National Health Foundation is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit founded in 1973 with a focus on health equity in under-resourced communities. Originally established to conduct research and educational programs related to healthcare delivery, the organization has since shifted its work directly into communities, addressing the root causes of health disparities through programs spanning food access, housing, education, and the built environment.
The organisation operates across four main program areas:
- Food Access: Expanding the availability of healthy foods and connecting families to food benefits in under-resourced communities.
- Housing: Providing shelter and recuperative care for individuals experiencing homelessness following hospital discharge - a service that has delivered over 85,000 safe shelter nights.
- Education: Supporting pregnant and parenting teens in completing their education.
- Built Environment: Removing physical and structural barriers to health, with a focus on South Los Angeles.
National Health Foundation works in partnership with community residents, local organisations, and government entities. Its mission centres on the social determinants of health - the conditions in which people live, learn, work, and play - guided by the principle that all people, regardless of who they are or where they live, should be able to achieve their highest level of health.