Funders Forum FAQ

What is an Accountable Community for Health?

Accountable Communities for Health (ACHs) are multi-sector, community-based partnerships that bring together health care, public health, social services, other local partners, and residents to address unmet health and social needs of the individuals and communities they serve. Essential components of the ACH model include:

Shared Vision: Collective action to address shared community challenges.
Equity: Dual focus on direct health and upstream drivers of health.
Governance: Shared decision making amongst partners.
Community Voice: Meaningful community partnership in all facets of efforts.
Backbone: Trusted organization to align community with partners, leverage shared resources and skills, and fulfill administrative and coordination functions.
Data & Analytics: Collective, data-informed actions.
Portfolio of Interventions: Focus on alignment, coordination, and mutual reinforcement of collective efforts, rather than specific interventions.
Sustainability: Design to address ongoing priorities, build community capacity, and strengthen civic assets.

There are currently 160+ ACH efforts across the country, and many other multisector health efforts that have adopted components of the ACH model to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities. Examples of ACH and ACH-like models include California Accountable Communities for Health, Texas Accountable Communities for Health, Washington State Accountable Communities of Health, BUILD Health Challenge Program, and CMMI Accountable Communities for Health.

What is the purpose of the Forum?

The Funders Forum on Accountable Health, established in 2016, is a group of philanthropic funders committed to collaborative national (and state/local) efforts that advance multisector, health-related partnerships centered in and accountable to communities, with the aim of creating equity-focused, transformed systems that support health, well-being, and thriving communities.

The Forum undertakes this work through the following strategies rooted in the elevation of community voice and power shifting, and adoption of approaches that foster inclusion, equity, and impact:

Advancing federal (and state/local) policy and practice in support of multi-sector, health-related partnerships
Aligning funders by identifying the potential for shared language/definitions, frameworks, and other strategies
Coordinating, linking, and networking with other national efforts that advance these partnerships
Building and disseminating knowledge and practice of health-centered multi-sector partnerships among practitioners, policy makers, and philanthropy

Who is participating in the Forum?

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, Blue Shield of California Foundation, The California Endowment, The Commonwealth Fund, Episcopal Health Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, St. David's Foundation, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Who should I contact with questions or comments?

You can email the Funders Forum on Accountable Health at [email protected].