GIH Blog and News
Potential Impact of a Government Shutdown on Health Care Priorities
This resource provides an overview of the September 2025 government shutdown and insights into its impact on the Department of Health and Human Services.
Grantmakers In Health Seeks Nominations for 2026 Leadership and Advocacy Awards
Grantmakers In Health is pleased to announce a call for nominations for both its Andy Hyman Award for Advocacy and Terrance Keenan Leadership Award in Health Philanthropy.
Administration Actions Targeting Domestic Terrorism and Their Implications for Nonprofits
This resource provides an overview of the legal implications of the September 22, 2025 executive order designating certain groups as engaging in domestic terrorism.
GIH Bulletin
GIH Bulletin: September 2025
In this moment of widespread burnout and fragmentation, philanthropy has a crucial role in supporting communities redefining what it means to thrive. That means moving beyond narrow metrics and embracing a broader vision of collective well-being rooted in belonging, purpose, and dignity. The philanthropic sector must rise to the challenge of helping build an equitable future where both people and the planet can truly flourish.
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GIH Bulletin: August 2025
Access to abortion care in Ohio. The chance to support city candidates with democracy vouchers in Seattle. Promoting judicial ethics in Colorado. An $11 an hour minimum wage in Arkansas. What do these policy changes have in common? They were all enacted through the ballot initiative process, and they all support healthy, thriving communities, both in process and in outcome. But multiple states are seeing efforts to curtail the ballot measure process, limiting the voices of voters.
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GIH Bulletin: July 2025
In the last few years, there has been an increased number of extreme weather events, including wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and heatwaves in the United States. In 2023, the United States experienced 28 disasters that cost at least $1 billion, the largest number of billion-dollar disasters in a single year on record (Smith 2024). While some areas of the country are more susceptible to these threats, there are no regions immune to disasters. According to a recent Gallup poll, 37 percent of adults in the United States report they have been personally impacted by at least one extreme weather event in the last two years, which is higher than the 2022/2023 survey result at 33 percent.
Read More →Reports and Surveys
Behavioral Health Strategies
GIH conducted a survey in late 2024 on funder engagement in behavioral health. This fact sheet, based on a sample of 139 health funders, summarizes the current trends, gaps, successes and challenges for funders. It also highlights philanthropy’s continued commitment to behavioral health while also signaling concern about the upcoming funding environment.
2024 Health Equity Survey: Understanding the Changing Landscape
In 2024, Grantmakers In Health (GIH) surveyed its Funding Partners to understand how their health equity work has evolved. The survey consisted of 40 questions including demographic information, program focus areas, partner engagement, organizational strategy, priority population, successes, and challenges. This report summarizes findings from the Health Equity Survey titled, “Understanding the Changing Landscape.”
2024 Survey Summary: Firearm Violence Prevention Strategies
GIH conducted a survey in September 2024 about funder engagement in firearm violence prevention. This fact sheet summarizes the survey results with a total sample of 81 health funders. This public health crisis and social justice issue is preventable, and health funders have an important role to play in advancing firearm violence prevention efforts.
Upcoming Webinars
Steady Voices in Unsteady Times: Strategies for Communicating in Crisis
Communicating effectively in times of crisis is essential for maintaining public trust and organizational reputation. It can also minimize the spread of false or misleading information. This virtual workshop is designed to support health funders’ efforts to effectively communicate while managing potential risks of ideologically- and politically-driven threats. Beth Tritter and Chrystal Okonta from FGS Global will lead the program. Participants will learn how to prepare for a communications crisis and test drive practical tools for managing and responding. Working in groups, participants will also work to address a plausible and timely challenge using best practices and core principles of effective crisis response.
Behavioral Health in the Balance: Navigating the Impact of the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Act
Medicaid is the single largest payer for behavioral health services and is increasingly responsible for substance use disorder reimbursements. In July 2025, H.R.1 was signed into law containing an estimated $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts over 10 years, resulting in almost 15 million people losing health coverage, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates. The pressure on states to cut spending is immense, and behavioral health services will not be immune. Join GIH for a discussion on the behavioral health implications of H.R.1 and opportunities for funders to get involved now. Bill Smith and Angela Kimball from Inseparable will summarize H.R.1 from a behavioral health perspective. Neel Harja and Sarah Wasil from Michigan Health Endowment Fund and Itai Dinour and Hazel Guzman from Carmel Hill Fund will provide examples of how funders are responding to this challenging situation. Funders will leave the webinar with actionable ideas to protect access to behavioral health services in their states.