The Rolodex
The people doing the hardest work within communities are rarely working in isolation. They’re learning from each other, pointing each other toward the right data, and connecting with organizations that have already solved a version of the problem they’re facing. Rolodex is our attempt to share some of what we’ve learned about who does good work and where to find good information. We’ve organized it by type because the right resource depends entirely on what you’re trying to do. None of this is exhaustive, and we keep adding to it. We have working relationships with some of the organizations listed here. We include them because we believe in the work, not because of the relationship. If something belongs here that isn’t here, let us know.
National and Regional Organizations | Publications | Data Sources
National and regional organizations
National and regional organizations that show up, do the work, and are worth knowing.
Alliance for Health Policy: A nonpartisan organization that helps policymakers and stakeholders understand complex health policy issues through briefings, forums, and educational resources.
American Association of People with Disabilities: The largest national disability-led organization in the United States, working to increase the political and economic power of people with disabilities.
Asian Pacific Islander Health Forum: A national advocacy organization that works to improve the health and well-being of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.
Association on American Indian Affairs: One of the oldest Native advocacy organizations in the country, working to protect Native sovereignty, culture, and the rights of Native peoples.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: A nonpartisan research and policy institute focused on fiscal policy and programs that affect low- and moderate-income people.
Commonwealth Fund: A private foundation that supports independent research on health system performance, coverage, and equity, with well-known comparative studies tracking how the U.S. measures up against other high-income countries.
Community Catalyst: A national nonprofit that works to build consumer and community power to create a health system that works for everyone.
Creating Healthier Communities (CRC): A national nonprofit that connects businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations around a shared commitment to health equity and community well-being.
Families USA: A leading national voice for health care consumers, working to achieve high-quality, affordable health care for all.
Georgetown University Health Policy Institute: A research and policy center focused on health coverage, access, and equity, with particular strength in Medicaid and children’s health policy.
Grantmakers in Health: A nonprofit that works to strengthen the knowledge and effectiveness of foundations and corporate giving programs in health philanthropy.
JUMP (Justice and Upward Mobility Project): An organization working to shift how America sees and supports the 80 million people with a justice system record, focusing on employment, economic mobility, and second chance opportunities.
Kaiser Family Foundation: A nonpartisan organization that produces research, polling, and journalism on health policy and public health issues in the United States and globally.
Lown Institute: A nonpartisan think tank focused on making health care more equitable, affordable, and accountable to patients and communities.
Milbank Memorial Fund: A foundation that works to improve health by connecting leaders with the best available evidence and experience in health policy.
National Academy for State Health Policy: A nonpartisan forum for state health policymakers that produces research and fosters peer learning across states.
National Alliance for Hispanic Health: An organization working to improve the health and well-being of Hispanic communities through science, education, and advocacy.
National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics: The only national nonprofit focused solely on the needs of free and charitable clinics and the patients they serve.
National Health Law Program: A legal advocacy organization that works to protect and advance the health rights of low-income and underserved populations.
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities: A federal institute within the NIH that leads scientific research on minority health and health disparities. (Flag for verification: as a federal agency, its funding and structure may have changed since August 2025.)
National LGBT Health Education Center: A program of The Fenway Institute that provides educational programs and resources to improve the health of LGBT people.
New Profit: A venture philanthropy organization that invests in and supports social entrepreneurs to expand access and opportunity across education, economic mobility, and democracy.
Nonprofit Finance Fund: A community development financial institution that provides loans, consulting, and advocacy to help nonprofits build financial health and connect money to mission.
PolicyLink: A national research and action institute advancing racial and economic equity, with deep expertise in housing, economic mobility, and the policies that shape whether communities thrive or fall behind.
Praxis Project: A national nonprofit that supports community-led campaigns to advance health equity and racial justice.
Reinvestment Fund: A federally certified community development financial institution that combines financing, data, and policy tools to drive investment into underserved communities.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: The largest health-focused philanthropy in the United States, funding research, programs, and policy work aimed at building a culture of health.
Rural Health Information Hub: A federally funded resource center that provides information and tools to support rural health programs and research across the country.
Southern Economic Advancement Project: A public interest law and policy organization working to advance economic opportunity and justice across the South.
Trust for America’s Health: A nonpartisan organization focused on making disease prevention and community health a national priority.
Undue Medical Debt: A nonprofit that works to eliminate medical debt for individuals and families by purchasing and forgiving debt at scale.
Urban Institute: A research organization that produces data and analysis on economic and social policy, with significant work on health, housing, and poverty.
Publications
Research Journals
City and Community: The American Sociological Association’s journal focused on urban life, neighborhood change, and community dynamics, with research that regularly intersects with housing, poverty, and equity.
