Kresge Foundation News

Investors, including Kresge, bring another $100M to Healthy Futures Fund

kajahnke — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 18:53:06 +0000

Kresge support includes nearly $3.5 million through social investments, grants

Tue, 11/03/2015

On Tuesday, LISC, with Kresge Foundation support, announced a second $100 million of investment in the Healthy Futures Fund (HFF), money that will expand housing opportunities and improve access to quality health care and other programs that support health in low-income communities across the nation.

Kresge’s investment in this round of funding includes a $2.5-million loan guarantee made through the Social Investment Practice, as well as a $916,000 grant, paid over two years, from the foundation’s Health Program.

Kresge Arts & Culture, Health teams launch food-oriented grant opportunity

HCMcDiarmid — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 16:17:23 +0000

"Fresh, Local & Equitable" initiative seeks to foster economic vitality, cultural expression in low-income communities

Mon, 11/02/2015

Food-oriented initiatives that contribute to economic revitalization, cultural expression and health in low-income communities are eligible for a new grant opportunity announced by the Kresge Foundation today. Kresge will award up to 20 planning grants of up to $75,000 each in the first quarter of 2016 as part of the initiative “Fresh, Local & Equitable: Food as a Creative Platform for Neighborhood Revitalization."

Kresge-backed fund invests $34M in Washington mixed-use development project

mwhitney — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 17:38:37 +0000

Conway Center will offer low-income housing, health center, job-training services.

Wed, 07/29/2015

The Kresge Foundation-backed Healthy Futures Fund today announced a $34 million investment in a mixed-use development project that breaks ground this week in Washington.

New approaches to housing seen as a key to improving community health

mwhitney — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 20:59:13 +0000

2 Kresge experts publish 'Reconnecting Health and Housing: Philanthropy's New Opportunity.'

Thu, 06/18/2015

A new paper by two Kresge Foundation health and housing experts makes the case that philanthropy should rethink its approaches to low-income housing and re-establish a long-recognized link between housing and community health, especially for low-income, urban populations.

BUILD Health Challenge announces 18 inaugural awardees across the U.S.

mwhitney — Mon, 08 Jun 2015 19:43:45 +0000

Kresge joins funders backing new collaborations of local nonprofits, hospitals and health departments to address factors that determine health in low-income communities.

Tue, 06/09/2015

The BUILD Health Challenge today announced grants to 18 groundbreaking projects across the United States that aim to improve health in low-income communities. The projects were recognized on the strengths of their Bold, Upstream, Integrated, Local and Data-Driven approaches to address the social and environmental factors that have the greatest impact on health.

Kresge-supported work focuses on protecting affordable housing as neighborhoods rebound

mwhitney — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 16:38:28 +0000

Families that have endured difficult conditions should enjoy benefits of reinvestment.

Tue, 04/07/2015

Resurgent interest in urban living is helping to revive neighborhoods in numerous American cities, stabilizing populations and sometimes beginning to reverse previous declines.

One consequence of the influx of residents is new public and private investment in amenities such as parks, bike paths and grocery and other stores.

However, new demand and investment can also drive up housing costs. That’s particularly true in areas that have traditionally been affordable to low- and moderate-income individuals and families, notes a report by ChangeLab Solutions.

Health Program sharpens focus on improving conditions that affect community health

mwhitney — Wed, 25 Feb 2015 20:34:58 +0000

Wed, 02/25/2015

Kresge’s Health Program has refined its grantmaking strategy to reflect external changes, like the ongoing implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and lessons learned through the activities funded over the past several years.

“We’re more persuaded than ever that the right place to focus is on the upstream factors that affect community health,” says David Fukuzawa, managing director of the program.

Public health teams around U.S. chosen for projects to help communities, enhance leadership

mwhitney — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 19:17:08 +0000

Program designed to help agencies succeed amid health care reform.

Tue, 01/06/2015

Local public health officers in nearly a dozen states have been selected to take part in a Kresge Foundation initiative to enhance their ability to lead in today’s changing health care environment.

Twelve public health officer teams were identified in a nationwide competitive process.

Each team will receive up to $125,000 and technical assistance to implement a project in the community it serves.

Participants in Kresge’s Emerging Leaders in Public Health are:

$7.5 million BUILD Health Challenge aims to bolster community health and health equity

mwhitney — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 15:08:13 +0000

Partnerships of hospitals, local health departments and nonprofit community organizations eligible for funding.

Wed, 11/12/2014

Hospitals, public health and nonprofit and community organizations are invited to take part in a national competitive award program aimed at improving community health and promoting health equity.

The BUILD Health Challenge will support communities that are collaboratively working to improve health at a population level.

