Can you believe it’s already the end of 2024? It feels like just yesterday we were celebrating the start of a new year (and trying to remember if it was a leap year or not!). As 2024 draws to a close, we recognize the importance of pausing and reflecting on our work. Join us as we celebrate some highlights and look forward to building a healthier future together!

Celebrating Two Years of Shared Leadership

The end of 2024 marks the two year anniversary of our time as co-executive directors of BHPN. Much of the work that goes into creating a new shared leadership model is ‘behind that curtain’ but we’ve appreciated how our shared leadership fosters collaboration, leverages diverse strengths, connection and vulnerability.  

Building Momentum: 2024 Highlights

• We believe that healthy, equitable communities are built when public health and community development work hand-in-hand. To help make that happen we partnered with the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors to create a public health primer. This resource offers frameworks and practical ways for these sectors to work together to advance racial equity through collaboration. Look out for new resources from our collaboration and public health roundtable in early 2025. 
• In May, we partnered with Verge Impact Partners to publish Community-Driven Data and Evaluation Strategies to Transform Power and Place, born out of our Community Innovations for Racial Equity initiative (see more below). This resource equips community-based organizations to lead their own data and evaluation efforts, and provides guidance to institutions on more equitable community engagement. We were thrilled with the enthusiastic response from Community Development Financial Institutions partners when we presented at Opportunity Finance Network’s conference in October. Community-driven data creates opportunities for communities to shape their own future narratives. We look forward to expanding this work with partners in the new year. 
• Building on this theme of community power, we revitalized our MeasureUp Microsite, adding tools and resources that support communities to use data effectively in advocating for and communicating a vision that reflects their values. We believe that supporting communities to measure impact and leverage data  for community-driven solutions is essential to advancing health equity. If you have relevant resources, we’d love to hear from you.
  
• In November, Native American Heritage Month, we hosted our first all Native Network Commons, highlighting promising partnerships between healthcare, Tribal governments, and Native-led community organizations. These partnerships can accelerate investments in ‘health-supporting’ community infrastructure, while furthering Native and Tribal communities’ self-determination. In 2025, we’re committed to working alongside these communities to identify how we can best support their well-being and self-determination.
• ‘What ever happened to the partnerships in your rural case studies?’ We set out to answer this question with the release of our Update to the Playbook for New Rural Health Partnership Models of Investment. Revisiting the partnerships featured in the original 2022 playbook provided insights into the evolving rural health partnership landscape. Approximately 85% of these partnerships are thriving, showcasing the resilience and creativity of these collaborations. We encourage you to explore these examples and consider similar partnerships. We are excited to deepen this work through regional cohorts going forward.
  
• As one cohort sunsets, another begins. The Kresge Foundation’s generous $1.1 million grant is fueling the next phase of our Community Innovations for Racial Equity initiative! We’re excited to partner with a new cohort of five BIPOC-led and allied Community Development Corporations to tackle structural racism and health inequities head-on. Our previous cohort alumni achieved incredible milestones, including the Southside Center for Rest & Healing that will include walking paths, a food co-op, affordable co-housing, making it a comprehensive facility for health and wellness. Want to help shift power to communities? Join us in supporting community-owned and driven investments for lasting change.

Throughout 2024, communities across the country addressed complex challenges with incredible strength and innovation, highlighting the need for healthy, inclusive communities through community centered multi-sector approaches that advance racial equity. Our growing audience reflects a shared commitment to addressing these complex issues with a recent survey revealing our resources significantly boosted their understanding of racial equity (90%), community led (95%) and multi-sector (90%) approaches. 

For BHPN there are several big collaborations shaping up around community-driven data and advancing multi-sector rural coalitions. In addition, we’re honored to receive the inaugural Pittman Prize Innovative Solutions Award from the Public Health Institute in Oakland to deepen multi-sector approaches in climate justice.

Thank you for being part of our journey. We’re incredibly grateful for the passion and dedication of our talented team at BHPN, who make all of this possible. You can support our work by sharing this blog with three colleagues who should know about BHPN. 

We wish you a happy and healthy new year!

Please visit our website to learn more about our work and how you can get involved.