Explore Health Equity and Social Justice Topics

Latest Resources

Summary of Medicaid Community Engagement Interim Final Rule

This Grantmakers In Health policy resource provides an overview of the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services interim final rule with comment period implementing Medicaid “community engagement” or work requirements enacted in the FY 2025 reconciliation law.

Read More →

Health Philanthropy Working at the Intersections Between Critical Issues

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Health is more than this year’s Annual Conference on Health Philanthropy theme; it is the foundation for every planned session, unexpected learning moment, and conversation in Baltimore from June 8-11. The pre-conference kicked off with a range of discussions centered on the theme, including the state of Medicaid after H.R. 1, the connection between democracy and better health outcomes, and collaborations in public health funding.

Read More →

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.

Read More →

GIH Joins Amicus Brief Opposing New Citizenship Verification Requirements

GIH joined organizations filing an amicus brief for the case brought by NY and other states seeking to stop the administration’s attempt to expand citizenship verification requirements under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 for programs administered by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Agriculture, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, and Justice.

Read More →
Reports

Funders Together for Housing Justice: March 2026

A new publication has been released: Caring Collectively: How Health Funders Can Step into the Movement for Housing Justice to End Homelessness. It is designed to support how health-focused foundations can engage in housing justice work in ways that align with their existing priorities.

Read More →

Reports and Publications

Striving for Health Equity: Opportunities as Identified by Leaders in the Field

Striving for Health Equity: Opportunities as Identified by Leaders in the Field is an exploration of grantmaking options to support health equity goals. Strategies discussed describe opportunities for intervening along a continuum of upstream and downstream approaches to address health disparities.

Read More →

Cultivating Culturally Competent Organizations: Making the Transition for Health Equity

In an environment characterized by increasing cultural diversity, health philanthropy continues to develop new approaches to promote health equity. As foundations learn from past work, that field is shifting.

Read More →

Intervention Points to Promote Equity: A Funder Strategy

Over the last decade, the field of health philanthropy has trail blazed efforts seeking to eliminate health disparities and promote health equity. However, while health foundations have raised public awareness of inequities and have funded interventions designed to reduce disparities, health and health care inequities persist (Benz et al. 2011).

Read More →