A Letter to Advocates from American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown
Investing in Champions for Health Equity
All children, no matter where they live, should grow up with access to healthy and affordable foods, safe drinking water and family-friendly places for physical activity.
Voices for Healthy Kids, an initiative of the American Heart Association, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, makes it easier and more enticing for children to eat healthy, drink smart and move more.
This mission is more important than ever as communities nationwide manage health disparities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
That is why the American Heart Association, as a long-standing champion for health equity, is putting a stake in the ground to dismantle structural barriers to health and well-being. Simply put, we are relentless in our commitment to create a world where every person has the opportunity to live a full, healthy life.
Lighting our path is our 2024 Impact Goal to advance cardiovascular health for all, including identifying and removing barriers to health care access and quality.
In pursuit of that goal, we made 10 Commitments, which we are systematically fulfilling through investments, advocacy, innovation and engagement.
I could not be prouder of the role that Voices for Healthy Kids plays in realizing these commitments, working tirelessly with local and national organizations to transform communities from the ground up.
Over the past year, campaign efforts doubled in support of community organizations disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
Whether leveraging our leading science to make an advocacy impact, building advocacy capacity, funding equity-focused community organizations or creating messaging playbooks, including the Racial Equity in Public Policy Message Guide, Voices for Healthy Kids is a trusted and enduring connector across the country.
On behalf of the American Heart Association and Voices for Healthy Kids, I extend heartfelt thanks to our funders, supporters, grantees and collaborators for helping lead the way as champions of health equity for all.
All my best,
Nancy Brown Chief Executive Officer American Heart Association
From the Voices for Healthy Kids Executive Director Lori Fresina
This past year, Voices for Healthy Kids reimagined our purpose. We pushed ourselves to think about more ways we could create and support opportunities for all children to thrive by putting our powerful institutional tools and assets directly into the hands of the communities most impacted by structural racism. We hope that anyone who collaborates with Voices for Healthy Kids as a grantee, trainee, community-based organization, or leadership volunteer leaves this experience more prepared to successfully advocate for any issue they deem important while prioritizing equity.
We’ve challenged ourselves to provide the greatest value possible — and that has changed how we approach grantmaking, policy development, campaign support, leadership development, and more. None of this reimagination was done in isolation. We are becoming better and more active listeners, seeking and accepting input with humility, curiosity, and openness.
Our Strategic Advisory Committee remains a driving force behind the scenes, propelling our equity work and impacting our policies, practices, and culture. We expanded the committee to include more community perspectives and past and current grantees, bringing important local voices into the room as thought partners. We also welcomed a new committee chair, Donna Arnett, Ph.D., M.S.P.H., B.S.N., dean of the University of Kentucky College of Public Health and past president of the American Heart Association.
We added equity-focused experts to our Policy Research Network to help us become more anti-racist in our policy agenda. We centered equity in our grantmaking process, and awarded 57 grants in FY 2020 - 2021.
We pulled out all the stops to provide grantees and other organizations with the best, most relevant assistance and resources possible. Early in the pandemic, we launched an online, accessible training series that builds and cultivates advocates’ skills to extend beyond a single campaign or policy conversation. We trained hundreds of people in storytelling, communicating with decision-makers, and digital advocacy.
We are grateful for the ongoing support of the American Heart Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and thank our new funders, including the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, and The Pritzker Children's Initiative.
And, of course, we are thankful for our entire Voices for Healthy Kids network — our grantees, national collaborators, community-based organizations, researchers, and more — as each of you plays a unique and critical role in creating equitable neighborhoods nationwide.
With respect and gratitude,