Minnesota Community Health Worker Alliance

What it reported doing in 2024

2024 program highlights include: mdh community health worker grant in march 2024, the Minnesota community health worker alliance (alliance) launched a five-year Minnesota department of health (mdh) legislative grant to expand and strengthen the community health worker (chw) workforce statewide. Running from march 1, 2024, through february 28, 2029, the grant positions the alliance as mdh's implementation partner to advance health equity by building sustainable chw infrastructure, increasing employer readiness, and improving measurement of chw capacity and impact. Key activities include convening chws, employers, payors, certificate programs, and state partners to develop a statewide chw logic model and multi-year plan; designing and operating a measurement system to track common chw indicators; delivering technical assistance and training to chws and supervisors; strengthening partnerships with chw certificate schools; and operating a resource hub/registry that supports recruitment, data collection, and dissemination. The grant also funds demonstration projects across healthcare, local public health, and community-based settings to document value, such as improved outcomes and cost avoidance tied to chw services. Anticipated outcomes over the grant term include increased chw and employer participation in the registry; improved, regularly reported workforce metrics; expanded employer capacity to hire, supervise, and reimburse chws; and broader geographic reach of chw services to reduce disparities. Mdh provides program oversight and collaborates with the alliance on work planning, quarterly reporting, and annual evaluation to ensure measurable progress toward a resilient, data-driven chw ecosystem serving Minnesota communities. In 2024, the alliance made significant strides in strengthening its organizational capacity and infrastructure. The organization transitioned from contracted roles to permanent staffing by hiring its first employee, with plans for transitioning two more contract workers to staff. In collaboration with the mdh, the alliance contributed to the development of the report titled community health worker initiatives in Minnesota: an environmental scan of the chw field. Additionally, the alliance played a key role in planning the chw section of the american public health association chw section annual meeting, held in minneapolis and hosting a chw summit with 150 chws in october 2024. In 2024, the alliance also launched three flagship programs that strengthened learning, collaboration and chw engagement across Minnesota's chw workforce. The chw learning circle engaged 186 chws in monthly peer- learning sessions on topics from chronic disease prevention to birth equity. The chw supervisor roundtable connected 76 supervisors statewide for quarterly problem-solving and best practice sharing. Meanwhile, the chw education committee convened faculty and community representatives monthly to align and update Minnesota's standardized chw certificate curriculum. Together, these programs fostered professional growth, consistency in training, and a more connected chw community across the state. Hrsa community health worker training program grant the alliance partnered with the Minnesota department of health (mdh) on a federally funded hrsa community health worker (chw) training program grant to expand and strengthen Minnesota's chw workforce. Effective from february 13, 2023, through september 14, 2025, the sub-award supports the recruitment, training, and retention of chw certificate students and apprentices to advance health equity, strengthen the public health workforce, and improve access to preventive and recovery services in underserved communities. Under mdh oversight, the alliance develops and manages the application and acceptance system, provides tuition assistance, sdoh stipends, and chw registry fees, and offers office hours and mentoring related to workforce and career development. The program also coordinates

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 97.7%; rating input score 98
• Fundraising efficiency: $80.87 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -4.1%; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.21; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.54; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 3.3%; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 21.3% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 27.2% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 5.5% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings