Stephen Fawcett, PhD, project director, says that it is an ideal resource for organizations that are dedicated to improving the health of their communities but so often are stymied by limited staff, funding, research, or other resources. Irony or not, it seems to be working. The Community Tool Box also is partnering with other organizations that share the goal of building healthy communities. RWJF's Turning Point Initiative, a program for states to improve the performance of their public health function, has already connected with the resources of the Community Tool Box and is spreading the word, as is the Foundation's Access Project, a national initiative to promote access to health care, particularly for the uninsured. By using the Community Tool Box, the most local, grassroots organizations can immediately get in touch with people and resources that might help them.
Local people are busy.
It's important to find tools and resources when they need them. The tool box contains nearly 3,000 pages of text on building healthy communities. Two other online guides address troubleshooting and writing a grant proposal. During 1998 there were more than 500,000 tool box users.