Assets on Your Side

The third section, “Assets on Your Side,” connects you with people and resources that can help you every step along the way. There’s no way to avoid getting stuck. You will need help getting back on track.

The good feelings generated by community work also inspire people who want to help you. In fact, many of the organizations and resources that are available to you have grown out of community efforts. They know where you are coming from, and have formed their own specialized communities to help you.

Below are potential resources for help in three key areas: expertise, funding, and marketing. Not every resource will be appropriate for you, but the descriptions will help you determine if they might be. Good luck!

Expertise

Ask an Advisor. The University of Kansas invites online inquiries as part of its Community Tool Box. You can submit questions online about practical problems that you might encounter as you work on promoting health in your community. Questions can be about topics like planning, assessment, participation, leadership, publicity, advocacy, evaluation, and organizational relationships. You’ll get an answer if the question might also benefit many other toolbox users. Click on the Ask an Advisor@ tab at http://ctb.ku.edu.

American Project Access Network. This organization serves a growing number of communities that are working to give uninsured residents access to health care. It grew out of a successful effort called Project Access led by physicians in Asheville, North Carolina, which has achieved near-universal access in the surrounding area, Buncombe County. Since 2002, members of the organization have traveled all over the country to help communities learn about their success and to get started themselves. More that 20 communities have already put in place Project Access-type systems, and the organization is working in over 100 more communities which are getting started. The phone number is 828-274-2267 and website is http://www.apanonline.org/

National Healthy Start Association. A federal program, Healthy Start has challenged communities across the nation to reduce infant deaths and low birth weight. The Healthy Start Association serves those communities that participate in this effort. They provide a nationwide communications and technical assistance network for the exchange and dissemination of models that work. The phone number is 410-525-1600 and the website is http://www .healthystartassoc.org/

Healthy Communities References. The Regional Plan Association in New York City, which dates back to 1922, has compiled a long list of resources that focus on health and the physical environment. For example, it lists resources about designing communities to promote physical activity. See http://www.rpa.org/projects/regionaldesign/hcreferences.html

AHEC/Community Partners, Inc. Is a good source of information on ‘How To’ community partnerships. From the Ground Up A workbook on Coalition Building & Community Development is available as a reference guide. See www.ahecpartners.org for more information.

Consider talking to your local public or private university or Agricultural Extension services in rural areas. Many are very interested in supporting community collaboratives.

WRGH/FAHCL. (Wye River Group on Healthcare/Foundation for American Health Care Leadership) The experience of WRGH principals with expertise in law, public policy, medicine, public health, actuarial issues, legislative and regulatory compliance, health insurance, public affairs, health policy analysis, and health benefits coupled with a keen understanding of the complex interdependencies among competing interests uniquely qualifies these experts to facilitate and champion change. For over six years the group has applied its skills to benefit both public and private institutions. A fundamental tenet of WRGH philosophy is that collaborative efforts that help “all boats to rise with the tide” are the most effective approach to addressing the myriad challenges that plague healthcare today. The group uses a methodical process for defining and promoting shared agendas. Because the business of healthcare is complex and interdependent, there is high value in identifying, understanding, and leveraging complementary interests. Contact WRGH/FAHCL [www.wrgh.org] for assistance.

Funding

Applying for a Grant: How do you apply for grants? Do you really want to apply for a grant? Why should you apply for a grant? The Community Tool Box has answers to these questions and more at: http://ctb.ku.edu/ tools/en/sub_section_main_1300.htm

The Foundation Center maintains a comprehensive database on U.S. grant-makers and their grants. It offers instructions on funding research, help with proposal writing, tools for locating prospective funders, news and research on the field, or a library or training class near you. Its online directory allows grant-seekers to quickly research prospective funders by providing access to detailed information on grant-makers, grants, and grant recipients, as well as access to grant-maker web sites and searchable IRS non-profit reporting forms. Subscriptions begin at $19.95 a month. The phone number is 212-620-4230 and the website is http://foundationcenter.org/.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. As the nation’s largest health care philanthropy, RWJ is involved in almost every aspect of health and health care from childhood obesity to health care quality. Most of its funding goes to areas that the foundation specifies in advance, but it also accepts grant requests for innovative ideas any time. You can learn about both types of grants at: http://www.rwjf.org/applications/ or by calling (888) 631-9989.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is another giant in the philanthropic world. It has supported community work across the globe since 1930. Its’ grant-making in the health arena focuses on individual and community health and health care access and quality. Its current goal is to promote health among vulnerable individuals and communities through programming that empowers individuals, mobilizes communities, engages institutions, improves health care quality and access, and informs public and marketplace policy. Kellogg’s grant-making takes into account the social and economic determinants of health within a person’s community, the quality of health institutions within that community, and the policies that determine how health services are organized, provided, and financed.

Grants.gov. The federal government is the source of more than $400 billion in grants. Much of that goes to health-related projects from agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and the Federal Drug Administration. The website also provides basic information about who can qualify for grants. You can also sign up for email alerts for grant announcements. Go to www.grants.gov

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives’ Weekly Digest for Faith-Based and Community Organizations. To join this mailing list, visit www.hhs.gov/fbci, click “Join our Mailing List,” at the bottom on the page, click “Join or leave the list, or update options,” enter the requested information, and click “Join the list.” You will then receive a weekly digest of all grant opportunities at CDC and HHS for which faith-based/community organizations are eligible to apply. Go to www.fbci.gov.

White House Conferences on Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. These conferences are geared towards faith-based and community organizations that have no history of applying for government grants, as well as those that have applied, but have not yet been successful. The conferences provide participants with a general overview of the Faith-Based and Community Initiative, information about the government grants process and available funding opportunities, and an overview of the legal responsibilities that come with the receipt of Federal funds. The events also offer grant writing tutorials for select Federal grant programs. The conferences are free, but pre-registration is required. Registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis. You can go to www.fbci.gov to register online.

Marketing

Social Marketing Institute. Social marketing takes the sophisticated techniques developed for commercial purposes and applies them to public causes. The goal of the institute is to advance the understanding and use of social marketing to influence an individual’s behavior to improve their well being and that of society. Its services are geared to established institutions, but its website has several useful articles and basic ideas. See http://www.socialmarketing.org/papers.html

Implement a Social Marketing Effort. The Community Tool Box outlines the steps for conducting a social marketing campaign and provides links to additional sources of information. It also gives some examples about how social marketing has been used to promote child health and child rearing. See http://ctb.ku.edu/tools/implementsocialmarketing/index.jsp

Idea Virus. In the Information Age ideas can spread all by themselves as people pass them on directly to each other. Author, speaker, entrepreneur Seth Godin has devised a recipe for spreading information with minimal investment. This approach has not been tested much in the field of community organization, but it promises an innovative, creative way to getting the word out about your efforts. For more information, see www.ideavirus.com.

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