GIH Bulletin

Much has changed since Grantmakers In Health (GIH) last convened in 2019.  Over the past three years, more than 1 million Americans have lost their lives due to COVID-19. Large cracks in our public health, healthcare systems, and our safety net programs are apparent. In addition, pervasive inequities across all facets of society have increased. The country is divided, and this division continues to hamper our ability to address one of the greatest health challenges our modern world has ever faced.

May is Asian American Pacific Islander heritage month, celebrating the fastest-growing racial group in the United States. Recent priorities for grantmakers have focused on racial equity, health and well-being, and immigrant rights. Yet, investments for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) have been under-resourced and deprioritized, receiving only 0.26 percent of philanthropic dollars and 0.17 percent of research funding from the National Institutes of Health.

April marks National Minority Health Month. It is a time for us to educate ourselves on the health challenges facing communities of color and other vulnerable populations, and to reflect on the progress we have made towards advancing health equity and what more we must do to ensure everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible.

Last year, New York State passed the most sweeping parole reform measure in the country. The Less Is More Community Supervision Revocation Reform Act has far-reaching implications for the health and liberty of tens of thousands of people every year, by making critical changes in how the state handles noncriminal violations of parole conditions.

As we kick off GIH’s 40th anniversary year and begin implementing our new strategic plan, I invite you to listen in on this conversation between myself and past GIH leaders about how health philanthropy has evolved, what is on the horizon, and how GIH and health funders can be more future-focused to achieve better health. We look forward to working with you to achieving better health for all through better philanthropy.

As we approach our 40th year of supporting philanthropy—we at GIH have been reflecting on how the field is evolving, what is needed to achieve better health, and what our role in this work can be. We’ve asked for guidance on what we do well and where we can improve. And we’ve reflected on your feedback, reaffirmed our mission and values, and identified intended outcomes. The result is our new five-year strategic plan.

As we work towards a more just and equitable future, we must ensure that we have the data needed to measure the things we are trying to improve. It is no longer acceptable to say we do not know.

Health care conversion foundations bring substantial resources to communities throughout the country. GIH’s 2021 Update from the Field infographic offers a fresh look at this important sector within health philanthropy.