Humana Foundation Advances Equity Through Community-Engaged Research Practices
Grantmakers In Health’s Maya Schane spoke with Heather Hyden and Soojin Conover of the Humana Foundation about the Foundation’s recently published report, Strengthening Science and Community Impact Through Equitable Research Practices. The report examines innovative research methods adopted by the Foundation’s partners to promote health equity in public health research through community-engaged research practices.
Collaborating for Impact: Providing Trust-Based Grantmaking and Technical Assistance to Support Local Resilience to Extreme Weather Events
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.
Working Through Challenges to Sharing Power With Community: Highlights from a Session at Grantmakers in Health’s Annual Conference
The people closest to the issue best know the solutions. For health funders, sharing power with community could mean giving residents a voice in shaping your grantmaking priorities or where grant dollars are spent. Many funders understand that solutions are more likely to be successful when the people who are most affected have a voice in shaping them. But when it comes to including that voice, the work often stalls before it starts.
New Campaign Seeks to Address Black Communities’ Concerns About COVID-19 Vaccines
Black people are much more likely than other Americans to contract, be hospitalized for, and die from COVID-19. A new campaign, THE CONVERSATION: Between Us, About Us, is aiming to bridge the information gap between Black communities and trusted health experts.
New Navigator Funding Available
On March 1, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced $2.3 million in additional funding to current Navigator grantees in federally-facilitated marketplace states to support the outreach, education, and enrollment efforts around the 2021 special enrollment period (now through May 15, 2021). The 30 organizations eligible to receive these funds work across 28 states to help consumers access financial assistance through HealthCare.gov, complete their applications, and enroll in coverage through the marketplace, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
It’s Up to You
The Ad Council and the COVID Collaborative have launched a new campaign to educate the American public and build confidence around the COVID-19 vaccines.
Centering Equity in Sugary Drink Tax Policy: Tax Design and Policy Research Recommendations
Healthy Food America has released the Sugary Drink Tax Equity Workgroup’s recommendations on how to design equitable sugary drink tax policy. Based on a year-long participatory process, the recommendations are focused on helping advocates and policymakers design sugary drink taxes that are centered in equity and benefit communities most negatively impacted by the beverage industry and sugary drink products.
New State Palliative Care Budget and Policy Tracking Tool
The National Academy for State Health Policy has created an interactive map tracking new state palliative care legislation and related budget initiatives that are designed to promote and expand access to palliative care.
Philanthropy’s Rural Blind Spot
This timely analysis of shows how two aspects of distress—lack of human capital and economic disadvantage—predict communities’ likelihood of both applying for and receiving funding, explores the reasons for these inequities, and provides real-world examples of how funders can better serve these communities.