Learning from Partners
The San Joaquin Valley Health Fund (SJVHF), which is managed by The Center at the Sierra Health Foundation (The Center), is a community-driven funders collaborative with nearly 170 community-based organizations and the support of more than 40 national and state funders and donors. Started in 2017, the SJVHF seeks changes to policy and systems that will create more equitable distribution of opportunity and resources to the most vulnerable communities in the San Joaquin Valley. The core of their activities is informed and driven by their Policy Platform. Each year, more than fifty representatives from funded partner organizations come together as the Policy Committee to discuss key policy issues and develop the platform. The SJVHF, with the support of The Center, recognizes that the policy platform must be sustained and powered by community organizing, grassroots leadership development, civic engagement, and community mobilization.
In 2021, The Center partnered with Engage R+D, an evaluation and learning firm, to evaluate the extent to which participation in the SJVHF has initiated or strengthened collaborative relationships over its first three years (2017-2020). The evaluation helped to inform how The Center could further support the regional movement-building network and help members of the SJVHF plan their work going forward.
