Foundations are an increasingly significant source of funding for health research and demonstrations in the United States, providing opportunities to encourage wider dissemination and
utilization of innovations emerging from foundation-supported activities. A literature review and
informal interviews with the communications and program officers for ten foundations suggest
that foundations are increasingly engaged in dissemination and communications activities but
less involved to date in active utilization programs. Moreover, they appear to have few strategies
for developing utilization programs. The survey does indicate that many foundations may be
interested in developing such strategies and the article includes suggestions for expanding
knowledge utilization activities of foundations.
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