Active living refers to a way of life that integrates physical activity into daily routines. In addition to recreational exercise, active living includes moderate forms of physical activity such as walking or bicycling for transportation, taking the stairs, or working in the yard. Unfortunately, being physically active has become more difficult for many people because of our growing dependence on the automobile, increased television use, and the way we design our communities and neighborhoods. A significant shift over the last three decades to a more sedentary lifestyle has taken its toll on our health. Physical inactivity is now a primary risk factor for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, certain cancers, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and osteoporosis. It also is associated with depression, isolation, and mental illness.

Improving the health and wellness of Spartanburg County through increased physical activity will require efforts that address the underlying causes of inactivity, create more opportunities for activity, and encourage the use of existing opportunities for physical activity. Although programs that encourage and support individual physical activity are important, individual behavior change alone has limited affect on county-level health improvements. Therefore, the Mary Black Foundation will focus its grantmaking on efforts that work to create programs, policies, and environments (physical and social) that facilitate and encourage active living. Accordingly, the Foundation will accept grant applications that address the following initial grantmaking strategies:

Encourage local policy and environmental changes that promote active living by:

• Increasing the awareness of local policymakers about the importance of active living issues.
• Building the capacity of local groups and residents to advocate for changes in local policies and environments.
• Supporting a community-based process to develop a vision for a more activity-friendly Spartanburg and a plan to implement that vision.
• Supporting partnerships among developers, design professionals, and local active living not-for-profit organizations to develop projects that encourage activity-friendly communities.

Support the development of places and programs that encourage physical activity for transportation and recreation by:

• Building the capacity of a limited number of neighborhoods and/or business districts to learn about active living issues, assess the physical and social environments that affect active living, identify opportunities to improve their communities, set a list of priorities for improvement, and advocate for changes that make their communities more activity-friendly.
• Building the capacity of local governments to support the improvement efforts of neighborhood and/or business districts to make their communities more activity-friendly.
• Supporting the implementation of these improvement projects over time.

Promote the use of places and programs that encourage physical activity for transportation and recreation by:

• Increasing awareness of opportunities for physical activity through communication, community mobilization, and organized activities.
• Providing social support networks that encourage active living.

Although the majority of the Foundation's grantmaking under this priority area will focus on the strategies listed above, the Foundation may also support other projects related to active living as specific opportunities arise

Past Active Living Grants
Active Living Resources
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