Report Finds That Half of All Babies Born Poor Will Spend Most Of Their Childhoods In Poverty; Significantly More Likely to Be Poor 30 Years Later

Already off to a tough start in life, 49 percent of American babies born into poor families will be poor for at least half their childhoods, a new Urban Institute study finds. Among children who are not poor at birth, only 4 percent will be “persistently” poor as children. Fallout from persistent childhood poverty is evident during young adulthood, say Caroline Ratcliffe and Signe-Mary McKernan, the authors of  “Childhood Poverty Persistence: Facts and Consequences,” the first study connecting poverty status at birth, poverty persistence, and adult outcomes. Those poor at birth are more likely to be poor between ages 25 and 30, drop out of high school, have a teen nonmarital birth, and have patchy employment records than those not poor at birth. Read the full brief in PDF format.

Healthy Communities Matter: The Importance of Place to the Health of Boys of Color

July 2010

A new report from the California Endowment summarizes a study of health disparities and trauma among African-American and Latino/Hispanic boys, the underlying social inequality and negative neighborhood conditions, and the need for a healing approach. It also outlines case studies of best practices.

The Racial Wealth Gap Increases Fourfold

May 2010

New evidence reveals that the wealth gap between white and African‐American families has more than quadrupled over the course of a generation. Using economic data collected from the same set of families over 23 years (1984‐2007), we find that the real wealth gains and losses of families over that time period demonstrate the stampede toward an escalating racial wealth gap. This report is the first in a series that audits the growth of the racial wealth gap over the past generation.

County Health Rankings: Using Data to Improve Community Health [ March 25, 2010 2:30 PM ]

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) County Health Rankings is the first set of reports to rank the health of every county in the nation.  A collaboration between RWJF and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, the rankings show how counties measure up within each state in terms of how healthy people are; how long they live; and how important factors such as tobacco use, obesity, access to health care, education, community safety, and air quality affect their health. 

Funders' Discussion on the Social Innovation Fund [ January 11, 2010 2:00 PM ]

Sponsored by Grantmakers for Children, Youth & Families (GCYF), Grantmakers In Health (GIH), and Grantmakers Income Security Task Force (GIST)

Grantmakers for Children, Youth & Families; Grantmakers In Health; and Grantmakers Income Security Taskforce cosponsored a funders' discussion on the Social Innovation Fund (SIF). This audioconference provided funders and philanthropic advisors with a timely opportunity to discuss and respond to the newly released draft Notice of Funding Announcement for public comment on the SIF. The deadline for public input is January 15, 2010. The final SIF funding notice is expected to be released in February 2010. An announcement of the selected grantmaking institutions is expected in the summer of 2010. 

Dangerous by Design: Solving the Epidemic of Preventable Pedestrian Deaths [ December 16, 2009 2:00 PM ]

Sponsored by Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities and Grantmakers In Health

In the last 15 years, more than 76,000 Americans have been killed while crossing or walking along a street in their community. Children, the elderly, and ethnic minorities are disproportionately represented in this figure. These deaths typically are labeled “accidents” and attributed to error on the part of motorist or pedestrian. In fact, however, an overwhelming proportion share a similar factor: they occurred along roadways that were dangerous by design. This one-hour call briefed funders on a new report that explores pedestrian deaths through the lens of public health and social equity.

Taking a Social Determinants of Health Approach to HIV/AIDS Among Women of Color [ December 2, 2009 2:00 PM ]

Join us to learn about the special challenges HIV/AIDS poses for women, and to see how community-based programs are tackling those challenges while addressing the social determinants of health.

Using Maps to Promote Health Equity [ October 22, 2009 2:00 PM ]

On this one-hour Webinar grantmakers learned about using maps to promote health equity and saw a demo of Map4Change, an innovative, interactive Web-based mapping tool that allows users to see which neighborhoods tend to have healthy residents, which do not, and why.

State-Level Data on Health Status by Income, Education, and Race/Ethnicity [ June 18, 2009 2:00 PM ]

On this audioconference we heard from a leading researcher about evidence that can help 1) assess how far states are from reaching the full health potential of children and adults, 2) raise awareness about the need to address social factors in order to close the current gaps in health, and 3) stimulate discussion and debate within states and nationally about promising directions for closing those gaps.

Social Determinants of Health and Equity: The Impacts of Racism on Health Disparities [ April 15, 2009 2:00 PM ]

As research continues around the health outcomes of individuals and groups, there is acknowledgement that effective efforts to reduce disparities must also pay attention to the social determinants of health. Additionally, the antecedents of racial and ethnic disparities in health are multifaceted and rooted in historic and contemporary inequities.

Recommendations of the RWJF Commission to Build a Healthier America [ April 7, 2009 2:00 PM ]

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America has released 10 recommendations for changes the country can make outside health care to improve the health of all Americans. The commission's recommendations call for changes in schools, at home, in communities, and in the workplace. On this audioconference we discussed the recommendations, heard about successful programs from across the country, and explored next steps for philanthropy.

Health Impact Assessments: A Promising Tool for Public Policy Decision-Making [ February 25, 2009 3:00 PM ]

The term Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is commonly used to describe structured, multi-disciplinary methods and processes that judge the potential health effects of a specific policy proposal.  Based on a broad model of population health that incorporates economic, political, social, psychological, and environmental influences, HIAs have been widely performed in Europe and Canada through both regulatory and voluntary mechanisms. Interest in these tools is growing rapidly in the United States and health funders have played a pivotal role in nurturing these developments. This audioconference considered how HIAs can be used to infuse health-related concerns into public policy debates and explored opportunities for health funders to advance the development and application of this emerging tool. 

Reducing Health Disparities by Addressing the Social Determinants of Health [ January 27, 2009 2:00 PM ]

On this audioconference, David Williams, one of the leading experts on socioeconomic and racial variations in health, highlighted research evidence that documents that tracking the social determinants of health can lead to improvements in health and reductions in social disparities in disease.

2009 Annual Meeting Essay: We the People: Key Demographic Trends in the United States

Recent projections from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Pew Research Center verify what demographers have long recognized: the United States is undergoing a demographic revolution.

Racism: Combating the Root Causes of Health Disparities

Reducing health disparities in communities of color has been a public health priority in the United States for the past decade. To date, however, substantial improvements have not been achieved. Even more troubling is the evidence that disparities persist even when overall health trends improve.

Tackling the Tough Work of Community Change

While somewhat new to health foundations, place-based community change work is not new to philanthropy. Grantmakers who are considering such ventures have to judge how comfortable they are with the roles they might be called upon to play in a community change effort.

Where Do We Go From Here? Combating Health Care Disparities in an Era of Reform

There is growing interest in improving the health of racial and ethnic communities of color by going beyond the health care setting to the root causes of poor health and inequality. In the current era of national health care reform, new opportunities may become available to further combat racial and ethnic disparities in health care.

Health Reform: Time for a Paradigm Shift

By: Brenda L. Henry, Ph.D., M.P.H, Program Officer, and Pamela G. Russo, M.D., M.P.H., Senior Program Officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

HIV/AIDS and Women of Color: Changing the Conversation

By: Jacquelyn Brown, Program Officer; Diane Lewis, Trustee; and Margaret O'Bryon, President and CEO, Consumer Health Foundation