Community Transformation Grants

Community Transformation Grants is sponsored by CDC. Helps communities design and implement local programs that prevent chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

## Investments in Community Health: Community Transformation Grant Program **The Community Transformation Grant (CTG) Program is one of many ways the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) works to improve the health and well-being of all Americans. ** The CTG program is expected to improve the health of more than 4 out of 10 people in the United States. That’s about 130 million Americans.

CTG helps awardees to design and carry out local programs that prevent chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. It is funded by the Prevention and Public Health Fund, part of the Affordable Care Act. **Read on to learn why preventing chronic diseases is important and see which states, communities, tribes, and organizations receive CTG funds to address this problem.

** ### Chronic Disease in the United States More than half of American adults have at least one chronic disease. And that number is growing very quickly. People with a chronic disease often— * Cannot work or do other useful activities.

* Have a lower quality of life. * Die younger than they should. In the United States, 7 out of 10 deaths each year are caused by chronic diseases.

Chronic diseases are also costly. For every $1 spent on health care in the United States, 75 cents is used to treat chronic diseases and factors that increase the risk of disease. ### Focusing on Priorities for Healthier Living CTG is working to make healthy living easier and more affordable where people live, learn, work, and play.

To improve health and wellness in their communities, awardees focus on three key areas: * Active living and healthy eating. * Clinical and community preventive services to prevent and control high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Some awardees also focus on improving social and emotional wellness—that is, helping to identify mental health needs and make it easier to get quality services.

Still other awardees are working to create healthy and safe physical environments. **Examples of community interventions include:** * Increasing physical education classes so children get more physical activity each day. * Supporting local farmers and improving neighborhood grocery stores to make it easier to get healthy foods.

* Keeping people safe from secondhand smoke. * Promoting better sidewalks and street lighting so it’s safe and easy to walk and ride bikes. ### Investing in Healthier Communities In 2011, CDC awarded $103 million to 61 state and local government agencies, tribes, territories, and nonprofit organizations in 36 states.

CDC also gave nearly $4 million to 6 national networks of community-based organizations. * CDC gave Implementation awards to 35 communities to use proven programs and strategies to improve their community’s health and wellness. * CDC gave Capacity-Building awards to 26 communities to build skills and systems to support community health efforts and ensure long-term success.

* National network awardees bring together community members to support, share, and build on CTG’s proven strategies of CTG nationally. They give special attention to rural and frontier areas and communities that face major health gaps. One-fifth of CTG program funding goes to rural or frontier areas.

About 120 million Americans benefit from these efforts. ### Promoting Partnerships for Health CTG awardees are working with partners from many sectors. Some partners include: * Schools and school districts.

* Transportation experts. * Faith-based organizations. Awardees have also funded local organizations to help make healthy changes in their communities.

Additionally, $25 million is being used to support awardees with evaluation, communication, technical support, and training. ### Reaching More Americans in Smaller Communities In 2012, CTG added the Small Communities Program. More than $70 million went to 40 neighborhoods, school districts, villages, towns, cities, and counties with fewer than 500,000 people.

These grants help smaller communities make lasting changes to reduce health gaps and expand services to prevent and manage chronic diseases. The CTG Small Communities Program helps improve health for about 9. 2 million more Americans.

**To learn more about CDC’s investments in community health, visit the DCH home page or call 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636). **