Our Work

Our Services and Programs

Relationships are the heart of our work, and our bottom line is helping community coalitions, including formal and informal leaders, create lasting change at local, state, regional, and national levels.

We bring decades of experience supporting diverse community partnerships and leaders in more than 40 states as they implemented equity-focused policies, created welcoming public spaces, and transformed their communities to improve health and wellbeing for all. We will work with you to co-develop an effective plan of action with approaches ranging from standalone services and programs to an integrated strategy that addresses complex project goals, community contexts, and partner needs. We offer the following services to help address a variety of complex social problems related to population health.

Consulting and Advising

We consult with and advise organizations to help deepen their impact. From idea exploration and early testing to implementation, evaluation, and adaptations, we bring a strategic mindset and relevant experience to support sustainable changes that help leaders, organizations, and communities thrive.

Community Leadership and Action

We help community leaders and partnerships effectively work together using an inclusive, equity-focused lens. We provide individualized support to deepen collaborative leadership, address emerging needs, and apply tools in real time. Our evidence-based, practice-tested Community Action Model provides a deep well of resources and concepts from which our services are tailored, including Essential Practices and an Action Cycle for meaningful and lasting changes to policies, systems, and environments.

Learning and Networking

We advance peer and group learning and networking experiences by tailoring our support to specific initiatives, organizational goals, and participant needs. Our team co-creates welcoming spaces, structures, and activities that foster innovative thinking, develop new partnerships, and inspire sharing of wisdom and resources.

Field Building

We strengthen the healthy communities field by increasing capacity for collective progress and systems change. Our team creates and curates original content to inform and inspire the field, including assessment and recommendation reports, practical guides, thought leadership commentary and blogs, and on-demand virtual and in-person learning and networking.

We believe that when people work together, their collective ideas and efforts create greater change than any individual could achieve alone.

Healthy Places by Design deepens the capacity of individuals, groups, and organizations to work together on improving their community’s policies, systems, and environments. Our collaboration services include tailored learning and networking experiences, cohort support, and our unique Collaboration Lab course, all of which build the capacity of current and future leaders to work across sectors and with residents to create thriving communities.

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Socially Connected Communities

We are growing a movement to integrate social connection as a vital component of healthy and equitable communities.

Trusting and meaningful relationships enhance our mental, physical, and emotional health and well-being. In fact, stronger social connections can boost a person’s likelihood of survival by 50 percent. Through the Socially Connected Communities Network and other services, we help philanthropic and nonprofit organizations weave strategies for social connection into their work.

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Community Action Model

We translated decades of successful initiatives into a comprehensive model to describe the community change process and to guide community action.

In our collaborative work with community leaders and residents, their funders, and other key partners, our Community Action Model guides our way. The model highlights the importance of a community’s context, defines six essential practices for success, and outlines a 3P Action Cycle: Partner, Prepare, and Progress. It represents more than 20 years of learning and refinement by Healthy Places by Design and is a well-tested approach for local investments.

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Slide 4

"Healthy Places by Design helped us become a stronger, more supportive grantmaker and convener in New Jersey. Their staff embodied our mission and became an extension of our team. They were able to seamlessly bring resources to us and our grantees and partners, and were able to make connections well beyond what we could have done on our own."

Diane Hagerman, Michigan Health Endowment Fund

Slide 3

"Healthy Places by Design has increased the capacity of our organization to engage community stakeholders and share information through peer learning. You are partners who understand the process and work, and you help us think critically about what the project needs to look like. You take the work seriously, you meet deliverables, and you often exceed what was expected. You go above and beyond."

Dr. Sandra Melvin, Institute for the Advancement of Minority Health

Slide 1

"Healthy Places by Design provided valuable insights for the Health Fund’s future investments. By spotlighting success stories and highlighting challenges, their work informed strategic priorities related to active transportation, land use, and public health. Their focus on equitable and inclusive engagement has strengthened the Health Fund's ability to create lasting impact in Michigan communities, ensuring investments address both systemic barriers and local needs while promoting sustainable and accessible built environments."

Dr. Tayo Moss, Michigan Health Endowment Fund

Slide 2

"It’s hard to imagine doing any work that is meaningful in community design, healthy communities, and/or social connection without Healthy Places by Design as a partner. Their dependability and collaborative history is incredibly valuable. The whole team feels like 'home' in many ways."

Karma Edwards, Public Health Consultant

Slide 5

"Healthy Places by Design brings valuable insights and a third-party perspective, helping us stay focused and achieve outcomes we couldn’t on our own."

Marcy Green, Impact Alamance

Where We've Worked

Since 2002, our organization has supported more than 200 community partnerships in more than 40 states, working on behalf of dozens of philanthropic, nonprofit, and government organizations.

This map shows the range of places in which we’ve helped investors and community leaders through our coaching and technical assistance, collaborative learning and networking, and national and state-wide initiative support.

Clients and Partners

Healthy Places by Design has served as a strategic thought partner to more than three dozen philanthropic, nonprofit, and government organizations, including local, state, and national foundations. We are also committed to building local capacity for community-led policy, systems, and environmental changes, serving as a collaborative partner with state and national agencies to help them advance local efforts. Some of our partners have included:

Aetna Foundation
American Public Health Association
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC Foundation
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Danville Regional Foundation
Foundation for Social Connection
Impact Alamance
Institute for the Advancement of Minority Health
John Hancock

John Rex Endowment
Mat-Su Health Foundation
Michigan Fitness Foundation
Michigan Health Endowment Fund
National Association of Chronic Disease Directors
New York State Health Foundation
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute:
County Health Rankings & Roadmaps (CHR&R)
W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Let's work together!

Do you want to engage local leaders and residents in collaborative, actionable processes that improve health and wellbeing? We can help, even if you’re still forming ideas!

We help communities and those who invest in them build capacity to make policy, systems, and environmental changes.

Our Services and Programs

Relationships are the heart of our work, and our bottom line is helping community coalitions, including formal and informal leaders, create lasting change at local, state, regional, and national levels.

Consulting and Advising

Community Leadership and Action

Learning and Networking

Field Building

Read more about our services to explore how we can best support your work.

Community Collaboration

We believe that when people work together, their collective ideas and efforts create greater change than any individual could achieve alone.

Socially Connected Communities

We are growing a movement to integrate social connection as a vital component of healthy and equitable communities.

Community Action Model

We translated decades of successful initiatives into a comprehensive model to describe the community change process and to guide community action.

Where We've Worked

Since 2002, our organization has supported more than 200 community partnerships in more than 40 states, working on behalf of dozens of philanthropic, nonprofit, and government organizations.

Clients and Partners

Let's work together!

Do you want to engage local leaders and residents in collaborative, actionable processes that improve health and wellbeing? We can help, even if you’re still forming ideas!