Vitalyst has invested in civic participation because it supports dynamic and resilient communities and helps them to propel policy and systems change. Trusting the wisdom of those who are most directly impacted by challenges in the community is the first step to respecting the communities’ influence and the key role it can have in determining a sustainable future of well-being and health. This is the core truth driving Vitalyst’s pursuit of strategies to develop and grow the influence of those with lived-experience through increased civic participation.

For example, in FY2018 Vitalyst was a supporter of community organizers for Flowers & Bullets. Their work over the fiscal year has directly impacted the health of Barrio Centro in Tucson in meaningful and attention-getting ways. Their work increased access to fresh foods, built social and cultural cohesion and helped improve community-driven neighborhood safety.

As our work in civic participation has progressed, we have also taken time to reflect and assess. In FY2018, two evaluative reports were published as windows into what we are learning:

1. Civic Participation Beyond Voting summarizes the Community-Based Participatory Action Research that has helped Maryvale and South Phoenix residents to identify, prioritize and address community safety issues.
2. Investing in Resident Leadership: Articulating the Ripple Effect – A Report Created to Understand the Impact of the Civic Participation Pilot in South Phoenix provides a first-hand diarist account of how community organizing can be used as a form of leadership development for systems change. It chronicles the work of a pilot project with residents who came together to form the group Reclaim. Remain. Reimagine.