Kansas Reflector: "Faith groups across Kansas are diving into local politics — and getting results"

But let's follow the money ...

Wyandotte County established its “new justice ministry” in Dec. 2021.

On Tuesday the online Kansas Reflector published a story about the activities of DART, the Direct Action and Research Training Center, and its five organizations in Kansas: Johnson County, Lawrence, Topeka, Kansas City, and Sedgwick County.

Kansas Reflector article: “Faith groups across Kansas are diving into local politics — and getting results.”

The Kansas Reflector gave this overview:

The groups have been a quiet force across the state, setting wide-ranging goals and often achieving them. The results include expansive housing projects, education initiatives, public transit upgrades and more.

DART is active in 30 states, including Kansas.

DART project in Kansas.

The national DART Center page shows these Kansas projects:

• Lawrence: Justice Matters

• Topeka: Justice, Unity, & Ministry Project (JUMP)

• Kansas City/Wyandotte County: Churches United for Justice

• Johnson County: Good Faith Network

• Sedgwick County: Justice Together

DART projects in Kansas

Follow the Money

But, let’s follow the money.

The group behind much of this -- Florida-based DART, Direct Action and Research Training Center -- received nearly $1.8 million from the Kansas Health Foundation in recent years as part of KHF’s Integrated Voter Engagement project.

The online archive of Kansas Health Foundation grants shows this information for their “Doing Justice” project of “Civic and Community Engagement.”

A grant of nearly $1.8 million to the Direct Action and Research Training Center, complemented other Integrated Voter Engagement activities funded by the Kansas Health Foundation during the same time period.

To justify involvement in politics, some healthcare organizations, like the Kansas Health Foundation, claim healthcare is “civic health,” which requires “civic engagement,” i.e., political activity, for better outcomes.

The online archive of Kansas Health Foundation grants shows this information about the recipient of their “Doing Justice” grant :

DART, Direction Action and Research Training Center, is a Florida-based nonprofit.

Kansas Integrated Voter Engagement

KHF’s grant to DART was part of its Integrated Voter Engagement project, which was funded from 2017 through 2025.

See this four-part series of KHF’s Integrated Voter Engagement project in Kansas:

• Part 1 looks at the history of IVE and how it started in Kansas.

• Part 2 looks at the healthcare foundations funding IVE in Kansas.

  • $6.1 million from Kansas Health Foundation.

  • $1.8 million Health Forward Foundation.

  • $810K Reach Healthcare foundation.

  • Unknown amounts from the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund.

Kansas Integrated Voter Engagement expenditures by Kansas and Missouri nonprofits from 2017 through 2025. Nonprofit United Methodist Health Ministry Fund as a religious organization does not file IRS 990 forms and did not respond to a request for information about their expenditures.

• Part 3 highlights the Kansas nonprofits receiving funding to engage in IVE.

Kansas Health Foundation’s Integrated Voter Engagement grants funds election-related activities of number of progressive organizations in Kansas. DART (see lower right corner above) appears to operate independently of other progressive nonprofits.

• Part 4 reveals the impact of IVE on Kansas, and especially the “blueing” of Johnson County.

Related

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Next medical visit: Do you smoke? Are you safe at home? Are you registered to vote?