Community-Based Approaches to Health

Transform the health of the world's neglected populations by delivering services at the community level

From rural villages in Malawi to crowded urban slums in Bangladesh, community-based health organizations are delivering interventions to underserved communities around the world. These organizations engage local communities to understand their unique health needs, and use science-based methods to prevent and treat health problems. Their work has proven to accelerate better health outcomes in even the most challenging settings.

The Promise of Community-Based Health Delivery

Services that are brought close to or into the homes of community members

Donor Checklist

5 effective community-based approaches to health that donors can look for in organizations to fund

The Breadth of Community-Based Health

How it works and what it costs
Common misconceptions about cost

Tips and Resources for Donors

Strategies to support community-based approaches to health

Nonprofits Making an Impact

Our team handpicked nine organizations to illustrate the wide range of geographies, approaches, and innovations in community-based health that donors can support. Each of the nine is a pioneer in a particular region, health solution, or implementation strategy, and an excellent example of how philanthropic support can help improve the health of communities.

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Last Mile Health

Serves communities in post-war Liberia and offers a bold vision for educating community

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Lwala Community Alliance

Started by two brothers to prevent needless death and ill health in Kenya, starting with their own community

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VillageReach

A leader in Africa of supply chain logistics—a vital yet often overlooked aspect of reaching communities

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BRAC Manoshi Project

Adapted community-based approaches previously used mainly in rural areas to reach women and children in urban slums of Bangladesh

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SEARCH

Led the way for millions of newborns worldwide to receive a proven home-based package of life-saving interventions, starting in India

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The Comprehensive Rural Health Project, Jamkhed

One of the oldest organizations using these approaches to transform entire villages in India through its proven community development model

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Curamericas

Committed to serving indigenous communities in Guatemala that face particular cultural barriers to accessing health services after civil war

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Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti

Committed to strengthening an entire system of health in rural Haiti for over 60 years, despite ongoing economic and political turmoil

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Partners in Health

Applied community-based approaches to chronic health conditions such as HIV in Haiti and drug-resistant tuberculosis in Peru