Promising Practices
The Promising Practices database informs professionals and community members about documented approaches to improving community health and quality of life.
The ultimate goal is to support the systematic adoption, implementation, and evaluation of successful programs, practices, and policy changes. The database provides carefully reviewed, documented, and ranked practices that range from good ideas to evidence-based practices.
Learn more about the ranking methodology.
Filed under Good Idea, Economy / Investment & Personal Finance, Families, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Urban
Goal: The goal of Bank on Oakland is to help low-income families gain access to mainstream financial services.
Filed under Good Idea, Economy / Poverty, Adults, Urban
Goal: The goal of Bank On San Francisco is to assist low-income San Franciscans in entering the financial mainstream by offering financial education, aide with opening bank accounts, and shaping helpful financial policies through partnerships with the San Francisco Treasurer's Office, local community organizations, and banks.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Energy & Sustainability, Families
Goal: Currently, the average U.S. family spends nearly $1,300 a year on energy bills, with much of that energy being wasted due to air leaks, inefficient appliances, and a general lack of attention to this important issue. The Community Associations Institute (CAI) and the Department of Energy (DOE) are dedicated to educating the community association industry--and the significant portion of the U.S. population it represents--on the many ways to increase the energy efficiency of their homes, and thereby reduce both energy consumption and costs.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Childcare & Early Childhood Education, Children
Goal: Big Brothers Big Sisters' mission is to provide supportive relationships for young people to assist them in realizing their potential.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Women, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: To address the detrimental impact of alcohol on women in the African American community.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Wellness & Lifestyle
Goal: To increase quality of life and longevity among members of a community through community-wide interventions which address community, social network, habitat, and inner self.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Children's Health, Children
Goal: The goal of this program is to address two important aspects of pediatric asthma control - access to care and education/self-management skills.
Filed under Effective Practice, Economy / Employment
Goal: The goal of this program was to improve the skills and productivity of the Massachusetts workforce.
Filed under Good Idea, Community / Governance, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: The mission of the Metro Public Health Department is to protect and improve the health and well-being of all people in Metropolitan Nashville.
Impact: Metro Public Health Department of Nashville/Davidson County has implemented department-wide strategies to address existing health inequities.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Maternal, Fetal & Infant Health, Women, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Urban
Goal: The mission of the By My Side Birth Support Program is to provide birth support and encourage breastfeeding among low-income and immigrant mothers living in Brooklyn through the use of doula services.
Impact: By March 2012, the By My Side Birth Support Program successfully trained more than 30 women in the community. These doulas, along with those already working for By My Side, participated in more than 100 births.