Cityscape: A peer-reviewed journal published by HUD covering housing, community development, and place-based policy, and free to access.
Economic Development Quarterly: A research journal focused on local and regional economic development, with practical relevance for anyone working on community investment and revitalization.
Health Affairs: The leading health policy journal in the country, covering access, cost, quality, and equity across the full range of health system issues. Our go-to.
Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law: A rigorous academic journal that examines how political and social forces shape health policy, useful for anyone trying to understand why the system works the way it does.
Stanford Social Innovation Review: Covers strategy, leadership, and innovation across the nonprofit, government, and social enterprise sectors, written to be readable without sacrificing depth.
News and Magazines
The Atlantic: Long-form journalism covering politics, culture, and society with a consistent interest in inequality, health, and the forces shaping American life.
Bloomberg CityLab: Reporting and analysis focused on cities, urban policy, housing, and the economics of place, with strong data-driven coverage.
Governing: A publication focused on state and local government policy and management, useful for anyone working at the intersection of public sector and community.
KFF Health News: Nonprofit, nonpartisan health journalism covering policy, access, and the business of healthcare, with some of the most reliable daily coverage in the field.
Next City: A nonprofit news outlet focused on urban solutions, economic development, and the people working to make cities more equitable and livable.
The New Yorker: Long-form journalism and investigative reporting that regularly covers health, poverty, inequality, and policy with depth and care. Bonus! Lots of good fiction shows up there too.
Stateline: A nonprofit news service from the Pew Charitable Trusts covering state policy across the country, with strong reporting on health, housing, and fiscal issues.
Investigative Journalism
Bolts Magazine: A nonprofit newsroom covering democracy, voting rights, and the criminal legal system at the state and local level, with reporting that goes well beyond what national outlets cover.
Borderless Magazine: A nonprofit, bilingual newsroom based in Chicago covering immigration, labor, and justice for Midwestern immigrant communities. (Nonprofit)
Capital B: A nonprofit news organization focused on news for and about Black communities, with reporting that centers voices and perspectives often absent from mainstream coverage. (Nonprofit)
Documented: A nonprofit newsroom covering immigration policy and its real-world impact on communities across the country. (Nonprofit)
Economic Hardship Reporting Project: A nonprofit journalism organization that produces and funds reporting on poverty and economic insecurity, with a commitment to stories told by and with the people living them. (Nonprofit)
The Food and Environment Reporting Network: A nonprofit investigative news outlet covering food systems, agriculture, and public health, with deep expertise in the issues that shape what communities eat and how they live. (Nonprofit)
The Guardian US: The American edition of the Guardian, with strong investigative and long-form reporting on inequality, health, the environment, and policy.
The Hechinger Report: A nonprofit newsroom focused entirely on education inequality, with rigorous reporting on the gaps in access and outcomes that shape communities for generations. (Nonprofit)
The Intercept: Investigative journalism focused on politics, civil liberties, national security, and the systems of power that affect everyday life.
The Marshall Project: A nonprofit newsroom covering the American criminal justice system with depth, rigor, and a focus on the people most affected by it. (Nonprofit)
ProPublica: One of the country’s leading nonprofit investigative newsrooms, with a strong track record on health, government accountability, and economic inequality. (Nonprofit)
Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting: A nonprofit investigative outlet with strong work on environmental health, immigration, and systemic inequality. (Nonprofit)
The Conversation: A nonprofit news outlet that publishes research and analysis written by academics for general audiences, covering a broad range of policy and social topics. (Nonprofit)
Type Investigations: A nonprofit investigative outlet that partners with newsrooms across the country to produce in-depth reporting on inequality, health, and justice. (Nonprofit)
Regional publications
Borderless Magazine: Already listed under Investigative.
Georgia Health News: A nonprofit news outlet covering health policy and health care across Georgia, founded by journalist Andy Miller, whose work we have long admired and whose commitment to making health coverage accessible to all Georgians is the reason this outlet exists. (Nonprofit)
ICT (formerly Indian Country Today): The most established national news outlet focused on Indigenous peoples, communities, and policy, with decades of reporting that centers Native voices.
North Carolina Health News: A nonprofit newsroom covering health policy and health care across North Carolina, one of the stronger state-level health journalism operations in the country. (Nonprofit)
Spotlight PA: A nonprofit newsroom covering Pennsylvania state government and policy with a focus on accountability and impact. (Nonprofit)
Texas Tribune: A nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization covering Texas politics, policy, and the issues affecting the state’s diverse and sprawling communities. (Nonprofit)
Tribal Business News: A digital publication covering Native American economic development, tribal policy, and the Indigenous economy, with reporting led by Native journalists.