The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has awarded a total of $2 million to five civil rights groups as part of its campaign against child obesity.
The grantees, who will receive the funds over the next 16 months, are the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the National Council of La Raza and the National Urban League.
Research has shown that Hispanic and black youth experience particularly high levels of obesity.
The grants will be used to address national and state policies that affect child health and nutrition and the health disparities within communities, according to a statement from the foundation. The grantees will be write policy briefs and analyses, plan advocacy trainings, hold regional roundtable discussions and emphasize youth obesity at their national meetings.
The foundation has committed $500 million in its overall childhood obesity prevention program. A complete list of its obesity programs and grants is here.
The focus of the new grants mirrors another grant announcement by the foundation, in January, which emphasized programs that have a “strong track record on social, economic and environmental justice issues.” All of the funded organizations were based in minority areas and pledged to get residents involved in creating policies to reduce obesity.
