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Grantmakers In Health (GIH) is committed to supporting health funders as they navigate the changing field of philanthropy and to building a more inclusive nonprofit sector.

 

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Latest Resources

Q&A: Bringing an Australian Perspective to American Health Philanthropy

Traveling thousands of miles from Melbourne to Minneapolis, Lauren Monaghan of The Ian Potter Foundation attended the 2023 GIH Annual Conference on Health Philanthropy to learn more about the American public health philanthropy sector at the country’s largest gathering of health funders.

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Jane Bancroft Robinson Foundation

“The approach for Black Women Thriving is imperative now because we haven’t seen the disparities reduce over time. And in fact, the disparities are increasing. Black women are the core of the community. They’re the decisionmakers in their families, and the caretakers in the community. Finding the best approach to lift up their lives and their voice, improve their health outcomes and economic mobility, will have an economic and social benefit across communities. So, it’s something that we must do, and we can’t ignore any longer.”

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Knapp Community Care Foundation

“Philanthropy is the catalyst that holds the key to unlocking the boundless potential of communities, setting in motion a powerful ripple effect of positive change that elevates the quality of life, enhances health outcomes, and fosters lasting prosperity. Investing in crucial areas such as educational opportunities, equitable health care access, and economic empowerment initiatives can bridge gaps and pave the way for a future where prosperity knows no boundaries. Through strategic philanthropic endeavors, we have the transformative ability to uplift entire communities. By fostering a culture of giving and collaboration, philanthropy becomes a driving force behind building a society where compassion, empathy, and collective action reign.”

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Terrance Keenan Institute Alumni Reflect on How COVID-19 Changed Grantmaking

Foundations play a vital role in the nonprofit sector, funding everything from safety net services to social innovation. Like many businesses, philanthropic organizations altered their ways of doing business in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The health sector, including hospitals and other health care settings along with public health organizations, were deeply affected by the magnitude of illness and the polarization of the pandemic response. To understand exactly how the business of health grantmaking shifted during COVID-19, Jennifer Chubinski and Allen Smart conducted in-depth interviews with health foundation leaders from around the country to learn what changed in their grantmaking strategies and practices.

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The Kids Are Okay: Lessons Learned from a Youth-Led Participatory Grantmaking Program

The Natrona Collective Health Trust (NCHT) was created in October 2020 after the sale of our community’s standalone nonprofit hospital to a regional hospital system. As Wyoming’s first health conversion foundation, NCHT uses trust-based philanthropy and systems change advocacy to advance the mental well-being of our community’s young people. During an extensive strategic planning process, we found that at both our community and state levels, there is insufficient infrastructure to address mental and behavioral health needs, which perpetuates health disparities and high incidences of childhood trauma.

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Reports

Healthy Communities Foundation: September 2023

Healthy Communities Foundation recently published its General Operating Support in Action: 2021-2022 Insights Report, which showcases learnings in its first year implementing new evaluation and flexible funding approaches. The report also outlines the impact of multiyear general operating support for grantee partners.

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Reports and Publications

Advancing the Public’s Health: Current Philanthropic Approaches and Priorities for the Future

This GIH report is grounded in discussions with a diverse set of philanthropic and public health leaders about the current state of the field. It aims to assess how foundations view public health and their guiding frameworks, as well as to identify lessons learned and priorities for strengthening the public health ecosystem.

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Grantmakers In Health’s 2025 Survey of Health Conversion Foundations

This report provides an updated census of health conversion foundations as well as key results from a web-based survey that Grantmakers In Health (GIH) conducted in 2025.

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GIH Bulletin: April 2026

Sometimes innovation in philanthropy is associated with breakthrough technologies or new medical discoveries. But some of the most impactful investments fund something less visible: the coordination of people, protocols, and institutions already in place so they work together seamlessly to save lives.

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Trustee Resources

Explore this page to browse resources, publications, and events related to foundation trustees.