WellShare International
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
WellShare International aims to reduce health disparities and provide community members with the essential knowledge and care they need to take charge of their own health.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Center for Somali Health
Since 2000, WellShare’s innovative and culturally-appropriate health programming with the Somali community has gained national recognition. In an effort to increase our capacity to better serve the Somali and health provider communities, WellShare established the Center for Somali Health. The Center provides research, education and outreach services to the Somali and health provider communities.
Uganda Child Spacing Project
A typical
Ugandan woman bears an
average of 7 children in her
lifetime even though many
women would prefer smaller
families. WellShare’s
Uganda Child Spacing
Project uses innovative
communications strategies
such as radio call-in
programs and film shows to
educate rural Ugandans
about family planning.
Trained community health
workers provide community
members with family
planning information and
methods, including
injectables. Partnerships
with district health teams
and local health facilities
promote improved access to
family planning and quality
of care.
Tanzania 'Survive and Thrive' Groups for Young Mothers
WellShare International continues its work with young, single mothers in Bariadi Destrict, Tanzania. With individual donor funding, WellShare supported Survive and Thrive Groups in 16 villages. Women receive health education and small business skills training along with technical support to implement a village community banking model.
Eliminating Health Disparities Initiative (EHDI)
WellShare International is working to reduce the risk factors for diabetes, heart disease, and stroke through EHDI program activities in order to reduce negative health outcomes. By offering workshops for African Americans, Somalis, Native Americans and Caucasian Americans and training of physicians and Community Health Workers, WellShare's EHDI program is helping to reduce health disparities and improve culturally competent care.
Community Health Workers (CHW) - Bridging the cultural divide
WellShare continues to expand its work through the CHW Peer Network Program. The CHW Peer Network Program was created by WellShare in 2005 and reaches a state-wide group of Community Health Workers serving diverse communities. WellShare hosts bi-monthly professional development trainings for CHWs in the Peer Network. Currently the Network reaches over 500 CHWs, employers, and key stakeholders. Trainings are recored, archived and posted online for later viewing by CHW's and other stakeholders who live in Greater Minnesota.
Karen Tobacco Free Program
WellShare received a grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Center for Prevention to educate the Karen community on the harms of tobacco and to eliminate the use of tobacco in indoor and outdoor settings. The Karen Tobacco Free Program (KFTP) is a partnership with the Karen Organization of Minnesota and engages the entire community.
East African Smoke-Free Program
The East African Smoke-Free Program funded by the Minnesota Department of Health, aims to reduce the harm caused by tobacco and secondhand smoke among Somali and East African children, youth, and young adults.
After-School Programming for East African Youth - 'The Young Achievers'
The Young Achievers (TYA) offers a constructive environment for Somali youth to learn, be creative, interact with positive adults, and prepare for higher education while serving their community by working on public health campaigns. The program is conducted in partnership with the Confederation of Somali Community in Minnesota and Franklin Library. The group is youth-led and our Somali staff works with the youth to develop creative projects in order to send positive messages to their East African peers.
East African and Karen Refugee Reproductive Health Program
WellShare's Spacing Pregnancies Program for East African and Karen Communities (SPEAK) includes two projects: The Somali Child Spacing Program and the Karen Family Planning Program. Using a community-based, client-centered approach, Somali and Karen Community Health Workers (CHWs) work with their community, invested stakeholders and partners and local providers and professionals in hopes that Somali and Karen communities in Minnesota will : 1) have greater access to and uptake of reproductive health resources, including contraceptive methods; 2) receive more culturally appropriate health and family planning services; 3) experience increased success in achieving their reproductive health goals; and 4) partake in better reproductive health outcomes, including reduced unintended pregnancy.
Minnesota Community Health Worker Toolkit
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Emerging Professions Program contracted with WellShare International, in partnership with the MN CHW Alliance, to develop a comprehensive CHW Toolkit for employers. The 77-page Toolkit aims to assist employers in hiring and integrating CHWs into their organizations.
