The Nutrition Policy Institute announced on Apr. 29 the release of its Data Storytelling Toolkit, designed to help California’s local health departments communicate program data and evaluation findings more effectively to community stakeholders.
Communicating program impact is important for building support among partners and decision-makers. According to a needs assessment, most (66%) of California’s local health departments delivering the CalFresh Healthy Living program said that evaluation data is valuable for showing their programs’ effects but many lacked the capacity or tools needed for effective communication.
To address this gap, evaluators at the Nutrition Policy Institute developed a toolkit that includes a Canva data story template and Excel data tables. The Canva template follows CalFresh Healthy Living branding guidelines and can be customized by each department, while the Excel component provides easy-to-read tables with complex annual reporting and evaluation project data. Local health department staff were invited to hands-on workshops in June 2024 where they learned how to use these resources step-by-step. The toolkit also comes with a Quick Start Checklist for ongoing support.
Feedback from workshop participants was positive. One participant said, “loved that it’s super user friendly and straight forward” and thanked organizers for providing a “walk through on how to utilize this new tool.” Another participant said, “this toolkit is incredibly useful and will make communicating our programming and its impact much easier for us!” Among those who completed post-training surveys (n=32), two-thirds reported greater confidence in sharing program outcomes after training, while 97% intended to use the toolkit at least once.
Since its launch in June 2024, over two-thirds (69%) of surveyed local health departments have used the toolkit for research or policy briefs targeting stakeholders such as current partners (78%), other agencies (44%), policymakers (44%), or potential new partners (33%). For example, Monterey County Public Health used it to design a brief supporting funding discussions about nutrition programs following SNAP-Ed funding cuts; they succeeded in securing replacement funds from their county health department.
The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources secures funding through public contributions according to its official website. It promotes sustainable practices aimed at strengthening resilient ecosystems and economic vitality according to its official website. The organization utilizes nine research and extension centers as laboratories representing California’s diverse ecosystems according to its official website. It has gained recognition for linking research directly with community needs according to its official website, operates as part of the University of California system managing Cooperative Extension services according to its official website, conducts more than 33,800 educational events annually, and engages over 18,400 volunteers in various initiatives according to its official website.
By helping jurisdictions like Monterey County secure continued support for nutrition programs—and by improving workforce development—the Data Storytelling Toolkit aims not only at supporting civic engagement but also enhancing food security and overall community wellness.