To: Board of Supervisors
From: Kendra Carr & Peter Kim, Co-Directors Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice
Report Title: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Evaluation Grant
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Co-Directors of the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice to apply for grant funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in an amount not to exceed $500,000 for evaluation activities related to the African American Wellness Hub for the period April 15, 2026 through April 14, 2029. (100% philanthropy funding, no County match)
FISCAL IMPACT:
100% philanthropic funding. No County match is required.
BACKGROUND:
On August 12, 2025, the Board of Supervisors approved the implementation plan for the African American Wellness and Resource Hub. The implementation plan outlined the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice’s (ORESJ) plan to seek grant funding to support the research and evaluation efforts of the African American Wellness and Resource Hub.
ORESJ is committed to research and evaluation that is community-centered, non-extractive and affirming. Core methods will include qualitative measures (e.g. storytelling, narrative interviews, and focus groups with Hub users, staff, and leaders); quantitative tracking of disaggregated access and service outcome indicators; participatory data sense-making and community learning exchanges; and transparent reporting to ensure information is readily accessible.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation announced their 2025 Call for Proposals, which included a funding opportunity called, Research To Advance Racial And Indigenous Health Equity. This grant will fund action-oriented health equity research that prioritizes community knowledge and facilitates the relationships and governance structures (i.e., processes and decision-making) that build community power, ownership of research, and systems change. RWJF plans to award four grants at $250,000 each and four grants at $500,000 each, with grant cycles up to 36 months, beginning April 15, 2026.
Given the alignment with the research and evaluation goals of the African American Wellness and Resource Hub, if awarded, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant will fund a Community-Based Continuous Learning and Improvement (CBCLI) Framework. This evaluation model merges Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) practices, community-based participatory action research (CBPAR), and adaptive evaluation strategies. The purpose is to foster a culture of shared learning, ongoing reflection, and data-informed decision-making across all stakeholders.
The CBCLI Framework is designed not simply to track metrics, but to support collective learning, growth, and responsiveness. It emphasizes:
• Community ownership over defining wellness, measuring success, and shaping solutions.
• Continuous learning and adaptation, allowing the Hub to evolve as conditions, needs, and opportunities change.
• Transparency and accountability, strengthening trust across partners, funders, and community members.
• Cultural responsiveness and empowerment, honoring lived experience and reframing deficit narratives into asset-based indicators of health and wellness.
Proposals are due to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation by December 17, 2025. Successful applicants will be notified in mid-February 2026.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this item is not approved, the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice would not be able to apply for funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to research and evaluate the impact of the services offered through the African American Wellness and Resource Hub.