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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

Peer Review: A Reflective Look at Our Grantmaking Operations

The Phoenixville Community Health Foundation (PCHF) was approaching its 20th anniversary and a leadership succession via CEO retirement. The foundation’s board and staff thought that it was a good time to take stock in where we started, where we were, and where we were going.

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Beyond Goals and Strategies

Once a foundation decides on a goal and develops a strategy for achieving it, the next order of business is to implement that strategy and to monitor progress toward the goals. While foundations tend to spend a good deal of time developing their strategic plans, implementation often gets short shrift.

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John Muir/Mt. Diablo Community Health Fund

Learn more about John Muir/Mt. Diablo Community Health Fund’s mission, vision, and approach in this Grantmaker Focus profile.

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The Benefits of External Eyes

How is our work going, really? Can staff answer that question with a sufficient degree of critical appraisal? Can we rely on the complete honesty of funded partners, who are thrilled that we have recognized their causes as ours, to gain a sense of our impact? Is our board prepared, engaged and yet distant enough to provide a wise response to this fundamental question of success?

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Philanthropic Moral Courage: A Compass for Leading Boldly

Moral courage and risk-taking were hot topics of conversation during our experience as fellows of the 2016 Terrance Keenan Institute for Emerging Leaders.

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No More Half Measures: The Case for Bigger, Bolder Advocacy Support

It is increasingly clear that advocacy and policy change is deeply entrenched in and dependent on political institutions and the political process. This is the perfect time for foundations to furnish themselves with a broad range of tools, helping to ensure that the fights we have always had will not be the fights we always have.

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Reports and Publications

Collaboration Across Government and Philanthropy

This Georgetown University Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership report uses data from a recent Grantmakers In Health survey to examine how philanthropy is partnering with government to fill critical gaps.

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Grantmakers In Health Funder Collaboration Survey Report

At a time of deep cuts to health and social services, disappearing public health data, rising health care costs, and resurgent infectious diseases, philanthropy faces an urgent challenge: protecting vulnerable communities and sustaining hard-won health gains. Meeting this moment demands meaningful community engagement, strong coordination among funders, and partnerships that extend beyond the philanthropic sector. Yet despite the importance of these relationships, little is known about how health funders work together. To help fill this gap, GIH conducted research in 2025 to examine collaboration among health funders, highlight successes and challenges, and identify opportunities to strengthen collective impact.

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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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Trustee Resources

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