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Announcing New Community Innovation Awardees

Written by Build Healthy Places Staff on June 3, 2020

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Build Healthy Places Network is excited to introduce the awardee cohort for Community Innovations.

In November 2019, Build Healthy Places Network (the Network), with funding from The Kresge Foundation, launched Community Innovations to deepen outreach to and learning from local community development organizations that serve low-income communities and people of color. Community Innovations has a three-pronged goal: to enhance the Network’s understanding of how best to support local organizations’ cross-sector efforts; to connect local organizations to other peer organizations and the larger national dialogue, resources, and tools; and to embed capacity within organizations to undertake health strategies and engage with healthcare.

When we closed the RFP in April, we had received over 80 proposals. We are inspired and encouraged to see so many incredible organizations doing important work to address the social determinants of health and advance equity. Each proposal was carefully reviewed against an evaluation rubric that was based on the Principles for Building Health and Prosperous Communities, and finalists were reviewed by members of the Advisory Committee (list included below). After a rigorous evaluation process and with much deliberation, we awarded five proposals, in part to ensure adequate resources to awardees to carry out the work. This was certainly not an easy decision, there were many excellent proposals.  We are eager to figure out future opportunities to continue work with more community development corporations committed to improving health and well being.

Community Innovation Awardee Cohort

We are excited to introduce the awardee cohort for Community Innovations. The awards include $30,000 in funds plus in-kind technical assistance from the Network valued at $60,000 to support healthcare collaboration. As part of this opportunity, awardees have the option of working with one of the recently trained consultants to support the implementation of a health strategy. See full list of consultants.

List of Awardees:

Community Innovations Advisory Committee:

  • Alex Wiggins, Senior Community Development Advisor, Purpose Built Communities
  • Carla Taylor, Director, Community Wealth Partners
  • Deborah Roseman, Principal Project Specialist, America’s Essential Hospitals
  • Dora Barilla, Vice President, Community Health Investment, Providence St. Joseph Health
  • Frank Woodruff, Executive Director, National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations
  • Katie Byerly, Program Officer, The Kresge Foundation
  • Julia Ryan, Vice President, Health Initiatives, Local Initiatives Support Corporation
  • Michele Silver, Senior Associate, Policy Link
  • Romi Hall, Director of Healthy Homes and Communities, NeighborWorks America
  • Pedro Cons, EVP, Integrated Health & Human Services, Chicanos Por La Causa, Inc.