Projects
Our projects span the public, philanthropic, nonprofit and community sectors. Here is a small sampling of our past work to give you a taste of the type of things we do.
Equitable systems and practices
We place equity front and center in social impact policies, systems and practices. At Kaiser Permanente Washington (KPWA), we reviewed the community health grant application, simplified it, and created consistency and a more equitable, easier-to-follow process. The first wave of applications received after these changes were in place showed an increase in the number of submissions by smaller organizations and those led by people of color.
Respectful youth engagement
We gather youth input in a variety of ways, from photo-storytelling to social media—always valuing their expertise. The City of Seattle Office of Sustainability & Environment selected us to conduct a survey among youth from diverse racial backgrounds about what “healthy” foods and how to use funding from the Sweetened Beverage Tax. In two weeks and under budget, we gathered input from youth from 6 zip codes, 7 race and ethnicities, and who spoke 9 languages.
Inclusive community campaigns
We combine communications and social marketing theory with 25+ years of working with communities to design and produce successful campaigns. Our products —a radionovela about the use of booster seats, infographics for displaced people about services they can access, an Emmy-award winning bilingual documentary— are a sample of our toolbox. What really matters to us? Our campaigns start and end with community.
Innovative, community-informed input
Instagram and other social media platforms can be a low-barrier, low-time-commitment way for people to participate in community assessments. A recent Instagram campaign designed for a healthcare system received posts from Spanish and English language speakers from 17 WA state counties. Participants shared experiences about overall physical health, housing, access to healthy foods, mental health, and climate and health.
Comprehensive, strength based assessments
We put communities, their history, cultures and strengths at the center of the assessments and prioritization plans we design and conduct. We go beyond requirements, make innovation a key component, and creatively use existing resources. We have developed health assessments, implementation strategies and community benefit plans for Seattle Children’s Hospital, Kaiser Permanente Washington, and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.
Intentional program management
We have planned and led many cross-sector initiatives with a broad view of community health and development. We have found that the most impactful programs are those where there is collaboration between sectors that may not have worked together before: parks staff with school administrators, transportation planners with mental health providers. Great examples are KPWA’s Thriving Schools, Educational Theatre, and Thriving People and Places.