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Philanthropy journal takes note of Thriving Communities tools

We're excited that key components from Interact for Health's Thriving Communities initiative are featured in the December 2018 edition of The Foundation Review, a peer-reviewed journal of philanthropy.

In "Thriving Communities: A Model for Community-Engaged Grantmaking," Interact associates Mary Francis, Colleen Desmond, Jeffrey Williams, Jennifer Chubinski, former Interact associate Ashlee Young and consultant Jennifer Zimmerman describe three tools that were created to help communities embed health promotion and advocacy work.

• Success Markers are key elements of infrastructure, programming and sustainability that grantees must foster to effectively promote health. These elements include using evidence-based practices and engaging people in a shared vision for health promotion.
• The Developmental Pathway helps frame grantees' progress on each of the Success Markers. It helps them understand what they must do to move from emerging to expanding to sustaining practices.
• Relationship Mapping allows grantees to build their network of stakeholders to sustain their work.

"The tools equip the grassroots community with the means to focus on solutions by shaping healthy policies, norms and practices that improve health at the neighborhood level,"Francis said. "We hope that other funders can use the tools to reach their community goals."

One reviewer called the article "an interesting and important paper on achieving community health. The community development process is a significant advance, and the results are impressive."

Download the article.

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