A Philanthropic Tree of Life: Seeding Health Equity through Influence and Innovation

Philanthropy can function as a living ecosystem for change rooted in equity, nourished by trust, and bearing the fruits of community well-being. The Direct Relief Fund for Health Equity (DRFHE), launched with $50 million in initial investments, exemplifies a transformative philanthropic model supporting nearly 200 community-based organizations across the United States. Acknowledging DRFHE as a “Tree of Life” offers a framework grounded in community-led, trust-based, and unrestricted giving that challenges traditional philanthropic paradigms. Therefore, this article describes the fund’s origins, strategic priorities, and outcomes, and introduces the DRFHE Tree of Life framework as a replicable model for equity-driven philanthropy.

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Transitions

Philanthropy @ Work – Transitions – April 2026

The latest on transitions from the field.

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Grants and Programs

Philanthropy @ Work – Grants and Programs – April 2026

The latest on grants and programs from the field.

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GIH Health Policy Update Newsletter

An Exclusive Resource for Funding Partners

The Health Policy Update is a newsletter produced in collaboration with Leavitt Partners and Trust for America’s Health. Drawing on GIH’s policy priorities outlined in our policy agenda and our strategic objective of increasing our policy and advocacy presence, the Health Policy Update provides GIH Funding Partners with a range of federal health policy news.

Grantmaking with a Racial Justice Lens

Join the Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity (PRE) on March 10 for a training on Grantmaking with A Racial Justice Lens, a guide providing grantmakers with reflections, frameworks, and tools built from the direct experience of activists and funders for advancing racial justice in any philanthropic setting.

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Strategies for Building Confidence in the COVID-19 Vaccines

This rapid expert consultation describes a variety of public engagement and communication strategies that can be implemented at the national, state, and local levels to change patterns of interaction with the public, address hesitancy about the vaccines, and build trust.

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Black Americans Are Getting Vaccinated at Lower Rates Than White Americans

A new KHN analysis finds that in the 16 states that have released data by race, white residents are being vaccinated at significantly higher rates than Black residents.

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Survey: Attitudes, Views and Values around Health, Equity and Race Amid COVID-19

Health, Equity, and Race during COVID-19

New findings from a national, ongoing poll show that the pandemic has not demonstrably shifted views on the connection between race and health among those most affected by COVID-19, despite communities of color and those with lower incomes being hit the hardest.

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Mistrust Is the Biggest Health Crisis Facing the United States Today

Events over the last year put a spotlight on the significant health, economic, and social disparities in our country. In the few days that have elapsed in 2021, that spotlight has focused in on the division our country faces, fueled by mistrust.

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