What's already implemented, what's coming, and how can funders prepare as needs shift to social service providers across Greater Kansas City?
Changes to SNAP and Medicaid are creating new challenges for families, providers, and grantmakers across the region. Join PhilMO for an informative coffee chat to discuss current and pending changes, the populations and communities most likely to be affected, and how funders can respond thoughtfully.
This candid conversation will include perspectives from funders and a field leader – we also encourage you to bring what you are hearing and planning into the room. We will discuss the potential ripple effects of these policy changes, including impact on health equity.
Space is limited for this funder-only briefing. Coffee and light refreshments will be provided. This discussion will be interactive and not recorded.
Registration is required to attend. We welcome PhilMO Full Members (grantmaking Members) and non-Member Missouri funders to register. Content has been tailored for grantmakers working in Greater Kansas City.
PhilMO Members may participate for free. If this is your first interaction with the new PhilMO website, choose “Create New Account” when registering.
Non-Member Missouri grantmakers may participate as our guests. Contact Marchel Alverson at marchel@philmo.org for guest registration.
Please contact marchel@philmo.org or info@philmo.org with questions or requests.
Constance Harper, Esq.
Vice President of Policy, Advocacy, & Strategic Initiatives
Deaconess Foundation
Constance (she/her) has the overall strategic and operational responsibility to articulate policy priorities developed in partnership with impacted communities and formulate strategies to advance those priorities, including local, state, and federal legislative and administrative advocacy, and coalition building to advance the Foundation’s mission.
She coordinates the execution of strategic initiatives aimed at shaping and transforming oppressive systems that impact the well-being of children and their community of caregivers through leveraging the Foundation’s financial resources, relationships, and other assets for the causes championed by the communities in Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois.
Debbie Espinosa
President & CEO
Harvester Community Food Network
Debbie joined Harvesters as President and CEO in 2026, coming from FIND Regional Food Bank, a fellow Feeding America network food bank serving California’s Greater Palm Springs desert region. There, she served as President and CEO since 2018.
Espinosa brings extensive food banking experience within the Feeding America network. She currently serves as a member and past chair of Feeding America’s National Advisory Council, one of the network’s primary leadership bodies responsible for helping shape strategy and innovation across more than 200 member food banks nationwide. She has also served on Feeding America’s National Board of Directors, Contract Task Force, Network Strategic Framework Committee, and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Council. From 2008 to 2011, she worked for Feeding America as the Manager of Compliance and Capacity Development, supporting 37 food banks throughout the southwestern United States.
Her broader food banking experience includes serving as a Strategic Programs and Operations Consultant for the Global Food Banking Network, where she helped support the development of the first national food banking networks in Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador in partnership with Walmart Central America and Mexico.
Debbie has deep ties to the Kansas City community. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she later attended Rockhurst University, where she earned her bachelor’s degrees in Sociology and Comparative Religion, along with a minor in Nonprofit Management through the American Humanics (now Nonprofit Leadership Alliance) program. She also has a Masters degree in Community and Economic Development from Pennsylvania State University and is a Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP).
Over the past decade, Espinosa has continued to strengthen her ties to Kansas City through more than eight years of service on the national board of directors of the Kansas City-based Nonprofit Leadership Alliance, an organization founded by H. Roe Bartle in 1948 to develop the next generation of nonprofit leaders.
Frank Gray
Senior Director of Population Health
University Health KC
In his role as Senior Director, Frank leads efforts to identify and address health disparities within endangered populations. Additionally, Frank collaborates with key internal and external stakeholders to inform strategic priorities, goals, and objectives toward the development of an ethical and equitable system of care.
Frank has served Kansas City for over 20 years in leadership roles with Missouri Department of Social Services, Cornerstones of Care, 16th Circuit Court of Jackson County, and Hope Family Care Center.Beyond his work with University Health, Frank devotes a portion of his personal time to volunteerism.He currently serves as Board President of We Vibe KC, a local non-profit organization serving Kansas City youth and families. He also serves as an active Board Member of Nurture KC. Frank is committed to ensuring University Health continues to nurture and cultivate the best possible health outcomes for our community.
Nate Madden, PhD
Director of Health Policy
REACH Healthcare Foundation
Nate is a health policy professional with more than a decade of experience in policy advocacy, evaluation and applied research focused on advancing health equity. He currently serves as Director of Health Policy at REACH Healthcare Foundation, where he leads the foundation’s policy efforts in support of community-informed approaches to strengthening health across Kansas and Missouri.
Prior to joining REACH, Madden most recently served as policy impact strategist at Health Forward Foundation, where he led state-level policy advocacy in Kansas and Missouri and managed a multimillion-dollar portfolio supporting policy advocacy, civic engagement and health equity strategies. Earlier in his career, he worked as an evaluation analyst at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and as a research and policy analyst with the Kansas Center for Economic Growth, contributing research that supported the repeal of the 2012 Kansas tax cut experiment and advanced work on racial equity, education funding and economic stability.
When he’s not advocating for health equity and sound policy for the region, Madden enjoys spending time with his family and growing vegetables and friendships at his home and local community garden where he is active. He also likes to maintain his yoga practice, read science fiction, and spend as much time outdoors as Midwest weather will allow.
The DeBruce Foundation
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