Maternal and Child Health Grantmaking

For many years VNA Foundation has made maternal and child health a funding priority. When in 2022 the decision was made to continue and expand this commitment, VNA board and staff felt it would be beneficial to formally evaluate the impact of its strategic grants to agencies focused on maternal and child health. After months of discussions, in early 2023 VNA selected Sinai Urban Health Institute (SUHI)—a nationally-recognized research center well-regarded for its evaluation of community-based programs–as its evaluation partner.

The SUHI team began by conducting a landscape analysis, which included a robust literature review and interviews with funders nationwide to identify best practices for multi-year philanthropic giving (including scope, types of grantee agencies, grant sizes, evaluation procedures, collaborative strategies, etc.). SUHI also interviewed grantee staff and reviewed programmatic reports to gain insight into opportunities, challenges, and how philanthropic entities can best support them. Unsurprisingly, grantee partners consistently shared the need for more general operating funding, consistent or multi-year grants, support for services that impact social determinants of health, and funds designated for—or able to be used for—advocacy.

For the formal grant assessment, SUHI focused on VNA grants awarded between FY 2019 and FY 2023. During that time frame, more than $1.1 million was awarded to 10 maternal and child health organizations, which included direct service providers, policy/advocacy entities, and organizations focused on quality improvement. Through conversations with grantee partners, VNA staff, and analysis of proposals and reports, SUHI created case studies and a report to convey the impact of the grants.

Notably, SUHI found that VNA’s support increased more than threefold between FY 2019 and FY 2023, and that the grants collectively benefited more than 47,000 reproductive-age individuals. The full report summary can be viewed on SUHI’s website here.

During conversations with grantee partners, SUHI asked if a Community of Practice—a vehicle by which grantees can share experiences, problem-solve as a group, and develop their network—would be beneficial. VNA staff anticipated there being little to no interest due to capacity limitations as well as some existing collaborations, but the answer was a resounding “yes!” SUHI then convened a Community of Practice, giving partners the space to share and learn from one another. It was well-received and participating staff indicated great interest in continuing to meet after the program evaluation was complete.

This maternal health-focused evaluation, as well as VNA’s larger third-party grantmaking evaluation, served as unique and privileged opportunities for VNA staff and board members to learn what the foundation has done and is doing well, and where it can continue to improve as a responsive grantmaker and partner.

Thank you SUHI, and the following grantee partners for their time, insights, feedback, and most importantly, the critical work being done to improve health outcomes for birthing people and their families: AllianceChicago; BECOME; Chicago South Side Birth Center; Chicago Volunteer Doulas; EverThrive Illinois; New Moms; Options for Youth; PCC Community Wellness Center; Tapestry 360 Health; and Teen Parent Connection.