What We Do
Strengthening Systems.
Improving Outcomes.
Cardea partners with public agencies, nonprofits, and community organizations to strengthen systems and improve performance. Our work helps organizations design, implement, and evaluate strategies that lead to measurable, lasting results.
We bring decades of experience across public health and human services, combining data, practical expertise, and collaboration to help organizations work more effectively and sustainably.
Our Services
Cardea delivers services through a consulting approach that integrates evaluation, capacity building, professional learning, and systems support to strengthen programs and improve outcomes.
Evaluation & Insights
We support organizations in understanding what is working, where improvements are needed, and how data can inform better decisions. Our evaluation and learning services are embedded within consulting engagements and designed to support accountability, reflection, and continuous improvement.
Evaluation and learning services include program evaluation, performance measurement, data analysis, and applied learning to support informed action.
Capacity Building & Professional Learning
We help organizations build the skills, structures, and systems needed to achieve their goals and sustain impact over time. Our capacity building and professional learning services support teams as they adapt, grow, and strengthen their work in complex environments.
Services include organizational learning, workforce development, coaching, facilitation, and training delivered through in-person, virtual, and blended formats.
Policy Support
Cardea provides policy support to help organizations navigate complex policy environments and move ideas into action. Our work focuses on assessing policy landscapes, developing practical policy solutions, engaging key partners and communities, and supporting effective implementation.
Policy support services include policy analysis and landscape assessment, policy development, partner and community engagement, and implementation support that helps translate policy into practice and sustain impact.
How We Work
Every engagement is grounded in collaboration, clarity, and purpose. We work alongside partners to understand their goals, identify opportunities for improvement, and apply strategies that are realistic and sustainable.
Our approach emphasizes practical solutions, clear communication, and results organizations can carry forward beyond a single project.
Who We Support
Cardea works with organizations across sectors, including public agencies, community organizations, nonprofits, and foundations. Our services are tailored to meet the needs of each partner and the systems they serve.
What We Build Together
Where We Work
Cardea collaborates with partners across the U.S., its territories, and Tribal nations to strengthen systems through training, evaluation, and hands-on consultation. Our work is evidence-based, nonpartisan, and adaptable to a range of policy and political environments.
Cardea supports health and public health efforts in all 50 states — and beyond. Use the interactive map to explore where we’ve worked and how those partnerships are helping move systems forward.
California
➞ Partnered with leaders across state, regional, and local health and education systems to deliver training, evaluation, and strategic planning in support of integrated health education, school-based wellness, sexual health services, youth substance use prevention, inclusive practices, and trauma-informed care.
Colorado
➞ Partnered with a local health center to assess the impact of new STI testing approaches and identify opportunities for service improvement.
Connecticut
➞ Facilitated trainings to help local HIV prevention programs strengthen their ability to design and carry out meaningful, practical evaluations.
Georgia
➞ Partnered with CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health and ICF to deliver ongoing, tailored professional development for local education agency leaders — supporting effective implementation of sexual health education, services, and safe, supportive school environments for approximately 2 million students nationwide.
Idaho
➞ Trained all Disease Investigation Specialists in delivering respectful, inclusive services grounded in community context and real-world application.
Illinois
➞ Partnered with The Raven Collective, a key Indigenous health partner, to support community-led strategies that strengthen wellness and systems of care.
Kansas
➞ Partnering with Health Forward Foundation to support training, evaluation, and strategy efforts aimed at advancing community-driven approaches to health and wellbeing.
Louisiana
➞ Co-created an assessment to identify public health workforce training needs related to infection prevention and control in community settings.
Maryland
➞ Supported state-level assessments and evaluations to strengthen sexual and reproductive health initiatives and inform future planning.
Michigan
➞ Presented at NACCHO 360 on a multi-year initiative to assess the strengths and learning needs of Infection Prevention and Control staff, and co-develop a tailored hybrid training pathway and virtual learning community to support local health departments nationwide.
Minnesota
➞ Trained sex educators working with youth in foster care and juvenile justice systems across a five-state region, supporting consistent, inclusive, and responsive instruction.
Missouri
➞ Partnered with local health agencies and community partners to assess maternal and child health outcomes and services for Black mothers and families, with the goal of promoting access to respectful, high-quality care and support.
Nevada
➞ Facilitated strategic planning with state leaders to support the rollout of new health education policies and ensure clear, coordinated implementation.
New Jersey
➞ Developed national core skills training for sex educators and conducted research focused on the experiences of underrepresented communities, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disabled populations.
New York
➞ Redesigned evaluation strategy for a youth-serving nonprofit to highlight lived experience and strengthen impact storytelling for funders and stakeholders.
North Carolina
➞ Partnered with Fact Forward to support evaluation, technical assistance, and strategic planning for adolescent sexual health education across counties in the Carolinas — including implementation in schools, community organizations, faith-based settings, and juvenile detention facilities.
Ohio
➞ Partnered with a local community-based organization to evaluate programs supporting maternal and infant health, connection, and access to care.
Oklahoma
➞ Delivered custom training, eLearning, and evaluation support for youth educators and Tribal health systems — helping strengthen sexual health education and disease care through collaborative, data-informed approaches.
Oregon
➞ Supported instructional leaders and Indigenous partners through coaching and evaluation efforts to strengthen sex education delivery and assess the impact of peer support networks.
South Carolina
➞ Provided evaluation, training, and strategic support for adolescent sexual health education and trauma-informed practices — partnering with community health workers and organizations across schools, faith-based settings, detention facilities, and more.
Texas
➞ Supported statewide and community-led efforts to promote sexual health, gender wellbeing, and healthy relationships through curriculum development, program evaluation, and training for school-based staff, clinics, and HIV/STI prevention providers.
Vermont
➞ Facilitated statewide action planning to support adolescent health through clear goals, shared priorities, and collaborative next steps.
Washington
➞ Partnered with public agencies and community-based organizations to expand sexual health education, support early childhood and family-serving programs, and strengthen trauma-informed services — through tailored training, evaluation, and capacity-building efforts across schools, detention facilities, housing systems, and more.
Washington D.C.
➞ Co-developed models and tools to support inclusive, community-informed HIV services — including a tailored index to identify and address barriers impacting access and quality of care.
West Virginia
➞ Partnered with a local coalition to assess community strengths, service gaps, and priorities — informing next steps for strengthening substance use support programs.
Puerto Rico
➞ Developed responsive curriculum and training to support sex education implementation across Puerto Rico, grounded in local context and community priorities.
Ready to Learn More?
Whether your work calls for evaluation, capacity building and professional learning, or policy support, Cardea is ready to collaborate with you.