Program Areas

(Please see the Fit for Kansas Kids: Calling Communities to Action RFP for current funding opportunities. Fit for Kansas Kids proposals are due by September 30, 2010.)

Since 2003, the Trustees of the Fund have chosen to focus grants on a few carefully selected health issues to achieve more impact with the grant dollars available. For 2010 through 2012, the Health Fund's resources have been committed to three vitally important areas of health critical to overall well-being. The Fund will award grants totaling approximately $2 million in each of the three focus areas over the next three years.

Two of the areas reflect our firm belief in the old adage "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" and seek to support healthy lifestyles and social/emotional development of our youngest Kansans, birth through age six.

The third focus area, access to health care, is at the very root of the Health Fund and has taken center stage in the national arena with health care reform. Health Fund grants continue to support efforts to assure primary health care for all Kansans.

We thank the many Kansans who participated in our strategic planning process, providing insight on health issues and offering ideas on how the Health Fund might improve health outcomes for Kansans. This input provided valuable guidance as our Board of Trustees established our strategic funding areas for 2010-2012. Detailed information on each focus area is available via these links:

Additionally, the Health Fund continues its health partnership with Kansas United Methodist churches through the Healthy Congregations Covenant program.

Oral health has been a major emphasis of the Health Fund since the 1998 launch of the Fund's Healthy Teeth for Kansans initiative. Although it will continue to help sustain efforts increasing access to dental care, particularly with workforce issues, the Fund will not be developing new initiatives in oral health through 2012.

Read the news release for additional information.