The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky is a nonprofit organization funded by an endowment that aims to transform our state so that every Kentuckian has what they need to live a healthy life. Since it opened its doors in 2001, the Foundation has invested millions in health policy advocacy, research, and demonstration projects across the Commonwealth.
Our Mission
To address the unmet health needs of Kentuckians by developing and influencing policy, improving access to care, reducing health risks and disparities, and promoting health equity.
Our Vision
A Kentucky where every individual and community reach their highest levels of health.
How we work:
Policy Advocacy: We work on the state, local, and organizational level to advance policies that improve access to health care, improve children’s health, and address the social determinants of health.
Coalitions & Convenings: We build partnerships, strengthen coalitions, and bring together constituency groups to cultivate collaborations that improve health and well-being in Kentucky communities.
Data & Research: We fund research and data that supports health equity and policy change.
Community Interventions & Projects: We fund and support innovative and/or proven strategies to improve the health and lives of Kentuckians. Often these are demonstration projects that can used as evidence to support policy change and/or be replicated on a larger scale.
Our Values
Integrity
We will be open and honest with one another, the community, and Foundation grantees. We will encourage in others and hold ourselves to high standards of conduct and ethics. We will be transparent in our work, clear in our communications and accountable for our actions.
Respect
In all of our work on behalf of the Foundation, we will show respect for the dignity and value of all the people with whom we interact. The success of the Foundation depends on engaging with, listening to and learning from the ideas and advice of others. We believe that solutions emerge when diverse groups of individuals and organizations come together to share their experiences and expertise.
Effectiveness
We will identify and invest in promising opportunities to meet the unmet health needs of Kentuckians. We will evaluate the effectiveness of our strategies and modify our approach as needed so that we continue to learn from our work maximize our impact.
Leadership
We will be strategic in addressing areas neglected by others, flexible in our response to community health needs, and willing to take informed risks that other agencies may be unwilling or unable to assume. We will use our objectivity and credibility to encourage lasting solutions to Kentucky’s most pressing health challenges through public policy and community change.
Collaboration
We recognize that we cannot achieve our mission alone, and partnerships are important to all we do. At the community level, we seek out local solutions to local health problems. At the state, regional and national levels, we partner with other public and private funders, agencies and institutions to bring more attention and resources to health challenges in Kentucky.
Policy Equity
We will initiate and be receptive to ideas for improving the health of, and striving for health equity among, Kentucky residents. We will be alert to the health impacts of policies, regardless of their source or purpose, and recognize that the work of policy change and community health improvement may require long-term investments.
We Believe
Health is more than health care.
Every person in every Kentucky community should have the opportunity to obtain their highest level of health regardless of their race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, or genetic information, understanding some groups will need more assistance than others.
Policy change is a powerful and effective tool for achieving systems change, eliminating health disparities and structural barriers, creating optimal conditions for health.
In a courage policy agenda, informed by evidence-based research, that ensures access to health care for every person living in Kentucky.
Kentucky must do better to support public health systems and local communities to enable opportunities for good health fo historically marginalized people, ensuring an equitable and just future.
Local community innovation, approaches and collaboration are necessary for improved and sustained health outcomes. “If the problem is in the community, the solution is in the community.” - Gil Friedell.
We Are Committed To
Building a healthier and equitable future for Kentuckians by listening to and engaging Kentuckians on issues of health, through collaboration, convening, knowledge sharing and strategic investment.
Eliminating the underlying causes of health inequities, by transforming systems, enabling individuals and communities to thrive.
Being a trusted source on Kentucky’s health through evidence-informed communications.