Evaluation of the Colorado Trust’s Health Equity Advocacy Initiative

SPR’s evaluation framework integrated key research concepts in field building and community-driven change, as well as the cohort’s shared understanding. The evaluation framework included assumptions, inputs (from the funder, cohort, and broader field), field-building strategies (at the organization, cohort, and field-level), and short-term, intermediate, and long-term field-level outcomes.

In collaboration with the Colorado Trust, we described an emerging framework for field-level community engagement in health equity advocacy. The approach assures authentic participation of affected communities at multiple points—identifying surfacing issues, developing change agendas, bringing community stories to the fore in advocacy campaigns, and on-the-ground implementation that is faithful to the intentions of adopted policies.

The cohort committed to centering race as a primary social determinant of health outcomes. SPR worked with the project’s racial equity team to create a framework within which investments in capacity-building could foster a field of advocates for a truly health-equitable Colorado. The framework envisions four spheres of influence: individuals, the cohort organization, cohort partners, and the health equity advocacy field in Colorado.