Volunteer Program
WellShare's Volunteers for Community Health Program began in late 2015 with the aim of establishing a comprehensive and sustainable volunteer program by the end of 2016 - a goal which was successfully achieved. This program was established to efficiently and appropriately match qualified and passionate volunteers with WellShare program activities, contributing to our overall programmatic success.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our Mission: To partner with diverse communities to promote health and well-being.
Vision: We envision communities with access to high quality health services, resources, and information. WellShare will be valued as a trusted partner who honors the strengths and assets of the communities with which we work. We will be recognized as experts in community-based health programming.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Partnerships
WellShare harnesses strategic partnerships involving communities, local and international institutions, academic institutions, and similar organizations in all aspects of: program design, implementation, and evaluation. WellShare focuses on issues that address “felt" community needs in order to ensure that attention is directed to those issues of greatest importance to communities.
Monitoring and Evaluation
WellShare utilizes state-of-the-art monitoring and evaluation systems in our programs in order to assess the impact of our work and to share “lessons learned" with communities and peer organizations.
Mutual Learning
WellShare programs foster a team approach to public health and we realize that while we can offer technical assistance to communities. We, in turn, continue to learn and grow from our mutual experiences.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Using a community health worker model, WellShare reduces health disparities by reaching underserved communities to promote health, prevent disease, and increase access to health services. We work with refugee and immigrant communities in Minnesota and with underserved rural populations in East Africa. Our programs address the health needs of individuals across the lifespan – including pregnant women, infants, children, youth, adults, and the elderly.
Our community health workers are trained to provide a range of health services, including the promotion of a tobacco-free lifestyle, nutrition education, prevention and management of chronic diseases, family planning and reproductive health education, promotion of healthy lifestyles among youth, and skills for immigrants/refugees to navigate the U.S. health system.
WellShare is recognized among health systems (domestically and in East Africa) as an expert in the recruitment and training of community health workers. In our 40 year history, we have trained over 6,000 community health workers – an evidence-based approach for reducing health disparities – and our health education materials are used by health providers around the world.
In East Africa, health care providers are nearly nonexistent in rural areas. The community health workers we train and supervise provide culturally appropriate basic health services that reduce mortality, prevent childhood diseases, promote safe, wanted pregnancies, and connect isolated individuals to clinic services as needed.
In Minnesota, our community health workers work primarily with immigrant and refugee populations on the health needs of the community, in addition to connecting these populations to the U.S. health care system. Becoming a community health worker also empowers women (most CHWs are women) for a productive role in the U.S. economy, and is often a stepping stone to more education and training for other careers.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
WellShare's experience in designing and implementing large-scale, sustainable community-based programs spans more than 39 years. Founded in 1979 as Minnesota International Health Volunteers (MIHV), WellShare began its field work in post-war Vietnam refugee camps in Thailand, where Minnesotan doctors provided much-needed health care to an estimated 80,000 refugees. Soon, medical residents studying international health care joined the cause.
Over the years, as its mission and impact expanded, WellShare shifted its focus from crisis intervention to primary health care of women and children. Today, WellShare has programs in Uganda, Tanzania, and the United States. Some highlights include: our education of more than 5,500 community health workers in seven countries and our implementation of eight US-funded child survival projects in Uganda, Kenya, Nicaragua, and Tanzania.
For more information on our past programs go to: http://wellshareinternational.org/wellshare-international-past-programs/
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
WellShare International
Board of directorsas of 06/27/2022
Tom LeFevere
Tom LeFevre
Retired Pediatrician
Pritika Kumar
R street
Stela Center
Wallin Educaiton Partners
Jaime Roquebert
3M
Mike Crow
Provider CFO
Kayslee Kemp
Medtronic Foundation
Mohamed Omar
Minnesota Housing Fund
Alexandra Lofthus
Unite Us
Maka Ngulube
Partners in Food Solutions
Bernadette Foh
Mediation and Restorative Solutions
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data