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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Reports and Publications

Changing the Conversation: Taking a Social Determinants of Health Approach to Addressing HIV/AIDS among Women of Color

This piece was written in conjunction with an October 1, 2009 GIH strategy session to understand HIV/AIDS prevention among women of color through a social determinants lens and explore the possibilities this approach presents.

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The Importance (and Challenge) of Reaching Obese Adults

Over the past year, adult obesity rates continued to rise in the United States, resulting in an urgent need to lower rates. But much of what got us here will take years of extensive effort to reverse.

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It’s Not Just Black and White: Health Disparities in Other Racial and Ethnic Groups

Though discussions of race often center on the experiences of African Americans, other racial and ethnic groups, such as Hispanics, Asian Americans, and American Indians, have also experienced systematic racism and disparities in health status and health outcomes.

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