GIH Bulletin: September 2025
In this moment of widespread burnout and fragmentation, philanthropy has a crucial role in supporting communities redefining what it means to thrive. That means moving beyond narrow metrics and embracing a broader vision of collective well-being rooted in belonging, purpose, and dignity. The philanthropic sector must rise to the challenge of helping build an equitable future where both people and the planet can truly flourish.
GIH Bulletin: August 2023
It is hard to believe we are approaching the end of summer. It has been a bit of a blur, going from one conference to the next, and planning for fall meetings. For the second year since joining GIH, I was able to participate in our rural health road trip, an annual tradition started by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy and National Rural Health Association in 2014.
GIH Bulletin: June/July 2023
More than a month after the 2023 Grantmakers In Health Annual Conference on Health Philanthropy, Advancing Philanthropy’s Commitment to the Long Game, I find myself reflecting on numerous aspects from presentations to conversations. Two quotes in particular have stayed with me, and apparently others, as I have heard one of them referenced at meetings I have attended since our conference.
GIH Bulletin: May 2023
President and CEO Cara V. James sat down with Jill Shumann, GIH’s new Vice President for Programming, to learn more about Jill’s long career in health and how her experience applies to GIH’s mission of advancing better health for all through better philanthropy. Jill discussed her formative years as a Peace Corps Volunteer, her work on international public health in Africa, and her recent tenure at the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
GIH Bulletin: April 2023
In 2021, 1 in 6 high school students was electronically bullied or bullied at school. That same year, 22 percent of high school students, and 45 percent of students who identified as LGBTQ+, seriously considered attempting suicide. We know this information because of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which along with other state and local surveys, comprises the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System.
GIH Bulletin: March 2023
Spring in DC means the cherry blossom trees, daffodils, tulips, and other flowers are in bloom. For GIH, this spring also means new relationships are blooming. We have welcomed a few new Funding Partners, and it is my pleasure to announce the addition of three new colleagues at Grantmakers In Health.
GIH Bulletin: January/February 2023
When we launched our strategic plan, we noted that to achieve our vision of better health for all through better philanthropy we would need to use our voice to take a more active role to influence advocacy, policy, and funding in targeted areas that will advance health and make a lasting, measurable impact. Our current health “system” is not designed to promote health and wellness, but to provide care once a person is sick, and it is built on a foundation of inequity based on health coverage, or a lack thereof.
GIH Bulletin: November/December 2022
This year has been an exciting time of renewal and transition at Grantmakers In Health. We celebrated our 40th anniversary and began implementing an ambitious five-year strategic plan, that included work to identify when and how GIH would use its voice to advance policies that support better health for all and at long last returned to in-person convenings with our annual conference, Fall Forum, and other events.
GIH Bulletin: October 2022
Every year around this time, we participate in a time-honored process of voting for candidates we believe align with our values. As people across the country prepare to vote in state and local elections, those of us working in health philanthropy should take a moment to reflect on what we can do to support policies to advance better health outcomes.
GIH Bulletin: September 2022
Last month I had the distinct pleasure of visiting Georgia and North Carolina with key partners in rural health. Our “rural road trip” was a refreshing journey that provided inspiration for philanthropy’s work and a reminder that ensuring better health for all must engage all rural communities.