Beyond Innovation: How Philanthropy Can Strengthen Systems to Improve Rural Health Outcomes

Sometimes innovation in philanthropy is associated with breakthrough technologies or new medical discoveries. But some of the most impactful investments fund something less visible: the coordination of people, protocols, and institutions already in place so they work together seamlessly to save lives.

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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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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.

Expanding Access—Mobile Health and Telehealth

Expanding Access—Mobile Health and Telehealth

In September, I delivered a keynote speech at the Annual Mobile Health Clinic Conference of the Mobile Healthcare Association, and the occasion was an opportunity for me to learn more about the contributions of mobile clinics to population health and the delivery of safety-net services.

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Suicide in Older Adults: A Quiet Epidemic

Suicide in Older Adults: A Quiet Epidemic

There is a widespread and dangerous popular misconception that permeates our society that aging and despair—and even depression—go hand in hand. One of the most drastic consequences of such marginalization is the resultant isolation and feelings of burdensomeness that, when exacerbated with key risk factors, may drive suicide in older adults.

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Tackling the Challenge of American Health Coverage

Tackling the Challenge of American Health Coverage

Foundations deserve tremendous credit for helping millions of families in America obtain basic access to health care. It started with children. Soon after Senators Hatch (R-UT) and Kennedy (D-MA) passed the Children’s Health Insurance Program in 1997, foundations across America helped policymakers develop and implement innovative strategies to enroll eligible children.

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Tennessee Reveals $7.9B Plan To Shift Medicaid Into Controversial Block Grant System

In this roundup of news articles, Kaiser Health News covers the latest in Medicaid waiver proposals: shifting Medicaid to a block grant system via administration regulation rather than legislative change. Advocates warn against the harmful affects to consumers upon such a change.

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Philanthropy @ Work – Transitions – September 2019

The latest on transitions from the field.

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RIZE Massachusetts: Sepember 2019

The goal of the white paper was to understand and identify opportunities to overcome stigmas that prevent certain healthcare providers from screening and treating patients with opioid use disorder and close the treatment gap.

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