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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

Advancing the Use of Health Data

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.

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Giving Voice to the Voiceless: The Case for Advocacy Funding

Funding public policy work is as important to health improvement as funding for direct services.  Lessons learned from funding advocates include the importance of providing core operating support, the need to engage the grassroots, and how to empower community members.

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If the Dow Breaks, Will Health Philanthropy Fall? Strategic Grantmaking During Economic Uncertainty

If we were measuring the health of our foundations by financial growth over the past two years, some of us might be considering life-support systems. Fortunately for the field, and for those we support through our grantmaking, the health of our organizations is not measured by dollars alone. The measure of our work is defined in people

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Efficient Philanthropy: Modest Beginnings at The Health Funders Partnership of Orange County

A recently released report from The Center for Effective Philanthropy, Indicators of Effectiveness, comments on foundations’ growing understanding and interest in assessing their overall performance, noting that many are “convinced that better performance assessment will lead to greater effectiveness and, in turn, to more social impact on the people and issues they affect.”

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Congregations as Health Service Partners

The current debate about government funding has sparked renewed interest in faith-based organizations and their role in meeting the economic, health, and educational needs of society. The small, open country chapel…the urban church with declining parishioners and rising community needs…the burgeoning suburban congregation of young families…the mega-church with a multimillion dollar budget…all are lumped together with countless other religious groups as one solution to the nation’s needs.

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Funding Biomedical Research: A David in Goliath’s Field

When it comes to funding biomedical research, there is a
perception among health grantmakers that only the Goliaths
of the world can make a difference. A foundation must be as
large as the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, for instance, to hire
a sophisticated staff that can comprehend complex scientific
protocols. It must have the deep pockets and staying power
of a Howard Hughes Medical Institute to afford the notoriously expensive equipment and salaries, and to take a gamble on a payoff that may be long in coming, if ever.

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Reports and Publications

Crisis and Issues Management Playbook for Funders

This Crisis and Issues Management Playbook is intended as a guide to support Grantmakers In Health Funding Partners in both individual and collective approaches to crisis moments.

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2024 Health Equity Survey: Understanding the Changing Landscape

In 2024, Grantmakers In Health (GIH) surveyed its Funding Partners to understand how their health equity work has evolved. The survey consisted of 40 questions including demographic information, program focus areas, partner engagement, organizational strategy, priority population, successes, and challenges. This report summarizes findings from the Health Equity Survey titled, “Understanding the Changing Landscape.”

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Diversity in the Leadership, Staff, and Boards of Health Philanthropy

A new Grantmakers In Health survey of health funder leadership, staff, and boards found that health funder organizations are more racially and ethnically diverse than the broader field of philanthropy.

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Trustee Resources

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