Community Focused Strategies to Improve Health in West Baltimore
For far too long, residents of west Baltimore have faced continuous uphill battles to access basic amenities, services, jobs, and quality of life. Racism, redlining, eminent domain, disinvestment, school closures, poverty, violent crime, chronic health conditions, failed affordable housing, and the outmigration of businesses and residents have left behind vacant housing and dilapidated commercial corridors. These challenges result in a 17-year difference in life expectancy between residents of west Baltimore neighborhoods compared to other parts of the city.
Dogwood Health Trust: July 2026
Dogwood Health Trust shared a new disaster response playbook that captures lessons learned from its experience responding to Hurricane Helene in 2024. The playbook and downloadable readiness and response checklist offer practical guidance for how organizations can help stabilize communities in the immediate aftermath of a disaster and lay the groundwork for long-term recovery.
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.
Pottstown Regional Community Foundation: August 2025
The Pottstown Regional Community Foundation (PRCF) will launch its 2025 Fall Grant Round. For this final grant round of the calendar year, the foundation prioritizes organizations that demonstrate clear alignment with PRCF’s Results Framework and have not yet received an award this calendar year. Competitive requests will be supported by goals stated in community and regional plans and address needs communicated in foundation or other research studies.
Cara V. James Speaks Up on Federal Disruption with Inside Philanthropy
Grantmakers In Health (GIH) President and CEO Cara V. James was interviewed for an Inside Philanthropy article published on April 30, 2025. The piece outlines philanthropy’s reactions to the sweeping cuts to public health infrastructure in the United States, the consequences of these cuts, and the importance of remaining committed to our values.