We are excited to introduce you to Rachel Krause (they/she), who just joined The Beacon in a brand new role as our director of civic partnerships and engagement. Rachel will be leading our Documenters program, training and paying community members to cover public meetings while also strengthening civic partnerships and deepening connections across the region. Stay tuned for opportunities to get involved this fall. If you’re interested in learning more about Documenter training opportunities fill out this form.
A storyteller and community builder
Rachel brings more than a decade of experience at the intersection of communications, civic engagement and community-centered storytelling. Most recently, Rachel coordinated WAY TO GO, the Kansas City region’s sustainable transportation program, at the Mid-America Regional Council. There, they built coalitions across government, businesses, nonprofits and advocacy groups; designed innovative public events and earned two 2024 Nonprofit Connect Philly Awards for communications excellence.
Rachel is also the founder of Banjo Creative, a consulting studio that has helped nonprofits and advocacy organizations nationwide design communications strategies rooted in equity, narrative power and authentic community connection.
Why The Beacon?
With a background in journalism, Rachel is a University of Missouri School of Journalism graduate who has always believed in the power of storytelling to bring people together.
“I am especially energized by The Beacon’s mission and the chance to launch the Documenters program here in Kansas City,” Rachel said. “It is an opportunity to collaborate directly with community members and elevate voices that are not always heard in civic spaces.”
Outside the newsroom
When Rachel is not building civic partnerships, you might find them organizing the Oddball Hoedown, a queer-centered folk dance series that regularly sells out, or exploring Kansas City’s neighborhoods by bike.
What’s next
In addition to leading Documenters, Rachel will oversee our community engagement work, including supporting Estrella Gonzalez, and will serve as editor for Behind Documenters.
Our vision for Documenters is to make it a program that serves the entire Kansas City region, covering local government such as city halls, county commissions and school boards in both Kansas and Missouri. Documenters is a national model created by City Bureau in Chicago, and The Beacon is proud to bring it here with local leadership and support. With Rachel’s leadership, we will expand access to civic information across both states, helping more people understand how decisions are made and how to make their voices heard.
“We’re thrilled to work with Rachel and the Beacon team to bring Documenters to Kansas City,” said Max Resnik, Director of Growth, Documenters Network at City Bureau, “journalism skills are civic skills and we’re excited to learn more about Kansas City government.”
This new role is made possible through support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and Health Forward Foundation whose investments are helping us expand civic reporting that strengthens democracy and community voice across the region.
We are thrilled for you to get to know Rachel in the months ahead.
We are building our first list of community members who want to be trained and paid to cover public meetings in Kansas and Missouri. Interested in becoming a Documenter? Fill out this form.
