How We Lost the Vote but Won the Day, The Story of the 2013 Portland Pro-Fluoride Campaign

Cartoonish illustration of teeth with faces, some of them holding up signs. The signs say “Healthy Kids, Healthy Portland,” “Yes on 26-151!!” and “Everyone Deserves Healthy Teeth.”

In 2013, a coalition of funders, community-led nonprofits, advisors and other allies came together to campaign for water fluoridation in Portland, OR. Although the ballot initiative did not pass, the campaign succeeded in helping community-based organizations build capacity for civic engagement. In this article, we share our experiences from the campaign, the obstacles we encountered and our lessons learned.

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A Letter from Outgoing Chair Rev. W.J. Mark Knutson

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Children’s Institute Combats Chronic Absenteeism