Philanthropic Growth and Impact

In this time of economic hardship, foundations – like us all – are searching for the most creative and productive strategies for getting the most out of constrained budgets. Many foundations that support research, as well as health care delivery, have become aware that in attempting to understand complex issues related to human health, behavior, and well-being, it is often most useful, even necessary, to employ an interdisciplinary approach.

As a result of turmoil in world financial markets and a faltering economy in the United States, economic pressures on communities have intensified the risk of many people being overlooked or ignored; many are not receiving the health care they and their families need.

Partnering with policymakers and members of the business community is an effective way to increase the impact of health grantmaking by working cross-sectorally, and evaluating the effectiveness of these partnerships will help sustain interest in such collaborations.

Almost daily, we are faced with making ethical decisions in our personal and professional lives. This is particularly true for those of us who work at foundations. Foundation board members and staff are often subject to intense pressure to provide funds for particular organizations.

With a few actions, grantmakers can boost the use of health data in their communities. This article draws upon the work of The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati and describes how it is using data and creating new data resources for its grantees and others in its service area – Cincinnati, Ohio and 20 surrounding counties in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.