Remembering John W. Murphy, Former Leader of the Flinn Foundation and an Early Supporter of Grantmakers In Health
Grantmakers In Health (GIH) mourns the loss of John W. Murphy, a founding member and former board chair of GIH, and 1999 recipient of the Terrance Keenan Leadership Award. He died on October 22, 2025, at age 88. Murphy was a visionary leader and transformative force in health philanthropy, serving as the former President and…
Advancing Health Beyond Health Care: How Policy Wins in Texas Reflect Philanthropic Strategy
At Episcopal Health Foundation (EHF), our vision is to build healthy communities for all by focusing on health beyond the walls of the doctor’s office. In 2024, we launched a new strategic framework that centers on three major action areas: health and health care services, healthy communities, and health policies. Across these areas, we also are prioritizing food and nutrition security, maternal health, and diabetes prevention, as these are critical levers for improving health outcomes in Texas.
GIH Health Policy Update Newsletter
An Exclusive Resource for Funding Partners
The Health Policy Update is a newsletter produced in collaboration with Leavitt Partnersi 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.
Medicaid Managed Care Contracts are a Powerful Tool for Change; Philanthropy has a Role to Play
As a foundation, the mission of the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund is to improve the health of all Kansans. Our success, in large measure, depends on investments we make in advancing positive policy and systems changes that affect the state and communities. So, with large numbers of the state’s most vulnerable people relying on Medicaid for health coverage and care, we focus on leveraging the opportunities this program offers to sustain improved health outcomes and make progress on health equity.
Investing in Inclusion: How Health Philanthropy Can Prioritize the Needs and Perspectives of Individuals with Disabilities
One in five children in the United States has a special health care need requiring more than routine health services, and one in four adults report having a disability. As 70 million adults and 14.5 million children in the United States have a disability, the population impacted by issues in the aging out process and in the health care system more broadly is far from insignificant. Despite these numbers, disability-related grants represent just 2 percent of total philanthropic giving and are primarily directed towards services and supports that seek to fix or cure disabilities and perpetuate the ableist assumption that people with disabilities are unable to make decisions about their own care.
Sustainability? No, It Is about Building Durability!
Philanthropy has forever espoused the term “sustainability.” We ask in grant applications and in our conversations with grant partners: “What’s your sustainability plan?” and “How do you plan to sustain your program once the grant ends?” Thanks to the influence of Tom Klaus, formerly of Tenacious Change, my thinking has shifted and evolved over the past few years to “durability.”
Merck Foundation: December 2024
Merck Foundation has launched a new initiative – the Collaborative for Equity in Cardiac Care to advance equitable access to high-quality, culturally responsive cardiac care for people living with heart conditions in underserved United States communities. The foundation is committing $17 million over five years to support the development and implementation of innovative, comprehensive programs for cardiac health care across the country as well as promote cross-sectoral collaborations to address barriers to care associated with social drivers of health.
The Pew Charitable Trusts: December 2024
In the Speak Up MO report, residents’ top responses identified several priorities for improving health, including expanding health care coverage or implementing universal health care, lowering health care costs, and addressing the cost of living.