GreenLight Fund Kansas City

09/21/2026

Please join us in welcoming Shamika Hogan as GreenLight Fund Kansas City's new executive director!

Shamika will support our five existing portfolio organizations and partner with the community to bring the next set of evidence-based social innovations to Kansas City, resulting in measurable impact and positive change for individuals, families, and children.

With support from local families, corporations, foundations, and philanthropic investors, GreenLight Kansas City has already raised $4M+ for Fund II, fueling this next phase of community-driven work. Deep gratitude to everyone who made this possible!

Read the full announcement: https://greenlightfund.org/shamika-hogan-named-greenlight-kansas-city-ed/

08/13/2026

Read the reflection from GreenLight Fund Cincinnati leader, Erin Saul, on her time at the Aspen Ideas Festival. Conversations centered around how issues are interconnected, and they are not immovable.

Check out the blog below to read more about Erin's experience and takeaways from one of the most unique gatherings.

After attending the 2026 Aspen Ideas Festival as an Ascend at the Aspen Institute Fellow, GreenLight Fund Cincinnati Executive Director Erin Saul shares reflections on the conversations, connections, and ideas that resonated most.

“That sense of possibility felt deeply relevant to GreenLight. In Cincinnati and throughout our national network, we encounter complex challenges related to economic mobility, housing, education and youth well-being. We hear about how these challenges affect families through our Selection Advisory Council conversations and broader community engagement. My time at the Aspen Ideas Festival reinforced that these issues are interconnected, but also that they are not immovable.”

Read Erin's reflections: https://greenlightfund.org/reflections-from-the-aspen-ideas-festival/

07/30/2026

In a recent article published by GreenLight Fund leaders, Kate Schwass & Melissa Luna, share the three guiding questions we ask before scaling to a new community. All Our Kin and Futures First are highlighted in the second question, "Do you have the right local partners?"

Read more below!

Candid insights | Scaling a nonprofit program into a new community requires listening to the community, partnering with trusted local organizations, and demonstrating readiness to expand. Here’s how GreenLight Fund does it.

07/08/2026

The GreenLight Fund Method is rooted in a clear belief: communities know the challenges they face and what is needed to address them. Then, GreenLight Fund conducts a nationwide search for an innovative solution already demonstrating impact.

Read more about how GreenLight Fund partners with community to invest in long-term impact.

We actively engage with local communities to identify needs not being met and invite in best-in-class nonprofits uniquely suited to address them.

07/02/2026

Read about GreenLight Fund's model in this detailed article from Philanthropy by Ben Gose. Our portfolio, Food Connect, is spotlighted for their innovative model in the food security space.

06/26/2026

Over 20 years of and we're just getting started! Learn about GreenLight Fund's history in the latest blog post featuring a conversation between founders Margaret Hall and John Simon.

What does it take to create lasting change?

For GreenLight Fund co-founders Margaret Hall and John Simon, it started with listening to communities, identifying unmet needs, and connecting those needs with proven solutions that could make a measurable difference.

In this conversation, Margaret and John reflect on GreenLight’s early days, the lessons learned along the way, and how a local idea grew into a national network committed to removing barriers to inclusive prosperity and driving meaningful impact.

Read more: https://greenlightfund.org/20-years-of-community-driven-change/

06/17/2026

Happy Pride Month!

At GreenLight Fund, we are committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), recognizing and celebrating all LGBTQIA+ identities this month and every month. 🌈

06/12/2026

We're so proud of the partnerships Food Connect is making in Kansas City to get food to the tables of families who need it. Thank you to all of our partners and the people behind the scenes making things happen!

06/04/2026

Listen to GreenLight Fund co-founder John Simon talk about the future of philanthropy at the Semafor World Economy Summit last month. The conversation explores how philanthropy can unlock new models and create the conditions for greater impact.

Watch the full panel: https://bit.ly/4fKK4iz

05/29/2026

May is and we're highlighting the portfolio organizations across GreenLight Fund that focus on serving mental health. In Kansas City, Becoming A Man and Working On Womanhood support young people in schools through group conversations to navigate school, relationships, and the future.

Learn more about the different organizations across the GreenLight network working in the mental health space below!

See how GreenLight supports mental health and well-being through programs rooted in trust and local need.