Regional Partnerships
Among the national Convergence Partnership’s core strategies is promoting and supporting coordination and connections across multiple fields and sectors to advance knowledge, resource-sharing, and policy and environmental change that will help build a national movement towards healthy people in healthy places (HPHP).
Expanding the intensity, reach and number of convergence initiatives on a regional scale is a crucial step towards achieving HPHP nationwide. In convergence at the regional level – in metropolitan areas, counties, states and in some cases, across multiple states – funders are working with practitioners, advocates and communities to develop and implement policy and environmental change strategies that create healthy neighborhoods. Regional convergence partnerships include:
The Florida Convergence Project Kentucky* Building Healthy Communities Project (Michigan) The Missouri Convergence Partnership (MCP) The NH HEAL Initiative (New Hampshire) New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids Oregon-Northwest** In California and Colorado, two of the first regional convergence partnerships involved with the Partnership, two statewide efforts—led by organizations grounded in years of building leadership, capacity and knowledge—maximized their strengths by converging across sectors and fields to foster synergy and build capacity and leadership for broad-scale change. The stories of the California Convergence Partnership and LiveWell Colorado, offer lessons on the promises and challenges of creating statewide networks seeking to improve health and promote equity. These case studies, which will be updated as the projects evolve, offer a glimpse into a growing movement. To read about California Convergence and LiveWell Colorado's journeys, please click on the case studies below: *Kentucky has been identified by the national Convergence Partnership as an "area of need," based on a national scan that analyzed political, economic, and social environments, incl. the chronic disease landscape.
**Activities related to convergence in Oregon are largely occurring at the grantee and grassroots level. While Oregon's philanthropic environment is not as mature as many others, there is a strong spirit of innovation and collaboration among foundations. |