Kresge Health Program-sponsored miniseries inspires local events in 5 U.S. cities

JAMcGovern — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 03:04:25 +0000

Mon, 09/15/2014

The public television four-part miniseries “Designing Healthy Communities” is being rebroadcast this fall in five major cities across the United States.

In conjunction with the rebroadcasts, sponsoring Public Broadcasting Service stations will engage viewers, community residents and local leaders in events and programs focused on addressing the environmental factors that affect health.

Public health advocate Richard Jackson talks about reshaping the built environment

mwhitney — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 21:07:54 +0000

Thu, 09/11/2014

Kresge’s Health Program provided funding for the 2012 public television miniseries “Designing Healthy Communities,” hosted by Dr. Richard Jackson, a public health advocate who in recent years has focused on the man-made environment. This year, Kresge reprised that effort with support for community-outreach activities designed around rebroadcasts in five metropolitan areas.

Kresge initiative supports emerging leaders in public health

mwhitney — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 16:04:49 +0000

Eight local government health departments will receive funding to strengthen teams as they respond to changes resulting from Affordable Care Act.

Tue, 07/22/2014

The Kresge Foundation has developed a new initiative to help equip local public health officers with knowledge and skills to lead in today’s changing health care environment.

The 16-month program, Emerging Leaders in Public Health, will give teams from eight local government health departments the opportunity to undertake projects designed to enhance organizational and leadership competencies in business, planning and public health systems development.

Kresge invests $4.5M in effort to capture and share health innovations that shift focus upstream from care to health

mwhitney — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 18:26:22 +0000

Wed, 07/09/2014

The Kresge Foundation has awarded a pair of three-year, $2.25 million grants to Nemours and the UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families & Communities to fund a national initiative to accelerate innovations that improve health at a community level.

Dubbed “Moving Health Care Upstream,” the newmultipart initiative will:

2030: What will public health look like in the United States?

mwhitney — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 15:36:05 +0000

Institute for Alternative Futures’ free planning tool helps users anticipate how public health might evolve, for better or worse.

Thu, 06/19/2014

Public health officials and organizations across the country have joined with the Institute for Alternative Futures to consider likely public health challenges and opportunities arising over the next 15 years.

Center for Public Integrity wins Pulitzer for uncovering coal miners’ lack of access to health benefits

wkheron — Fri, 25 Apr 2014 18:23:38 +0000

Kresge grantee’s work leads to calls for reform, more investigation.

Fri, 04/25/2014

A series of reports detailing how coal miners suffering black lung disease were denied benefits because lawyers withheld evidence and doctors ignored signs of the disease has been awarded the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting for Chris Hamby of The Center for Public Integrity.

Kresge and California HealthCare Foundation provide at least $5M to organizations that can help health centers serve more patients

wkheron — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 22:03:08 +0000

Investment fund created to spur collaboration between entrepreneurs and community health centers.

Tue, 03/04/2014

The California HealthCare Foundation and The Kresge Foundation have launched a multimillion-dollar initiative to invest in companies that serve community health centers.

Over the next three years, the Partnering for Impact initiative will invest at least $5 million in several companies that have technology- or service-based solutions that help community health centers and clinics make their resources go further, increase patient access to care and lower the cost of providing care.

National Civic Review celebrates 25-year healthy communities movement

JAMcGovern — Wed, 19 Feb 2014 12:17:49 +0000

Essay by David Fukuzawa highlights Kresge efforts to improve the health of all Americans.

Wed, 02/19/2014

The current issue of the journal National Civic Review includes an article tracing Kresge’s journey to imagine – and work toward – a more equitable, effective healthcare system.

David Fukuzawa, managing director for Kresge’s Health Program, was invited to contribute the article as part of a special project focusing on the healthy communities movement launched 25 years ago.

Nonprofit, philanthropy and banking sectors partner to finance health center growth

mwhitney — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 22:24:54 +0000

$130 million initiative follows demonstration project by Kresge and pair of community development lenders.

Tue, 03/18/2014

A new partnership of nonprofit, philanthropic and banking institutions will finance the expansion of community health centers, providing capital to help meet the healthcare needs of low-income communities.

The Collaborative for Healthy Communities is a $130 million, three-year initiative that will provide a new source of capital for community health centers across the country.

Community members, environmentalists find ways to mitigate impact of rail yard expansion in Chicago

mwhitney — Mon, 17 Feb 2014 19:43:10 +0000

Concerned about air pollution and neighbors’ health, groups work together to secure concessions.

Tue, 02/18/2014

In summer of 2012, residents of Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood were increasingly concerned about the railroad yard in their south side community.

Chicago is the busiest rail gateway in the United States, and the 140-acre Norfolk Southern rail yard in Englewood was ready to expand over 84 additional acres.

With a goal of insisting that public health and quality of life are protected, a coalition of unlikely partners vowed to create a win-win outcome for residents and the railroad alike.