The Vital Ingredients to Better Health for All
Reporting on the final day of the conference, the focus shifted towards recognizing the immense opportunity for philanthropy to make progress through collaboration. We can take inspiration from the people who united 250 years ago to work together in the service of a greater vision: a nation of the people, by the people, and for the people.
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.
GIH Health Policy Update Newsletter
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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.
Reflections on the 2022 GIH Annual Conference and the Road Ahead
It was so wonderful to see everyone in Miami at the 2022 Grantmakers In Health Annual Conference, especially those who joined us for the first time, and to learn more about the work you are doing to achieve better health for all through better philanthropy. The conference occurred at an important moment for our country. As Admiral Rachel Levine, U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health, said during our strategy session on advancing LGBTQ health equity “even after decades of social progress, the most vulnerable among us continue to suffer.” The conference provided an opportunity for us to reconnect, to reflect on the considerable health challenges facing the United States, and to learn and grow together as we explore and share solutions.
Lessons from a Long Season of Disaster Response
By the time this article is published, we’ll be marking several anniversaries of devastating natural disasters in Louisiana, all of which arrived late in summer. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita infamously decimated the Southern Louisiana area in 2005. Fifteen years later, in the span of just two consecutive summers, Hurricanes Laura, Delta, Zeta, and Ida battered a weary state still mired in the thick of COVID-19.
Activating the Potential of Residents to Lead Community Transformation, Collaboratively
In 2019, the Virginia-based Danville Regional Foundation (DRF) set a new strategic vision—to help more people believe in the transformation of the region and embrace their role in achieving it. A region formerly dominated by tobacco and textiles, the Dan River Region has made great strides toward reinvention. DRF recognized that increasing collaboration and building the civic capacity of the region would be critical to its economic transformation.
Achieving Racial Justice and Health Equity Through Housing Justice
Having a stable, safe, and affordable place to call home impacts our ability to be healthy. But because America’s foundational housing policies and systems intentionally excluded Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, far too many people in our nation are at risk of poorer health because a home is out of reach.
Merck Foundation
No one strategy is sufficient to reach people from underserved communities who are living with diseases like cancer, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS with the high-quality health care they deserve. That’s why the Merck Foundation has focused on making longer-term and more flexible philanthropic investments that support an array of promising and comprehensive approaches. Further, collaboration is critical to tackle complex health disparities and build healthier communities. Through our initiatives, we bring together health care providers, community leaders, and academics from across the United States and around the world to test and expand innovative solutions to improve the delivery of health care in their communities.
