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Local news plays a critical role in keeping communities informed about the issues and policies that matter to their health and wellbeing. But with local news outlets on the decline, rural communities are at risk of being cut out of important conversations.  A recent Inside Philanthropy article by Martha Ramirez details how philanthropies like the Helmsley Charitable Trust support journalism…

HONOLULU, HI, May 19, 2026 — Kaiser Permanente Hawaii today announced that The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust awarded a $5 million grant in support of the Kaiser Permanente Hawaii Cancer Center, currently under construction at Moanalua Medical Center. The grant will provide significant funding for infusion bays and patient care areas within a new, expanded hematology and…

In philanthropy, innovation is sometimes thought of as investing in new technologies or breakthrough medical procedures. While less visible, however, investments in systems that coordinate people, protocols, and institutions already in place can yield significant and measurable improvements in outcomes.  “For philanthropic organizations, this work underscores an important lesson: meaningful improvements in health outcomes often depend less on new interventions and more…

Washington, D.C. and New York, N.Y., May 14, 2026 — The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is proud to announce new funding from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to strengthen clinician and health plan accountability for delivering high‑quality diabetes care. The three‑year initiative will advance quality of care for people living with type 1 and…

LAS VEGAS, May 13, 2026 — The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has committed $20 million to Intermountain Health to expand pediatric behavioral health specialty services in Nevada — one of the largest philanthropic investments of its kind in the state’s history.  The commitment will support the expansion of world-class pediatric behavioral health services, addressing gaps in access to advanced specialty care within…

HONOLULU, HAWAII, April 30, 2026 — Kuakini Health System has received a $10.2 million grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, a global philanthropy that aspires to improve lives by supporting exceptional efforts in the U.S. and around the world in health and select place-based initiatives. The investment will replace imaging equipment and expand access to…

Helmsley Type 1 Diabetes Program Officer James Reid joined Jayasree Iyer on the Access to Medicine Foundation’s Health Equity Podcast to talk about closing the gap in type 1 diabetes care for people in low- and middle-income countries.   As James puts it, “What really matters is how we align our resources, our will, and our efforts to make sure…

It’s time for philanthropies to invest and build roots in rural America. Studies have shown that a decade ago, rural areas received just 6-to-7% of grant dollars from large foundations, even though rural Americans make up nearly 20% of the population. Now, preliminary findings suggest that number may have dropped to just 3%. “If philanthropy wants rural insight at the…

WASHINGTON, DC, April 3, 2026 — Nuru is pleased to announce a new $7.5 million, three-year grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to launch a cross-border initiative designed to strengthen cooperative agribusinesses and unlock economic potential in marginalized rural communities in Burkina Faso and Ghana. “We are deeply grateful for the Helmsley Charitable Trust’s investment,…

Hadassah Medical Organization in partnership with the Helmsley Charitable Trust has opened Hadassah-Helmsley Netivot, a new medical center intended to bring advanced diagnostics, treatment, and care close to home for communities in southern Israel. The Jerusalem Post recently reported on the medical center’s opening ceremony, which featured leaders in government, science, philanthropy, and health.   Helmsley is committed to improving healthcare…

Patricia “Patsy” Hudkins has watched the workplace video of her sudden cardiac arrest countless times, trying to find clues about what made that day different from any other shortly before her 39th birthday. One moment, she was reaching to get something for a customer at Finish Line Burgers & Brew in Velva, N.D. The next, she…

GARAPAN, Saipan, CNMI, March 23, 2026 — The Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (CHCC) announces the award of more than $8.6 million in grant funding from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to expand and modernize the islands’ sole hospital-based surgical department. The Helmsley grant will allow CHCC to improve operational efficiency, strengthen its ability to deliver safe, high-quality…

WINIFRED, MT, March 13, 2026 — The Montana State Parks Foundation announced today that it has received a $186,000 grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to support a major research and interpretive planning initiative at Judith Landing State Park, Montana’s newest state park along the Missouri River. The funding will support interdisciplinary research and interpretation…

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has granted $6 million to Kahuku Medical Center (KMC) to expand the hospital’s emergency department and upgrade its electronic health record system. 

In a recent piece for The Daily Yonder, Madeline de Figueiredo reported on Helmsley-funded Virtual Crisis Care (VCC) programs in South Dakota and Wyoming, which provide immediate behavioral health support for individuals in crisis. By connecting law enforcement officers with virtual behavioral health professionals on an as-needed basis, VCC is reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and confinements in jail for rural communities…