the number one preventable cause of death, both nationally and in Kansas. The Coalition works statewide to foster an environment, through policy change, that creates smoke-free places and discourages tobacco use. As part of its work, the Coalition provides on-site technical assistance to communities interested in educating their citizens about the dangers of secondhand smoke.

The Foundation’s relationship with the Coalition dates back to the “Let’s Take It Outside” marketing campaign. Providing support to this organization will continue the Foundation’s work to protect the public, especially children, from the dangers of tobacco products. Continued funding of the Coalition will allow the organization to build on previous efforts at the state and local levels – many of which have resulted in smoke-free restaurants, schools and businesses.

Grant Writing Assistance for Kansas Organizations
Amount: $375,000      Term: 3 years
This project will provide grant writing assistance, through the University of Kansas, to school districts, communities and state agencies, increasing the likelihood for additional federal funding and national philanthropic grant dollars coming into Kansas. Since 1999, the Foundation has provided funding for grant writing assistance to schools and other nonprofit organizations in an effort to better position these groups to remain competitive for key funding dollars. The initial phase of this grant writing assistance was focused primarily on obtaining funding from the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program funded by the federal government.

Using this assistance, Kansas nonprofit organizations received 52 grants totaling more than $62 million. Due to the competitive nature of these grant programs, organizations must submit impressive and professional proposals just to be considered. Without training and assistance, many Kansas nonprofits would be unable to compete successfully for these important grant dollars. Services provided through this assistance include grant writers assisting agencies in becoming aware of grant opportunities, bringing together key collaborators to work on the grant proposal and helping to develop requests for proposals for federal or philanthropic grants.

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