- Since 2024, Providence CORE has partnered with four California-based groups of older adults working to identify local health inequities and propose solutions.
- The groups, funded as part of The Scan Foundation's Advancing Health Equity in Aging initiative, were launched in four communities, including two rural and two urban.
- Through observation and interviews, CORE's research and program evaluation experts gathered valuable lessons for other community-led stakeholder groups. This blog post offers five key takeaways.
Beginning in 2024, The SCAN Foundation (TSF) engaged our research and program evaluation experts at Providence CORE to gather data and participant feedback from TSF's Advancing Health Equity in Aging initiative. With TSF’s support, local nonprofits in four California communities formed Equity Community Organizing Groups (ECO Groups) made up of older adults, caregivers and other stakeholders, who met regularly over 18 months to identify local health inequities and propose solutions.
As a shared learning partner, CORE had a unique opportunity to observe this community-led effort from the early days of the groups' formation. CORE's observations and interviews with participants revealed a variety of valuable lessons for other orgs pursuing a similar community-led approach.
Read on for five key takeaways from CORE's analysis or click here to download the one-pager.
5 key takeaways for community-based changemaker groups
I didn't know what I was going to do when I retired. I was lost. I said, what am I going to do with this? I'm not used to being home. I'm not used to being there […] I don't want to look at the four walls. I need to communicate. I need to connect. The ECO Group saved my life. - ECO Group Participant
- Allow time to build trust. A key theme from our interviews was that groups "move at the speed of trust." Across the board, groups needed time to build trust, often through fun or self-care activities. Participants noted that multi-year funding may be needed to support community-based groups through their work and allow sufficient time for trust-building.
- Balance flexibility with structure: ECO Groups were encouraged to set their own structure and activities, giving them room to adapt to local context and needs. Funders should keep in mind that flexibility also comes with tradeoffs—it can take time for groups to get aligned and work from a shared understanding.
- Make space for participants to share their stories: The ECO Groups' efforts to create welcoming spaces where members could talk about their lives and experiences, share resources, and connect with others in their age group paid off in unexpected ways. Participants felt less isolated and benefited from relationship-building opportunities with other older adults.
- Clarify funder intent and expectations: Funders of community-led efforts should set clear expectations about the potential for longer-term support. Does future funding depend on alignment with the funder’s priorities? Are there other factors that will lead to additional support? This clarity ensures groups can move forward with a shared understanding of what’s possible.
- Successful groups require skills, time, and funding: ECO Group participants recognized and reciprocated the care, attention to detail, and investments put into supporting the groups. Resources were needed to offer meals, bring in speakers, and create engaging activities. Some groups sought additional funding to keep their work going. Stipends were a major benefit for participants who received them but are costly to sustain.
“We learned so much from the ECO Groups, not only about local needs, but also about what it takes to stand up highly engaged community-led stakeholder groups,” said Narda Ipakchi, Vice President of Policy and Programs, The SCAN Foundation. “We’re excited to continue supporting the groups and to partner with CORE in 2026 on a toolkit to help bring these learnings to other communities.”
The ECO Groups’ experiences show that community-led efforts to identify local needs and solutions take time, intention, and sustained support. With the right mix of trust-building, flexible structure, clear expectations, and resources, initiatives like this can benefit participants, strengthen community connections and, ultimately, spark positive change.
As more organizations look to elevate community voices in aging and health equity work, CORE’s findings offer lessons for shaping impactful and community-driven efforts.
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