Since the first phase of Invest Health ended in 2018, the initiative has provided relatively light interventions and minimal resources to the 50 cities involved. Yet, the initiative’s impact endures: relationships among team members have remained strong, and many organizations in these cities continue to advance efforts that began with Invest Health eight years ago. This enduring commitment raises a fundamental question: why has there been such sustained engagement in so many of these small cities?
Often, sustainability in community change initiatives is narrowly viewed as maintaining a program, collaboration, or organization through strategic planning for funding, governance, and leadership toward the end of the initiative. However, this report takes a different approach, shifting the focus to what enables work centered on a shared community vision to thrive long after formal support ends.
With the unique perspective of tracking Invest Health’s journey over eight years, this deep dive examines the specific elements of the initiative that cities have sustained and explores what contributed to their lasting impact. By understanding what drove this continued engagement, this report aims to reframe how we think about the durability of community-driven change.