Beginning in 2015, DAISA Enterprises, along with Catherine Sands from Fertile Ground, served as the Learning & Evaluation partners for the Healthy Food Fund (HFF) of the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation. This three-year initiative provided grants in the $30,000 - $60,000 range to 25 nonprofit organizations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire and sought to examine the impact of strategic investments in local fresh food organizations on improving access to healthy food for low- and middle-income households. The communities involved did not have adequate access to healthy, culturally preferred, and affordable foods for all residents, therefore effective, innovative and agile approaches were necessary. As such, DAISA worked closely with Foundation staff and with leaders of the funded programs and developed and tracked metrics aligned with the HFF Theory of Change. In addition, by collaborating with the grantee partners, DAISA facilitated a monthly Community of Practice to foster cross-fertilization of ideas, techniques, and actionable lessons learned. At the time, HFF aimed to have and document a measurable impact on the community food environment and increase distribution of healthy food. With the arrival of COVID-19 in early 2020, those outcomes and the infrastructure and relationships which enabled their success now contribute to effective, local responses.
Many of the grantee organizations, such as Mill City Grows Mobile Market pictured above, were already working to expand access and affordability where commercial markets had often failed or were non-existent, prior to funding. Through the initiative they continued to build community food infrastructure as well as innovative programs such as farmers’ markets, community-supported agriculture (CSA), mobile markets, town and urban farms, food banks, and gleaning programs. Meaningful partnerships also evolved that fostered and sustained this higher level of access to fresh food and ensured continued progress. Broader achievements include an expanded, collective sense of belonging and greater health equity ― both within their own organizations and communities.
After an investment of $3.7M from the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation, DAISA calculated a $9.6M return in the value of healthy foods reaching households in target communities; every $1 invested yielded about $2.5 in food sold/distributed. The above chart shows the initiative’s efforts and the marked increases in total food sales, access points (sales and distribution), partners and skill-building participants.
During the years with the Healthy Food Fund, grantee partners shared programmatic insights and innovations and achieved important outcomes. However, organizations were also able to achieve greater program efficacy and leverage their experiences to boost community engagement. DAISA also learned that 80% of HFF project leaders actively worked on efforts to increase racial equity and diversity within their organizations, through strategies, and via their offering to their customers.
In these times of crisis with COVID-19 and the related disproportionate harm and suffering within communities of color, and now the increase in demonstrations and destruction, it is these same organizations that have the networks, relationships and self-determination to survive with deep resilience and move towards recovery and change. These leaders remind us all that this work is complex and intersects so many aspects of health and well-being, requiring time, support and multi-year funding and investment.
“Due to Harvard Pilgrim's support over the last three years, Growing Places has been able to build capacity to expand from one focus - gardening - to becoming a fresh, healthy food access connector in North Central MA.”
Ayn Yeagle, Executive Director, Growing Places, Leominster, MA; 2019
LEARN MORE
Read the full Healthy Food Fund: Lessons Learned report to learn more about the results of the first three years of the Healthy Food Fund Initiative (2016-2018).
Check out the case study document Highlighting Impacts of Skill-building Opportunities written by DAISA and Fertile Ground to highlight the success factors and impacts of providing teaching opportunities in nutrition, cooking and other skills.
Read the full Healthy Food Fund: Lessons Learned report to learn more about the results of the first three years of the Healthy Food Fund Initiative (2016-2018).
Check out the case study document Highlighting Impacts of Skill-building Opportunities written by DAISA and Fertile Ground to highlight the success factors and impacts of providing teaching opportunities in nutrition, cooking and other skills.
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