Learning & Evaluation

The Foundation is committed to applying a cycle of research, evaluation, and learning to all our efforts in building a Culture of Health. 

Our formal evaluation activities fall into two categories: third-party evaluations that assess the impact of our funding and real-time monitoring of national and local system changes which relate to our grant programs—so we can adjust, as needed. We also support a range of learning activities that inform our decision-making and capture lessons learned from grantmaking. 

Discovering & Implementing New Ideas

A Culture of Health is a bold vision, demanding equally bold ideas to help us bring it to life. We look far and wide, to the cutting edge and abroad, to discover new ways to improve our nation's health.

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Pioneering Ideas

The equitable future we all deserve won’t simply arrive—we must create it. We investigate emerging trends and cutting-edge ideas to help anticipate how new technologies, scientific discoveries, cultural shifts, and unforeseen events may shape our lives. We also support pioneering ideas that can lead to a healthier future for all. 

CREATE OUR FUTURE
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Global Ideas

Knowing that good ideas have no borders, we identify promising applications to improve health equity here at home. We explore innovations taking root across the globe, learning from these accomplishments to urge action in the United States.

IDEAS FROM ABROAD

Reporting & Assessment

Across our funding interest areas, we support program evaluations that assess the impact of our individual grants and long-term investments, and capture key insights and lessons learned. We also support the evaluation of national and local systems that relate to our grant programs.

Our evaluations, conducted by independent evaluators, are designed to offer insight into both our successes and failures and help us refine our current funding strategies and identify new opportunities moving forward. In addition to informing our grantmaking, our evaluations also are designed to support broader health policy and practice, by contributing to the evidence base about what works when it comes to improving the nation's health. As they are completed, we share our evaluation findings to foster learning that can help advance positive change nationwide.

Another form of evaluation is retrospective reports, which look back over an entire body of work—for example, two decades tackling tobacco addiction as a public health concern. Looking back helps us find better ways forward.

Evaluations and Assessments
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Pioneering Ideas for an Equitable Future

Introducing the Pioneering Ideas Team, curated through leadership, was built to develop and explore emerging trends to build a Culture of Health.

1-min read

Evaluations and Assessments
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Take the Blue Marble Quiz

Are you a global learner? Take our brief quiz in order to reflect on your own thoughts of learning from abroad.

1-min read

Evaluations and Assessments
CAMBRIDGE, MA, USA - JAN. 25: Mural near Central Square, Cambridge, MA. (Photos by Tsar Fedorsky/Getty Images for Home Front Communications)

Learning Across Global Borders

Learn how we're actively learning about what’s working in other countries so that we can curate a Culture of Health with purpose and leadership.

1-min read

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