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.
GIH President and CEO Cara V. James Joined The Rural Impact Podcast for a Conversation about the Intersections of Policy and Philanthropy
On December 4, 2025, Cara V. James, President and CEO of Grantmakers In Health (GIH), was featured in an episode of The Rural Impact podcast. She joined Michelle Rathman, host of The Rural Impact and strategic communications advisor in health care policy, for a conversation on the intersections of policy and philanthropy, challenges with rural health funding, and more. “Policies that are impacting rural communities are…
2026 Congressional Calendar
Developed in collaboration with Leavitt Partners, this calendar tracks when each house of congress will be in session in 2026.
Grantmakers In Health’s Partnership with Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders Highlighted in Inside Philanthropy Article
Due to cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in H.R.1, along with the program’s suspension during the longest government shutdown in American history, Grantmakers in Health (GIH) is partnering with Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders (SAFSF) on a funder working group to coordinate philanthropy’s response. This partnership, along with SAFSF’s broader work, was highlighted in a November 13, 2025 Inside Philanthropy article. In the piece, Clare Fox, SAFSF’s…
Roles for Philanthropy as Medicaid Changes Take Effect
For those of us who have worked toward health equity, who have spent the past few years building toward incremental gains and pushing for larger change, the events of this year can feel like one big backslide. At times, it’s overwhelming. Yet this is not the time to get bogged down by the size of the challenge or by analysis paralysis. From where I sit, I see five roles that philanthropy can play in the rollout of changes to Medicaid.
Acting with Urgency: Stupski Foundation Accelerates Its Spend-Down Grantmaking
In this interview, Grantmakers In Health’s Maya Schane spoke with Dan Tuttle and Sulma Gandhi of the Stupski Foundation about the foundation’s spend-down strategy and acceleration of grantmaking in 2025 in response to federal policy changes.
Practicing What We Preach: Three Tips for Putting Equity at the Heart of a Successful Application Process
Every step of the grant application process
— from initial outreach to final award notification — provides opportunities for funders to either reinforce inequities or dismantle them. The grant application process is often the first barrier that organizations encounter when seeking funding. If designed without an intentional focus on equity, the application process can advantage well-resourced organizations, while disadvantaging equally or better qualified organizations that have fewer resources.