Episcopal Health Foundation’s latest evaluation report takes a different approach. It looks back what we learned during 2024 after introducing three new Priorities for Change: maternal health, food and nutrition security, and diabetes prevention. As part of a new Strategic Framework, we listened to Texans with deep experience in each of these priorities. Now, this evaluation report is helping to challenge EHF to take the next step forward in all of our work.
A year of learning
EHF didn’t spend 2024 rushing to launch new programs. Instead, the focus was on listening. Staff and partners spent time in conversation with communities, congregations, health-focused organizations, and policy leaders to understand the real challenges Texans face. Those conversations showed relationship-based, community-level care strengthens maternal health. They highlighted that food and nutrition strategies work best when they support local growers and food systems. And they made it clear that diabetes prevention isn’t a quick fix. It requires steady, long-term support. These lessons set the stage for deeper work in the years ahead.
Lived experience at the center
The evaluation also underscored how lived experience shaped EHF’s direction. We organized an Ignition Festival where more than 100 participants representing 90 organizations came together to share their on-the-ground experience in maternal health, food and nutrition security, and diabetes prevention across the state.
They stressed the importance of dignity and cultural understanding in every health interaction, whether it was a mother seeking postpartum support or a family trying to make food last until the end of the month. Practical ideas surfaced too, like combining nutrition education with funds to buy healthy food, or making programs more effective by “bringing the work to where the people are.” These voices kept community realities front and center as EHF mapped out its next steps.
Investments across Texas
The evaluation also offered a snapshot of EHF’s investments over the year. More than $40 million went into grants, research, and engagement efforts that reached rural counties, small towns, large cities, and nearly 50 statewide programs and projects. Congregations played an important role. Almost two-thirds across the Episcopal Diocese of Texas worked with EHF last year, which is seven times more than in 2018.
The evaluation report explained how EHF initiatives grew in reach and impact. The Texas Accountable Communities for Health Initiative (TACHI) brought together 34 organizations from 14 different sectors, nearly tripling community engagement since it started. Collaboratives in Houston, Waco, and Galveston drew in hundreds of residents to identify local health priorities. And clinics participating in EHF’s Clinics Pathway Approach began making real progress toward value-based care, from creating stronger referral systems to signing new contracts that reward healthier outcomes.
These examples show how EHF’s investments are sparking connections, strengthening partnerships, and opening doors for new ways to improve health, not just health care, across Texas.
EHF’s evaluation report captured more than numbers. It documented how listening shaped strategy, how lived experience guided decisions, and how investments reached communities in meaningful ways. Most importantly, it showed how Texans themselves helped chart the course for healthier futures.