Responding with Care and Intention to Current Challenges
As a nation, we are experiencing truly unprecedented challenges at local, state, national, and international levels, that lead to real feelings of uncertainty. Recently, that feeling of uncertainty has sometimes been reflected in my own life, both as the leader of a national law and policy organization and as the mother of a middle schooler. At times, it is hard to stay grounded. But then I hear about the progress we are making with our partners or a new policy win in support of a brighter future. In those moments, my optimism returns, and I am reminded of the meaningful change happening across this country.
What we are experiencing right now is not normal: it is chaos by design and inhumane leadership at the highest levels of government. Our country’s systems were never perfect. However, before the current injustices and rollbacks, it felt like we were making strides toward a healthier, more just society. Building on the foundations of progress over many generations, I encourage you to remember that we can create important and positive change despite the current moment.
In fact, ChangeLab Solutions has been refining our plans to support government and community leaders nationwide. Our strategic priorities have been shaped with partners who are committed to supporting and protecting our democracy, improving health, and leading with equity. I am deeply proud of our staff, board, partners, and funders. What follows in this blog post are some of the ways ChangeLab is intentionally meeting this moment to support policy change for healthier, more equitable communities.
How ChangeLab Is Meeting the Moment
Defending the Legal Foundations of Health, Equity & Civil Rights
Across the country, efforts are underway by some policymakers and private interests to weaken longstanding laws and legal precedents that protect civil rights, health equity, and public health. ChangeLab Solutions is supporting local and state government staff and advocates with timely and responsive legal analyses, focused advocacy efforts, and implementation support to protect our health, rights, and democratic values.
In my recent blog series on democracy and governance, I reflect on equitable policymaking, political engagement, and the importance of building stronger connections between community and policymakers — especially to ensure that systems serve those who have historically been excluded from decision-making. This series is grounded in shared values with examples from communities that are showing what’s possible when we align around equity, health, and shared power.
To turn these values into action, ChangeLab continues to invest in the development of practical legal tools that serve changemakers. For example, in partnership with the Center for Public Health Law Research, Public Health Law Center, Public Health Law Watch, and The Network for Public Health Law, we developed these resources on recent federal actions — which include FAQs, briefings, and legal analysis — to help public health leaders navigate this rapidly shifting landscape. Going forward, ChangeLab is supporting Public Health Law Watch’s litigation tracking efforts, which monitor state-level cases that may shape public health practice. Findings from this work were summarized in a 2025 report analyzing litigation related to health equity efforts across the country along with ongoing bi-weekly updates as developments unfold.
ChangeLab is also directly supporting local and state public health staff as they navigate the complex intersections of public health enforcement and immigration. Recent aggressive US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tactics are elevating tensions within communities. This is a moment of learning that needs clear legal guidance as well as strong community partnerships. Working with partners at Big Cities Health Coalition and the National Immigration Law Center, we are supporting public health leaders as they build strong relationships with community partners, work to better understand the laws that guide their work, and consider creative outside-the-box strategies. We’re serving as a bridge between legal expertise and on-the-ground realities by supporting approaches that center the people at the heart of this work and advance broader community health goals.
Advancing Equitable Policy Implementation
ChangeLab works with government and community partners to implement equitable policy change. For decades, ChangeLab has supported these efforts by building knowledge and capacity to use law and policy as tools for change. Since late 2025, we have been offering trainings on Finding & Reading the Law, with additional sessions in May 2026.
In addition to increasing knowledge about the power of law to our national audience, ChangeLab is partnering with the California Department of Public Health’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Branch (CDPH NPAB) to strengthen state and local capacity to advance policy, systems, and environment approaches to healthy eating, active living, and chronic disease prevention. Together, we are developing a suite of practical policy resources for local health departments and their partners on policy approaches such as healthy procurement and funding infrastructure for active transportation. This partnership is especially critical in light of the recent elimination of federal funding for the SNAP-ED program.
Last week, we released our new Legal Primer for Policymaking to Advance Health & Racial Equity, designed to help policymakers and advocates craft meaningful policy solutions in a tumultuous legal and political climate. The Primer introduces a “legal risk” framework to support intentional decision-making and policy selection, drafting, and enactment. We invite you to join us at our kick-off webinar in May to learn more about this important resource.
Supporting Community-Driven Policy Change
ChangeLab has long centered the inclusion of community leadership and voices in policymaking. Over the years, this has taken different forms in response to our partners’ needs, from building a policy playbook centered on youth to supporting communities of practice with their policy change efforts. We recognize that advancing equitable policy change in today’s political climate often requires new, adaptive, and creative approaches.
Through our work with communities participating in the BUILD Health Challenge, ChangeLab has supported a wide range of community-driven strategies and efforts. For example, in one community with a large refugee population, we helped a community collaborative strengthen their relationships with local government staff to advocate for sustaining housing services despite funding cuts. In another community, we supported an organization that faced sudden funding withdrawals due to their focus on undoing harms caused by racism through facilitating new national relationships and exploring fee-based offerings building on their prior wins. And, in cities in the Central and Eastern US, we worked alongside a community-based organization to support their mission driven work to advance community health worker integration across sectors while maintaining federal partnerships. This work mirrors the various threats and uncertainties that many nonprofits and health-oriented organizations are currently facing. We continue to offer support to community organizations working to advance equitable policy change.
Identifying Innovative Legal & Policy Change Opportunities
ChangeLab historically takes on complex policy challenges through multidisciplinary collaboration. One key area of focus is how good governance practices can support community power. In ChangeLab’s Blueprint for Changemakers, we identify “governance that limits meaningful participation” and “disparities in political power” as fundamental drivers of health inequity. These drivers limit our full engagement in civic society and silence our voices in policymaking decisions that impact our lives. By continuing to center the question of “how can good governance support community power,” we are working with funders and partners to create collaborative and visionary solutions, supported by law and policy, to drive systems-level change. To learn more, explore our resource Public Health Legal Authority for Good: Examples & Evidence.
As part of this work, we are also examining how access to accurate information — and the trust communities need to act on that information — is shaped by law and governance. Our recent work on Confronting Misinformation underscores that this challenge is not only a public health concern, but also a legal and policy one, influenced by who controls information, how it circulates, and whether communities trust information as well as the sources from which it originates. By exploring how legal frameworks can better support accurate information and meaningful participation, we are identifying new opportunities to strengthen the systems that underpin public health, equity, and democracy.
Together, these efforts reflect ChangeLab’s commitment to anticipating what’s next and investing in innovative policy approaches that build community power, support participatory governance, and advance lasting systems change. As we continue working with our partners, funders, and allies, we are also stepping back to assess big questions and opportunities — seeing what’s on the horizon — to prepare changemakers to meet emerging challenges.
As always, I encourage you to reach out and connect about potential partnership opportunities. We are stronger together.
– Sarah de Guia, JD
CEO, ChangeLab Solutions
4/14/2026
