Evaluating the Base Building and Birth Justice Components of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Community Power to Build Health Equity Initiative

Community power is the ability of communities most impacted by inequity to act together to voice their needs and hopes for the future and to collectively drive structural change, hold decision-makers accountable, and advance health equity. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) supports community power organizations and advocacy networks that engage in grassroots organizing, particularly with people who are low-income, of color, and/or youths. This research project, in collaboration with the Center for Evaluation Innovation and Social Insights Research, will conduct a 40-month evaluation of RWJF’s Community Power to Build Health Equity Initiative that is focused on elevating the voices of communities of color and building a broad constituency that promotes local racial equity and maternal/birth equity. As senior researcher, Dr. Post will contribute to the overall leadership and shaping of the project design and implementation; advise and co-develop data collection and analysis plans; report and present results; and participate in meetings with RWJF and other stakeholders to discuss the evaluation.