Designing and implementing policy change-focused grantmaking strategies to improve food and physical activity access in low-income communities

Communities across the nation, many states and the federal government are employing obesity prevention approaches driven by the underlying theory that as a result of creating healthier environments, improved nutrition and increased physical activity will become the accepted and expected cultural norm, thereby preventing childhood and adult obesity and related costly chronic diseases such as diabetes. Private foundations can play a key role in assuring the sustainability and equity of changes to the food and physical activity environment through grantmaking that promotes policy adoption and implementation to assure access to healthy food and physical activity. The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation (TRAGF), a Los Angeles based private foundation, has used matching funds from the Convergence Innovation Fund to support policy approaches that address the lack of access to physical activity and healthy food. Specifically, funds have been used to support: 1) policies to assure the accessibility and maintenance of parks for low-income communities, 2) mobilizing schools and communities to adopt joint use policies that assure school facilities are available for physical activity outside of school hours, and 3) leadership development to push for school policies that assure students' access to healthy foods and minimize school day exposure to unhealthy foods. This presentation will describe the grantee projects and approaches, the policy outcomes achieved, and lessons learned from this policy-focused grantmaking approach.