Community Catalyst
One Federal Street
Boston, MA 02110
United States
Community Catalyst is a national organization dedicated to building the power of people to create a health system rooted in race equity and health justice. The organization partners with and supports state and community-based groups, specifically groups led by and serving BIPOC and other systemically excluded communities.
For the past five years, Community Catalyst and CareQuest Institute have partnered to advance oral health advocacy strategy, shared policy priorities, and the strengthening of a community of advocates engaging in these issue areas. As a result, more diverse organizations are engaged in oral health advocacy and state and federal oral health policies are more reflective of the needs of historically marginalized communities.
In addition, when community-based organizations approach CareQuest Institute for grant funding to help with advocacy efforts but aren’t quite ready for systems change work, the Philanthropy Team will connect the organization with Community Catalyst for 1:1 technical assistance. The technical assistance Community Catalyst provided readies the organization for systems change work aligned with CareQuest Institute’s philanthropic strategy.
In 2024, Community Catalyst will build upon their technical assistance and capacity-building work by engaging oral health partners and organizations working across other health justice movements (including substance use disorders, medical debt, Medicaid expansion, and others) to support the development and activation of comprehensive health justice policy agendas that include oral health and center community perspectives.
Oral Health Advocacy Academy: An orientation for organizations new to oral health that consists of two to three community calls.
Targeted TA: 1:1 support with calls, training, and resource development, to support policy agenda development, campaign strategy, policy and legislative analysis, community engagement to help ground partners’ work in health equity and race justice. This work will be evaluated using a pilot TA measurement framework which will allow CareQuest Institute to quantify the impact of Community Catalyst’s technical assistance for grantees.
National Capacity-Building Experiences: Three presentations and/or webinars that elevate that highlight the critical role of oral health to advocates across health justice movements.
Federal Policy Advocacy: Monitoring of federal policy developments throughout 2024 for issues critical for oral health and opportunities to proactively include oral health.
Grant funds primarily be used to support staffing – policy, project, and communications focused positions – and indirect funds. This request reflects 1% of the organization’s overall budget.