What Health Forward Foundation does

Health Forward Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private philanthropic foundation headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, that has invested more than $392 million in community health equity since 2005 across a six-county service area spanning both sides of the Kansas–Missouri state line. Originally established as the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City and renamed in November 2018, the foundation was restructured around a five-year purpose plan announced in 2022 that centers racial equity and economic inclusion as pathways to health equity. Its work is organized into four purpose areas: People (whole-person care across physical, behavioral, oral health, and social services), Power (democratic participation and community leadership), Place (housing and digital access), and Platform (cross-sector policy, systems change, and narrative work).

The foundation's core 'products' are grantmaking programs and purpose-driven investments. Funding is distributed through three channels: open funding opportunities, invitation-based grants, and responsive dollars for emerging community needs. In parallel, the foundation operates a purpose-driven investment strategy that as of 2022 allocated $332 million to Black- and Latino/a-owned investment managers, rising from 0% in 2020 to 47% of total assets under the current policy. The foundation does not sell commercial products or services; all capital deployment is grant-based. Recent 2025–2026 commitments include a $23.5 million invitation-based healthcare round (including $7 million for FQHC workforce), $4.3 million in capacity strengthening, $6 million to 51 civic-engagement organizations, and a $750,000 contribution to a statewide Missouri redistricting ballot campaign.

Revenue mechanics for the foundation derive from investment returns on its endowment rather than commercial sales; the foundation does not publish a single revenue or annual budget figure, but recent grantmaking cadence implies annual outflows in the $25M–$50M range. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and a separate Community Advisory Council (a 501(c)(3)) that nominates board members and provides community oversight. Leadership includes President and CEO Qiana Thomason, CFO Brian Henke (appointed March 2026), CIO Jim Casselberry (appointed January 2026), COO Brenda Calvin, and Chief Policy and Impact Officer McClain Bryant Macklin.

Name

Health Forward Foundation

Legal name

Health Forward Foundation

Website

https://healthforward.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Health Forward Foundation is a Kansas City-based 501(c)(3) private foundation that has invested more than $392 million since 2005 to advance health equity across six counties in Kansas and Missouri, primarily through grants and purpose-driven investments targeting racial and economic inclusion.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Health Equity Foundation

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grantmaking services
• Health equity funding
• Community health grants
• Impact investing strategies
• Nonprofit foundation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Endowment and Investment Returns: Health Forward Foundation operates as a private foundation with an endowment that generates investment returns used to fund grantmaking operations. Their purpose-driven investment strategy focuses on diversifying investment managers, with specific attention to firms owned or managed by Black and Latino/a people. In 2022, $332 million of invested assets were under management by Black- and Latino/a-owned investment managers.
2. Grantmaking and Community Investments: Since partnering with the community in 2005, Health Forward has invested more than $392 million to champion an equitable future. The foundation makes grants to nonprofit organizations and occasionally partners with government entities to advance health equity. Funding is distributed through open funding opportunities, invitation-based funding, and responsive funding for emerging opportunities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Health Forward Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) philanthropic foundation that makes grants to nonprofit organizations and occasionally partners with government entities to advance health equity in a six-county Kansas City region service area. It also deploys purpose-driven investments from its endowment with a focus on diversifying investment managers, and engages in policy advocacy, learning, and narrative-change work organized around four purpose areas: People, Power, Place, and Platform.

Product overview

Health Forward Foundation is a philanthropic organization offering grant funding, purpose-driven investments, and advocacy services to advance health equity in the Kansas City region. The organization operates across four interconnected purpose areas: People (whole-person care), Power (civic engagement and community leadership), Place (housing and digital access), and Platform (policy systems and narrative change). Funding opportunities include open, invitation-based, and responsive grants, while purpose-driven investments focus on equity in capital allocation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Funding Opportunities (Open, Invitation-Based, and Responsive Grants)
• Purpose-Driven Investments
• Policy and Advocacy
• People Purpose Area (Whole-Person Care Funding)
• Power Purpose Area (Community Power-Building)
• Place Purpose Area (Housing and Digital Access)
• Platform Purpose Area (Policy, Systems, and Narrative Change)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $392 million invested in community since 2005
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• 51 Civic Engagement OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 July 2025Health Forward awarded over $6 million to 51 organizations doing civic engagement and advocacy work, representing a notable increase in applications and demonstrating the inflection point the region has reached in civic participation.
• The Perryman GroupsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2024Health Forward commissioned The Perryman Group to conduct a study on the economic benefits of immigration in Missouri and Kansas. The study reported significant economic contributions: $55.2 billion in annual GDP and 495,200 jobs in Missouri, and $46.4 billion in gross product and 419,500 jobs in Kansas.
• Equitable Evaluation InitiativesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth Forward serves as an Equitable Evaluation Initiative Practice Partner. Their learning and evaluation work expands knowledge of systemic societal challenges and provides opportunity for intelligent reflection on actions to take.
• UnidosUSsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth Forward participates in UnidosUS National Conference alongside other philanthropy leaders. The conference focuses on advancing mobility, preserving communities, and supporting civic engagement.
• Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth Forward staff participate in HIP conferences and gatherings for Latino professionals in philanthropy, building relationships and reflecting on collective impact.
• Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth Forward attended the first-ever joint conference between HIP and NAP in Albuquerque, working alongside nearly 1,500 advocates on issues of mutual concern.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City Foundation: Health-plan-affiliated foundation operating in the same Kansas City service area with aligned health-equity investments. Comparable as a regional health funder, though anchored in a commercial payer rather than independent philanthropy.

Direct peers

• Kansas Health Foundation: Major Kansas-based foundation dedicated to improving health statewide. Comparable in health-equity grantmaking and state-level policy advocacy, complementing Health Forward's Kansas-county work.
• Missouri Foundation for Health: Statewide health-focused foundation with mission alignment to Health Forward's People and Platform purpose areas. Comparable in grantmaking focus on health equity and policy advocacy across Missouri.
• Greater Kansas City Community Foundation: The largest community foundation in the Kansas City region, serving overlapping geographies and donor-advised funds. Directly comparable as a regional community foundation stewarding philanthropic capital for local impact.
• Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation: Major Kansas City-based private foundation with similarly sized endowment and regional focus on economic opportunity. Comparable in scale, governance, and Kansas City footprint, with overlapping grantee networks (Health Forward's new CFO came from Kauffman-adjacent organizations).
• Hall Family Foundation: Private Kansas City foundation funding health, education, and community initiatives in the same six-county region. Direct geographic and thematic peer with comparable grantmaking scale.
• REACH Healthcare Foundation: Regional health foundation serving the Kansas City area with similar focus on health equity and access for underserved populations. Closely comparable in service area, mission, and target beneficiary communities.

Broad incumbents

• Kresge Foundation: National foundation with comparable focus on health equity, place-based investment, and racial equity. Overlaps with Health Forward's People, Place, and Platform strategies but at national scale.
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation: National foundation with deep commitment to racial equity, community power, and health equity—directly aligned with Health Forward's People/Power/Platform thesis. Much larger AUM and national scope; useful as a strategic convener and funder convener peer.
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: The largest U.S. philanthropy focused exclusively on health, with substantially larger AUM and national scope. Comparable in health-equity mission but operates at a much broader geographic and capital scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HealthForwardKC

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Health Forward Foundation