Promoting Health at the Community Level

Promoting Health at the Community Level speaks directly to the challenges that foundations and funding agencies face in supporting the work of community-based groups.  The seven case studies included in the book correspond to different multi-site initiatives funded by The Colorado Trust, a Denver-based health foundation.  Each case study describes the initiative approach, the type of health promotion activities developed by community-based grantees, the various resources and guidelines provided by the foundation, the initial outcomes of the initiative, and lessons learned. In addition, the final chapter pulls together the findings from the seven case studies into a summary set of recommendations for grantmakers, addressing issues such as the level and duration of funding, different approaches to technical assistance, networking among grantees, and the development of healthy funder-grantee relationships.

This book is the first book to provide a systematic examination of community-based health promotion. Edited by Doug Easterling, Kaia Gallagher, and Dora Lodwick, this innovative text uses seven case studies to evaluate community-driven health promotion and present promising strategies for initiating and sustaining community-based efforts. Individual chapters describe real-world, multi-site health initiatives and summarize their evaluation outcomes.

Presenting different funding scenarios within varying community settings, the case studies cover a wide range of topics, including

• School health education
• Teen pregnancy prevention
• Volunteer service for rural seniors
• Violence prevention
• Home-visitation services

Promoting Health at the Community Level illustrates a number of different strategies for strengthening the capacity of community-based organizations to develop and implement health promotion programs. The editors provide knowledge-based approaches to encouraging local leaders, nurturing appropriate networks, and creating health promotion programs suited to unique community contexts.

Offering unique lessons for community-based coalitions and supportive organizations, this book will also inspire academics and students to further explore this innovative approach to health promotion and disease prevention.