Kids Action

Making a Difference:

Kids across the country have done incredible things to make a difference in the communities in which they live. Such good news never grows old; it fills up with optimism. Best of all, it can inspire us to take action ourselves.

But how do people succeed? Is it just luck? Perhaps rare and talented leaders are behind it? Sometimes, yes, but there are proven methods that can help everyone to succeed. It takes a little know-how and a whole lot of work.

This guide offers a simple, step-by-step approach to getting the job done. It is written to help you make a difference in the health of people in your community. It will show you how others have done it. And it will point you in the right direction – with tools and resources to help get you started, organize and manage your project, and eventually find success.

Remember, think big but start small. Small doesn’t mean accomplishing little or nothing. It means focusing on the details. Let’s get started…

  1. Getting Organized: Be a true leader. To make sure you have thought about everything you will need to be a leader, answer these questions:
    1. Do you want to improve your community?
    2. Do you have something to contribute and are you willing to work hard to make this idea a reality?
    3. Do you have the courage and determination to stand behind your idea and be proud of your work? Will you take a stand and get the job done or do you plan to let others do the work for you?
    4. If you feel confident in your answers then you are ready to begin making changes in your community.
  2. Working Together: No one can change a community on their own. You will need help, but who can help you? (to get help from the experts, see Resources) There are lots of ways to learn how to collaborate, or work together. They can be broken down into 5 steps:
    1. Write down your problem and your solution: What problems are in your community? What needs to be fixed? Who do you want to help? How will you do this?
    2. Talk about with others: Once you know the issue or problem that you want to fix, ask other people what they think. Local leaders, hospitals, organizations and family and friends can help you make your ideas a reality. Getting in touch with lots of people in your community will help you understand what a lot of different types of people think. Also, make sure to check into the available resources in your area that will help you later on.
    3. Checklist:
      • Write out the problem in your community.
      • Write out how you plan to fix this problem. What is your mission?
      • Do a little research. What ideas have other people come up with to solve problems in their community? If you need help, check out our Inspiring Stories.
      • Record what other people said when you talked to them about your idea.
      • Make sure to ask them what they would do to solve this problem, in other words, get a lot of ideas together so that you can pick out the best concepts, change your original plan, and make back up plans in case the original idea doesn’t work out.
      • Make a list of resources in your community that can help you make your idea become a reality (for information about your community, see Resources).
  3. Make a Plan: After thinking big, you will need to start small. Write down each specific goal you will need to accomplish to be successful. These should say what you want to accomplish and when. To do this you can a make a timeline so that you can see everything that you need to do. Once you have written down these small goals you will need to figure out how you are going to accomplish them. This plan is going to be your strategy.
    1. Break your idea down into steps. What will you do first? Second? How will you make sure each of these steps works?
    2. What problems could you run into along the way? How can you solve these?
    3. Write down your vision for the community at the end. In other words, if you are successful what changes will have happened in your community because of your work?
  4. Get Going: Now you are ready to go to work. You have figured out the problem and have created a solution for it. Now it is time to make it into a reality. Good Luck! (for more information about marketing and financial aid, see Resources)
  5. Outside Resources: If you need more information, check out these websites. Make sure to look at them with an adult since the can be pretty confusing:
    1. Do you need information about your community?
      • The state or county health department can help you determine health indicators on a variety of issues.
      • The state human service department should be able to tell you the number of recipients of Medicaid, and food stamp program participants.
      • Hospital admission and exit records exist and can give you information on teen fertility, causes of death, etc. Depending on where you live, some of the data may not be part of the public record, but it may be possible to purchase some of it, or arrange to use it in some form.
      • Census data: Demographic information is available for your community and the United States as a whole. This information can be found on Bureau of Census web site: http://www.census.gov. Many states have similar information on their own web sites as well.
      • National, state and community level cancer incidence, mortality, and risk behavior data can be found at: www.cancer.org, www.statecancerprofiles.cancer.gov, and http://cancercontrolplanet.cancer.gov     
      • Police records can tell you crime rates and the incidence of problems such as domestic violence or motor vehicle accidents.
      • Chamber of Commerce data discusses job growth, the unemployment rate, etc.
      • Nonprofit service agencies, such as the United Way, generally have records on a variety of different issues. Often, these agencies have already conducted surveys and may have found the information you need.
      • School districts can tell you graduation rates, test scores, and truancy rates for your school and others. For comparative figures across school districts, they often have information on absenteeism, health status, nutritional needs, etc, check with your state department of education.
      • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reportable disease files can give you national information on the rates of many diseases, such as AIDS. Its’ web site is located at: http://www.cdc.gov.
      • Your reference librarian is often a very helpful person.
      • Other professional contacts you have can lead you to sources of information particular to your interest. Think about health related organizations: health insurance companies, local or national medical societies, or COMMUNITY pharmacists all may have useful ideas.   
      • Statistical Abstract of the United States is a good general source in print for national information. It's done annually, and is available in most local libraries.
      • Specialized local, statewide, or national organizations may help. For example, if you were interested in Alzheimer's disease, or lead poisoning, you would want to track down and consult with an organization specializing in that field. (Gale's Encyclopedia of Associations is a good national source). Many such organizations have good web sites of their own, too.
      • Many web pages not listed above may now exist with the information you are looking for. For some of the best, see the section of the University of Kansas’s Community Tool Box entitled Connections and Links, found under Community Building Tools.
      • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wonder. This database provides a single way for to search a wide variety of reports and public health data for state and local areas. http://wonder.cdc.gov
      • The Kaiser Family Foundation’s “State Health Facts” is an online resource for health and health care date for each state. It covers statistics like the number of uninsured residents to the cost of Medicaid spending. See http://www.statehealthfacts.org/
      • Faith-based/community organizations of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and many other diverse faiths are often active in communities and have done background assessments. For example, the Salvation Army (www.salvationarmyusa.org) is active in many areas. BAPS Charities (www.bapscharities.org) is a Hindu 501(c)(3)-registered nonprofit public charity active in health initiatives, disaster relief and other humanitarian efforts. There are many other racial/ethnically and religiously diverse groups that are active in serving their communities.
      • Spokane, Washington has organized all it’s health and health care indicators on one website: www.communityindicators.ewu.edu
    2. Do you need help from the experts?
      • 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.
    3. Do you need financial help?
      • 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.
      • 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.
    4. Do you need marketing help?
      • 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.social‑marketing.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.