Through the Center for Healthy Communities, The Endowment transcends the traditional role of philanthropy and becomes part of a dedicated community of changemakers. The Center’s programs take place in Los Angeles and in The Endowment's regional offices in San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno and San Diego, serving as a resource for constituencies statewide, and fostering deeper engagement with communities throughout California to achieve long-term, sustained change.

The Center for Healthy Communities targets its efforts in two broad areas: strengthening the nonprofit health sector, and engaging the community and building coalitions.

To strengthen and increase the ability of California’s growing nonprofit health sector—from small grassroots community groups to statewide advocacy organizations—to make fundamental improvements in the systems that impact community health, the Center has developed a variety of programs and resources.

• Professional development and technical assistance for Endowment grantees, including the Health ExChange Academy, a comprehensive curriculum of in-depth training modules in areas critical to achieving social change, such as advocacy, communication and evaluation.

• Online learning community

• Publications including centerscene.

Real social change depends on building coalitions across sectors, disciplines and cultures, and ultimately engaging the entire community. The Center for Healthy Communities therefore creates community-wide opportunities for creative collaboration around health issues among local residents, nonprofit organizations, and business and government leaders, from the neighborhood to the statewide level.

• Health-related policy summits and conferences
• Special events such as neighborhood health festivals
• Exhibitions held in the Big Sur Educational Gallery
• Lectures and readings

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