How do organizations deliver high-quality primary care that remains affordable and accessible to the poor while operating with a long-term plan for financial success? What role do donors and social impact investors play in supporting sustainable and market-based solutions to global issues?

Earlier this month, C2C, CHMI, and Eliza Petrow, Senior Advisor at JC Flowers Foundation and World Education, welcomed more than 40 panelists and guests gathered in Boston for a two-part discussion of these questions and more.

Part I of the discussion, led by Donika Dimovska of CHMI, focused on the importance of primary care worldwide, and highlighted pressing priorities for health care providers. Donika emphasized sharing of best practices through vehicles like CHMI’s Primary Care Collaborative and CHMI’s Primary Care Innovators Handbook (in which C2C is featured).

Donika and panelists, Allison Howard-Berry of C2C, Melissa Menke of Access Afya, and Fiona Walsh of Last Mile Health, spoke at length about the importance of primary care within health systems worldwide and the importance of finding appropriate and sustainable funding streams, including revenue from patient fees. In this way, organizations can ensure their ability to continue providing care to poor families without the risks that come with fully-philanthropic funding.

Part II of the discussion showcased the potential for donor and investor involvement in supporting market-based solutions to poverty internationally and domestically. Moderator, Anne Stetson, of the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, spoke with panelists, Maggi Alexander of the Philanthropic Initiative, Tom Haslett of Central Square Foundation, Susan Musinsky of the Social Innovation Forum, and Ambassador (ret.) John Simon of Total Impact Capital.

Panelists emphasized trends over the last decade in building market-based solutions to solve some of the world’s most pressing issues: access to health care, financial inclusion, education inequality, and inadequate housing. They discussed philanthropic approaches to solving challenges – how one might apply philanthropic capital to encourage market-based solutions, thereby fueling real and lasting change.

C2C thanks CHMI and all the panelists for sharing this great learning experience with Boston!

C2C is honored to have been selected as a recipient of a “Learning Exchange” grant from the Center for Health Market Innovations (CHMI)! CHMI is an organization that promotes programs, policies and practices that make quality health care delivered by private organizations affordable and accessible to the world’s poor. The goal of the Learning Exchange grant is to allow organizations, like C2C, to collaborate and share insight and experience about our shared efforts to increase access to health services. During the grant period, C2C will collaborate with <a class="profileLink" href="http://www.accessafya sites.com/” target=”_blank” data-gt=”{"entity_id":"270807483024993","entity_path":"WebComposerUploadController"}” data-hovercard=”/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=270807483024993″>Access Afya, an innovative health delivery model in Kenya.

Our team continues to grow! Care 2 Communities is thrilled to announce our newest Board member, Nicole Sahin. Nicole joins us as we prepare for the May opening of our newest clinic, in Acul du Nord, Haiti.

Nicole is CEO and Founder of Globalization Partners, a company that breaks down barriers to global business by making it easy for companies to hire overseas.  She has spent her career helping technology companies, universities and nonprofits launch new operations in more than 80 countries. Nicole was recently nominated for EY 2015 Entrepreneur of the Year award.

With her drive to support self-sustaining philanthropic endeavors, Nicole lead a team of women to co-found a school for children in rural Cambodia. The school enabled local kids to leap over the digital divide by providing access to internet technology, solar electricity and English language teachers.

Said Nicole, “I’ve spent my entire career doing international work and am always cautious working in developing countries with changing political systems.  I joined Care 2 Communities after careful due diligence because I personally know and trust the Board of Directors and founding team; because our business model has a focus on sustainability and community self-sufficiency; and because I want to play some small role in propelling the world toward a time when all people have access to excellent healthcare.  I’m delighted to share in this mission with my friends and colleagues at C2C.”

Our Board of Directors is growing! Care 2 Communities is proud to announce our newest board member, Mona Eliassen. Mona joins as our first new board member for 2015, and will be jumping right into planning efforts as we work toward our newest clinic opening in Northern Haiti this spring!

Considered an industry leader in technology staffing solutions, Mona is the founder of Eliassen Group, a technology staffing and consulting firm. Mona has worked with clients ranging from small startups to Fortune 1000 companies. She was listed as one of Boston Magazine’s “Power: 100 Women Who Run This Town” in 2003, and has been inducted into the Women’s Business “Hall of Fame”.

Mona said, “I am excited to join the Board of C2C, an innovative organization with an inspiring founder, Elizabeth Sheehan. I had the opportunity to visit Haiti last year to see first-hand C2C’s impact in communities they serve, and was impressed with both the business model and the buy-in from the community. I knew that my donation would be used efficiently to provide quality services for families in Haiti, and now I’m delighted to dedicate my time to this mission, as well.”

More than 70 people joined C2C this week for the organization’s annual fall event, which has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to build sustainable health care for Haitians over the past three years.

C2C’s friends and supporters gathered to hear updates from our Haiti Country Manager, Dr. Jean Eric Calvaire as well as the organization’s plans to open two new clinics in Northern Haiti in 2015.

A big thank you to our hosts, Ruthie and Jeffrey Barker, Miriam and Thomas Christof, Holly Clifford, Victoria and Northrup Knox, Jr., Alison and Bob Murchison, Mary and David Powers, and Elizabeth Sheehan, who did an amazing job creating an enjoyable and informative evening.

Two anonymous funders have generously pledged to match up to $100,000 in gifts through the end of the year. If you donate now, your gift will be doubled. We hope all our friends will help us meet this challenge, and support us as we work to bring sustainable primary care to communities in the developing world.

Check out our Facebook page to see more pictures from the event!