Fundamentals for Nonprofits

Partnership Assessment Tool for Health

Many community-based organizations (CBOs) and healthcare organizations are exploring and embarking on partnerships to achieve better health outcomes. Designed for CBOs and healthcare organizations already engaged in partnership, the Partnership Assessment Tool for Health (PATH) provides a format to understand progress toward benchmarks characteristic of effective partnerships, identify areas for further development, and guide strategic conversation. The objective of the tool is to help partnering organizations work together more effectively and maximize their impact.

PATH Addendum: Advancing Health Equity

NFF developed an addendum to the PATH to elevate the pivotal role that partnerships between community-based organizations and healthcare play in contributing to equitable health outcomes in communities. This new section identifies benchmarks characteristic of partnerships working effectively to advance health equity, as well as guiding questions for partnerships to consider in assessing their development in this area. 


With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Partnership for Healthy Outcomes brought together Nonprofit Finance Fund, the Center for Health Care Strategies, and the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities to capture and share insights for partnerships between health care organizations and CBOs, particularly those that serve low-income and/or vulnerable populations.

For more insights, read the Partnership for Healthy Outcomes’ recent report capturing lessons from more than 200 collaborations across the US, case studies of select partnerships, and a guide to help state Medicaid officials encourage partnerships.