Prevention Institute continued to work with its partners to explore options for long-term, durable funding strategies in California. This project–leveraging $5 million from The California Endowment’s Social Bond–was designed to resource local organizations and advocacy coalitions who seek to advance public funding solutions that improve conditions for health, safety and wellbeing.

In 2024, PI extensively researched models of community-led movements and health equity advocacy efforts in California’s racially diverse and historically marginalized places. This process included an in-depth literature and policy scan, numerous subject matter expert interviews, and a series of planning retreats to develop the contours of an initiative to support local and statewide advocacy for health equity. Our planning process shaped how this work will move forward including:

• Looking to “bake” equity into government policies and procedures at every stage;
• Centering community self-determination, emphasizing the alignment of resources and power to address inequitable conditions and norms, and bridging health equity and racial justice by prioritizing investments that reverse generations of historic harm in funded work; and
• Launching Investing in an Equitable Future to support this work in several communities. In addition to supporting local advocacy efforts, PI will lead opportunities for collective learning and capacity-building among the funded partners.

Funder: The California Endowment.

Image, “Collaboration in Care,” by Franceska Gamez.