Responsible Exits: Insights from Three Funders
Grantmakers In Health’s Maya Schane spoke with Stephanie Teleki of The California Health Care Foundation, Laila Bell of The Skillman Foundation, and Jaime Vazquez of The Pew Charitable Trusts about their recently published article in The Foundation Review, “When Shift Happens: Navigating Toward a Framework for Responsible Philanthropic Exits.”
The Keys to Successful Collaboration Between a State-based Health Foundation and a National Funder Collaborative
Discussions about firearms in the US are often focused on urban gun violence and mass shootings. But firearm injury and death is a public health crisis that touches every community—urban and rural, red states and blue—and it intersects with issues many health funders care about: mental health, suicide prevention, and health equity.
What We Heard When We Asked—and Why It Matters for Health Philanthropy Now
Over the past year, volatility and uncertainty have become defining features of the nonprofit landscape. Federal and state policy shifts, the cancelation of critical federal funding, delayed reimbursements, the unwinding of pandemic-era supports, and rising operating costs are converging. For many nonprofits, these pressures are no longer episodic; they shape everyday decisions about staffing, services, and sustainability.
Medicaid and Community Violence: Pathways to Sustainable Care
American cities are witnessing historic declines in gun violence. In recent years, cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Chicago have all seen precipitous drops in homicides, with some reaching multi-decade record lows (Washington Post 2025). While there are many causes of this decline, experts in the field point to community violence intervention as driving the trend.
Reimagining Rural Health and Well-being
To inform positive change, Grantmakers in Health (GIH) and the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) are partnering to reimagine a unified vision for health and well-being in rural America. The Georgia Health Policy Center (GHPC) was engaged to conduct a landscape analysis and facilitate listening sessions with rural health stakeholders at the local, state, and national levels.
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.
Protecting Children’s Access to Health Care in Schools: The Impact of Medicaid Cuts on School Health Services
“Due to the remote area we serve, our students have little to no access to medical services otherthan those provided in schools.”—Superintendent from a rural school district in Michigan. Schools are essential places for children to access health services. An estimated 40 percent ofschool-aged children have at least one chronic health condition (National Survey of Children’sHealth, 2019). Among low-income children with special health careneeds, approximately 87percent do not receive necessary care, primarily due to financial costs and limited access (Childand Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, 2022). Providing health care at school, where children spend most of their days, is crucial to addressing these concerns.
Advancing Health Beyond Health Care: How Policy Wins in Texas Reflect Philanthropic Strategy
At Episcopal Health Foundation (EHF), our vision is to build healthy communities for all by focusing on health beyond the walls of the doctor’s office. In 2024, we launched a new strategic framework that centers on three major action areas: health and health care services, healthy communities, and health policies. Across these areas, we also are prioritizing food and nutrition security, maternal health, and diabetes prevention, as these are critical levers for improving health outcomes in Texas.