Fostering Community
We partner with other philanthropic organizations, nonprofits and government to improve the health and well-being of Montgomery County residents. Working closely with grantees, we discover what works, and what doesn't, in our community.
Our 10-year effort to improve the social safety net is wholly driven by our community- including the Initiative’s community-written vision statement, goals, and strategies. We continually engage our partners in our Foundation’s work through various opportunities.
Memberships and affiliations
Participation in local, regional, and national collaboratives and membership organizations is also an important facet to HealthSpark’s community-driven approach to philanthropy. We continually seek to learn from our partners and to stay abreast of promising practices across the field, as well as to contribute our expertise and perspective to these circles.
Our partners include:
- Bucks-Mont Collaborative
- Community Partners Center
- Funders Together to End Homelessness
- Greater Philadelphia Food Funders Affinity Group
- Interagency Council of Norristown
- Grantmakers in Health
- MontCo Anti-Hunger Network
- PEAK Grantmaking
- Pennsylvania Health Funders Collaborative
- Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia
- Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Funders
- Tri-County Community Network
- Your Way Home Montgomery County
Design Teams
The Design Team concept is used by HealthSpark to engage community members in the development of new programs, initiatives, and activities. We used Design Teams in 2018 to identify opportunities for the Foundation to implement the vision of the Safety Net Resiliency Initiative. Four Design Teams, composed of over 75 individuals in total, met once a month to design these strategies. Each participant was paid a stipend for their time. The resulting strategies crafted the Innovation Lab Grant program, the emerging Advocacy Coalition, and the Communications Campaign. Opportunities to participate in Design Teams are announced via our newsletter and on Get Involved.
Community of Practice
In order to engage current and new partners, HealthSpark convenes a regular Community of Practice. This event allows us to reach our widest audience- over a hundred distinct nonprofits, government entities, business partners, philanthropies, and faith organizations attend each event. The Community of Practice is intended to reinforce a culture of learning, innovation, and trust between partners. Learn more here.