The health of communities has often been narrowly defined to mean only environmental, physical and mental health, while underestimating the impact of racial, economic and gender barriers on health outcomes.

Imagine creating a new vision for philanthropy.

About Common Vision
Common Vision is a multi-year initiative that’s convening grantmakers in various states and regions of the country who share an interest in creating healthy communities with widespread equity. Led by 15 national philanthropic partners and advised by a group of leading thinkers across fields, Common Vision is a collaborative project of Funders for LGBTQ Issues.

In New England & the Midwest
Two cohorts of grantmakers in New England and the Midwest have launched Common Vision in their regions. Over the course of two years, these grantmakers will sort through various frameworks and devise an approach that helps create structural change in their regions.

• Common Vision Midwest
• Common Vision New England

Regional Reviews
To advise Common Vision in New England and the Midwest, FLGI produced two comprehensive research reviews of state policies and populations, spanning 80 variables and 11 interest areas, including the general population, criminal justice, economics, education, the environment, grantmaking, health, HIV/AIDS, immigration, LGBTQ rights and reproductive justice.

Learn about New England policies and populations. Download key facts.
Learn about Midwestern policies and populations. Download key facts.

Project Leads
Ellen Gurzinsky, Program Director, Funders for LGBTQ Issues
Jara Dean-Coffey, Founder & Principal, jdcPartnerships
Steven LaFrance, Founder & Principal, LFA Group

Resources
Common Vision participants have informed their work through a variety of resources. The following list represents a sampling of these readings.

• Report on environmental factors and community health
• Journal article on intersectionality as a research paradigm
• Journal article on rural poverty and structural inequities (2007)
• Report on framing race to win support for racial justice policies
• Early progress report on Common Vision (2007)