Getting in Formation: Working Together to Build Healthy Communities
From breakout sessions to quick takes and wellness activities to two inspiring plenary sessions, every corner during day two of the Grantmakers In Health (GIH) Annual Conference on Health Philanthropy, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Health was filled with conversation and connection. The day’s agenda focused on how funders can find and use their voices to stand up in this moment of change, including doubling down on their values; taking bigger, bolder risks alongside grantees; and seeking partnerships spanning the private and public sectors.
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Health in Action
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Health is more than this year’s Annual Conference on Health Philanthropy theme; it is the foundation for every planned session, unexpected learning moment, and conversation in Baltimore from June 8-11. The pre-conference kicked off with a range of discussions centered on the theme, including the state of Medicaid after H.R. 1, the connection between democracy and better health outcomes, and collaborations in public health funding.
Health Philanthropy Working at the Intersections Between Critical Issues
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Health is more than this year’s Annual Conference on Health Philanthropy theme; it is the foundation for every planned session, unexpected learning moment, and conversation in Baltimore from June 8-11. The pre-conference kicked off with a range of discussions centered on the theme, including the state of Medicaid after H.R. 1, the connection between democracy and better health outcomes, and collaborations in public health funding.
GIH Health Policy Update Newsletter
The Latest
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.
Q&A: How the Chicago South Side Birth Center is Championing a Better Approach to Maternal Health
Grantmakers In Health (GIH) recently spoke with Jeanine Valrie Logan, Founder + Lead Steward of the Chicago South Side Birth Center, and Shruti Jayaraman, Chief Investments Officer of Chicago Beyond, to learn how the Chicago South Side Birth Center and Chicago Beyond are working together to improve maternal health outcomes for mothers in one of Chicago’s most underserved communities. This interview has been edited for style and clarity.
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.