Grantmakers In Health’s strategic plan elevates leadership and influence as one of four strategic pillars for our work. GIH seeks to take a more active role in defining the key issues that will advance better health for all, including by supporting health philanthropy to create lasting impact by influencing advocacy, policy, and funding in targeted areas.
To deliver on this, GIH has partnered with Leavitt Partners, a leading health care policy consultancy, to develop a set of policy, advocacy, and legal strategy resources that aim to inform funders about the important health policy trends in the White House and Congress.
Additionally, GIH has a policy agenda that identifies our public policy priorities. Informed by health funders, these priorities guide our programming, influence decisions related to issuing public statements on timely policy issues, and focus our advocacy efforts.
Sign on by: Friday, February 27
The U.S. Department of Education recently published a proposed rule that would narrow the definition of which graduate programs qualify as “professional degrees” for federal student loan purposes, affecting how much students in certain health fields may borrow.
Finalizing this rule will result in reduced access to care (especially in rural and other underserved communities), by making graduate education less affordable, disrupting health workforce pipelines, and creating obstacles for students to enter essential health and human-services professions.
GIH Health Policy Update Newsletter
An Exclusive Resource for GIH Funding Partners
In an effort to help our Funding Partners better understand the changing health policy landscape in the new administration and Congress, Grantmakers In Health (GIH) is expanding the GIH Health Policy Update newsletter to three issues per month. Working in collaboration with Leavitt Partners, a leading health care policy consultancy, we are adding new installments of the newsletter on the first and third Wednesdays of the month, while we will continue to partner with Trust for America’s Health on the installment released on the second Wednesday of the month.
Policy and Advocacy Resources
Regulatory Comment Writing
This resource provides an overview of how to write and submit a regulatory comment to the federal register.
2026 Federal Health Policy Timeline
This timeline previews expected regulatory and legislative health policy events in 2026.
Funding Partners interested in state legislative sessions should visit NCSL’s State Legislative Session Calendar.
2026 Congressional Calendar
When each house of congress will be in session in 2026.
Department of Health and Human Services Reorganization and Reductions: Explaining the State of Play
Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy Report
Overview of the 119th Congress
A detailed overview of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, including leadership in both houses and key committee and subcommittee members.
Congressional Staff and Member Outreach
A detailed overview of how congressional offices, committees, and leadership are staffed. In addition, it provides recommended best practices for meeting with Members of Congress and their staff.
Upcoming Policy & Advocacy Events
Legal Strategy Resources
Administration Actions Targeting Domestic Terrorism and Their Implications for Nonprofits
This resource provides an overview of the legal implications of the September 22, 2025 executive order designating certain groups as engaging in domestic terrorism.
U.S. Attorney General Issues New Guidance on DEI Programs and Policies
This resource provides an overview of a Department of Justice memorandum from the Attorney General on the application of federal antidiscrimination laws to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs the administration alleges involve “discriminatory practices.”
The One Big Beautiful Bill: Top Tax Takeaways for Nonprofits
This resource provides a rundown on the top tax takeaways for nonprofits from the July 4, 2025, budget reconciliation bill.
Recently Featured
Philanthropic Joint Statement in Response to the Supreme Court’s Decision in ‘Students for Fair Admissions’ Cases
Grantmakers In Health joined with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Ford Foundation, Health Forward Foundation, Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, Grantmakers In the Arts, and 35 other philanthropy organizations in responding to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today in Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard and SFFA v. University of North Carolina removing race as a consideration for college admissions.
Gregory Jackson of Community Justice Action Fund to Be Honored with the Andy Hyman Award for Advocacy
Gregory Jackson, Executive Director of the Community Justice Action Fund, will receive the 2023 Andy Hyman Award for Advocacy.
President Biden’s FY24 Budget Proposal for DHHS
On March 9, the White House released President Biden’s FY24 budget proposal, which outlines the Administration’s funding priorities for the upcoming fiscal year. While Congress is likely to make significant changes, the administration’s recommendations provide an important first step in the federal budget process. A summary of budget requests for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services can be found in this Budget in Brief document.
Philanthropic Investment in People Power
The California Endowment is spearheading renewed interest in an approach that supports communities to be the architects of their own equity efforts. This article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review (Winter 2023) examines the evidence generated by a decade-long effort that grew up around The California Endowment’s Building Healthy Communities initiative and provides lessons to other philanthropies incorporating a power-building strategy.
Funding Health Advocacy in Turbulent Times: Three Practices to Adopt
Effective health advocacy is not an easy endeavor, but when executed correctly, the results can be game-changing. Health advocates, whether operating through organizations, coalitions, campaigns, or movements, are accustomed to spending long periods of time with no outwardly visible activity or tangible progress, followed by an immediate sense of urgency and action to seize a window of opportunity. In many ways COVID-19 was one of those windows with phrases like health disparities becoming crystal clear to many.
Promoting Health Equity and Combating Racism Through Health Policy
Not every foundation is comfortable with trying to affect health policy.
Nevertheless, for philanthropies committed to promoting health equity, shaping governmental action at every level is a powerful tool that deserves close examination.