The Center for Community Solutions’ new strategic plan defines how we prioritize work internally and externally to support both our public policy goals and the broader sector. Today we are publicly releasing a summary of our new focus areas, the product of months of work behind the scenes by our Board of Directors and staff. These focus areas align with this moment of policy change to realize health, social, and economic success in Ohio for the next decade.
Our vision represents the health and human service issues that policymakers and leaders should be considering in the months and years to come.
Leaning into the work we’ve done for over a century, our recent strategic planning process reinforced a few non-negotiables. Our position as a nonpartisan convener and explainer; our unique ability to illuminate gray areas; and our commitment to remaining transparent and evidence-driven remain steadfast.
Accountable, effective safety net
Our goal: Strengthen Ohio’s public benefit systems so people can meet basic needs and move toward stability.
There is a deep disconnect between policy narratives and lived reality. A strong safety net can lift Ohioans out of poverty and support people of all ages and circumstances. Accountable spending ensures that public benefit programs like SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, and child care remain effective and responsive to the realities of poverty and community conditions. Our focus is on policy relating to hunger, health, income, and meeting basic needs. We continue to identify administrative and policy reforms that improve services while reducing waste and inefficiency.
Identifying and addressing gaps
Our goal: Improve health, social, and economic outcomes for Ohioans across the lifespan.
Policy decisions should ensure that people of all ages are supported to thrive and live healthy lives. Data show gaps in health and economic outcomes shaped by longstanding differences in access, opportunity, age, and geography. Successful systems and policies would mean that all Ohioans have a fair opportunity to thrive throughout their lives.We build on our established expertise on issues impacting older adults, people in poverty, and women while providing reliable, useful data on community conditions.
Stable, sensible tax and revenue policy
Our goal: Evaluate policy choices to align government resources with the needs of Ohio communities.
Some of this is math; some is policy reform. Now is the time to be clear on the role of publicly funded services. The people who live in our communities, the institutions that serve them, and the businesses that locate here rely upon one another and the public resources that make Ohio a great place to live. Every policy change involves tradeoffs. Leaders must make choices to fund their mandates and right-size programs to achieve goals and meet needs.
Throughout our history, Community Solutions has been trusted to provide clear and direct research on the impact of policy change. We continue to examine the interplay of funding at the federal, state, and local levels, the revenue systems unique to Ohio, and point out the impact of decisions. providing reliable, useful data on community conditions.
What's new, and what's not?
New: terminology and organization
Not: our priorities, advocacy, and mission
If everything above reads as familiar, it's because it is. Our strategic planning process gave us the opportunity to revisit how we organize and present our work, but the work remains the same. These three focus areas encompass (and expand) our perspective on Ohio's challenging health and human services landscape. If you're looking for a specific article and not finding it on the website, you can search by Tag on the main Topics page.
We're excited to share this with you! Watch this space for more policy analysis and research, as usual, in the weeks to come.
