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bi3 Article: Trust-Based Philanthropy is Grounded in Mutual Accountability and Learning
A new article shows how applying a trust-based philanthropy lens helps funders capture the full impact of grants, describes how bi3 evaluates initiatives, and how building funder-grantee relationships grounded in power-sharing, transparency, and mutual accountability helps achieve greater impact.
New Competency Model for Foundation Program Officers Released
The Dorothy A. Johnson Center on Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University has released a competency model for foundation program officers.
Taking A cultivate approach to Improve Community Health
Health foundations are increasingly recognizing that their mission is not simply to award grants to deserving nonprofit organizations, but rather to play a catalytic role in improving the conditions that influence health, especially at a population level.
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The Rippel Foundation
“Now more than ever, philanthropy can play a crucial role in bringing people together to focus on values we all agree can move us toward a future where all people thrive, no exceptions. The Rippel Foundation and ReThink Health enjoy a special role as a catalyst in pursuing this ambitious goal—helping others see their power and having the courage to use it to bring about transformational change. Right now, we must resist further fracturing and distraction and commit to making serious investments in the vital conditions to advance shared values of justice and fairness. There is no shortcut to a thriving future, especially now, and we have a track record of supporting individuals, organizations, and regions to courageously plan and invest for long-term, intergenerational impact.”
Broken Triangle: A Framework for Reparative Philanthropic Relationships
Traditional philanthropic practices have often created imbalanced power dynamics and barriers for Black-led, Black-serving organizations. When the REACH Healthcare Foundation performed a portfolio review in 2018 that revealed this same exclusion within the foundation’s grantmaking investments, REACH committed to reshaping their funding approach, which aims to repair previously neglected —and in some cases, damaged —relationships.
Act Now to Protect Philanthropy, Medicaid, and SNAP
Right now, Congress is finalizing a massive budget reconciliation bill that threatens philanthropy’s freedom to give and endangers the health and well-being of many millions of Americans. We are reaching out today to raise awareness of three critical developments in the ongoing budget reconciliation process and to encourage you to act.
Crisis Response Toolkit—Being Prepared: Emerging Threats to Health Philanthropy
Recently, a regional health foundation was highlighted on social media by an account that described itself as being “inspired by DOGE.” The specific areas this account raised for critique were taken from publicly available information, including the organization’s 990 Form and its website.
Health and Well-Being Threatened in The First 100 Days
Statement from GIH President and CEO Cara V. James on First 100 Days
Cara V. James in Inside Philanthropy on Health Funder Reactions to HHS Cuts
Grantmakers In Health (GIH) President and CEO Cara V. James was quoted in an Inside Philanthropy article on April 24, 2025, titled “’Bloodbath at HHS’: Health Funding Leaders React to Trump’s Cuts.” The piece discusses how cuts to staff and programs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) threaten critical health services across the country—from cancer research to Meals on Wheels—and how leaders in health philanthropy are responding to the carnage.
Reports and Publications
Scan of the Field: Funder Approaches to Health Equity
Philanthropic investments in health equity are growing in response to increased national attention. In an effort to document and learn from this moment, GIH surveyed its Funding Partners at the end of 2020 to identify whether and how foundations altered their health equity programming and pivoted internally to foster more diverse and inclusive environments.
No Time for ‘Business As Usual’: Health Philanthropy Responds to the COVID-19 Pandemic
As the novel coronavirus races across the globe, health funders are urgently preparing for and responding to COVID-19 in the communities they serve. While past public health crises inform COVID-19 response, there is no proven playbook for how health philanthropy should respond to this rapidly evolving threat.
Making Their Mark: America’s Health Conversion Foundations
Making Their Mark provides a holistic view of 14 health conversion foundations that goes beyond data. Based on in-person interviews with foundation staff, trustees, and other stakeholders, it highlights each foundation’s distinct character and priorities.
Trustee Resources
Explore this page to browse resources, publications, and events related to foundation trustees.