Center for Effective Philanthropy: May 2026
Nonprofits across the United States continue to serve their communities in countless vital ways, despite being under extraordinary pressure amid a challenging funding environment. The Center for Effective Philanthropy’s latest “State of Nonprofits 2026” examines how these organizations and their leaders are faring, and what they need donors to understand, revealing the unique challenges that organizations are facing right now and how leaders are responding.
Philanthropy @ Work – Grants and Programs – May 2026
The latest on grants and programs from the field.
Connecticut Health Foundation
“This is a challenging time for those of us who are focused on health equity. There is much that we can do as philanthropy to help our communities withstand the current challenges. As new Medicaid requirements take effect, for example, philanthropy can play a wide range of roles, including serving as a thought partner for state agencies implementing changes, connecting community members with state agencies to provide feedback, and ensuring that residents understand the changes and have the support to navigate them.”
Healthier Information Ecosystems: Strategies for Health Philanthropy
Our information environment is transforming—including the places and people who help us make decisions about our health. Those health information ecosystems are fragmented; filled with information from a wide range of expertise and sources; and platform algorithms exert tremendous and unseen control over what messages are seen, shared, and amplified. These changes have many of our traditional health information sources racing to learn new skills to ensure they remain trusted and relevant.
Beyond Innovation: How Philanthropy Can Strengthen Systems to Improve Rural Health Outcomes
Sometimes innovation in philanthropy is associated with breakthrough technologies or new medical discoveries. But some of the most impactful investments fund something less visible: the coordination of people, protocols, and institutions already in place so they work together seamlessly to save lives.
A Philanthropic Tree of Life: Seeding Health Equity through Influence and Innovation
Philanthropy can function as a living ecosystem for change rooted in equity, nourished by trust, and bearing the fruits of community well-being. The Direct Relief Fund for Health Equity (DRFHE), launched with $50 million in initial investments, exemplifies a transformative philanthropic model supporting nearly 200 community-based organizations across the United States. Acknowledging DRFHE as a “Tree of Life” offers a framework grounded in community-led, trust-based, and unrestricted giving that challenges traditional philanthropic paradigms. Therefore, this article describes the fund’s origins, strategic priorities, and outcomes, and introduces the DRFHE Tree of Life framework as a replicable model for equity-driven philanthropy.
Philanthropy @ Work – Transitions – April 2026
The latest on transitions from the field.
Philanthropy @ Work – Grants and Programs – April 2026
The latest on grants and programs from the field.
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Health
GIH President and CEO Cara V. James offers reflections on the theme for the 2026 Annual Conference