Grantmakers In Health (GIH) is pleased to release our 2026 Policy Priorities Agenda. Now more than ever, philanthropic organizations must act decisively and strategically to improve the conditions in communities that impact health and to protect communities from harm. We hope these priorities will inspire the field of health philanthropy and encourage greater collaboration and commitment to common policy goals. GIH looks forward to working with funders and others to advance this agenda.
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.
Grantmakers In Health (GIH) invites philanthropic organizations to sign on to a comment letter responding to a proposed Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Interim Final Rule requiring adult Medicaid beneficiaries to work or perform community service for 80 hours per month or risk losing their Medicaid benefits.
If implemented, the Interim Final Rule would create procedural barriers to coverage for eligible individuals and families, while imposing significant administrative burdens across the Medicaid ecosystem, including for beneficiaries, community-based organizations (CBOs), and health care providers. Many people who are otherwise eligible for Medicaid are expected to lose coverage inappropriately as a result of these new eligibility verification requirements.
Grantmakers In Health (GIH) invited philanthropic organizations to sign on to a comment letter responding to a proposed revision of the Office of Management and Budget’s Uniform Guidance that would place federal grantmaking decisions in the hands of political appointees and make substantial changes to the federal grantmaking process.
If implemented, these revisions could introduce unnecessary uncertainty and administrative complexity across the federal grantmaking ecosystem, while increasing financial and operational risk for nonprofit organizations, philanthropic partners, and the communities they serve. Given the potential impacts on funders and their grantees, we encouraged philanthropic organizations to add their voices to this response.
GIH Health Policy Update Newsletter
An Exclusive Resource for GIH Funding Partners
GIH’s Health Policy Update newsletter, published twice a month, is an essential resource for helping our Funding Partners to better understand the changing federal health policy landscape.
Policy and Advocacy Resources
Summary of Medicaid Community Engagement Interim Final Rule
Department of Health and Human Services Reorganization and Reductions: Explaining the State of Play
Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy Report
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.
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
CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure Joins GIH Fall Forum
We are excited to announce that Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), will deliver the Lauren LeRoy Health Policy Lecture at GIH’s upcoming Fall Forum.
GIH in Nonprofit Quarterly: Health Funders Call on Philanthropy to Support Power Building
The 2022 Grantmakers In Health (GIH) annual conference was the subject of a September 19, 2022 Nonprofit Quarterly article exploring health philanthropy’s changing approach to community engagement, as well as the role of health conversion foundations in the field.
Letter to President Biden Offers Support and Recommendations for the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health
Organizations in philanthropy sent a letter to President Biden in support of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. This letter outlines four recommendations for the Administration and federal agencies to adopt leading up to and following the conference.
Reflections on the 2022 GIH Annual Conference and the Road Ahead
It was so wonderful to see everyone in Miami at the 2022 Grantmakers In Health Annual Conference, especially those who joined us for the first time, and to learn more about the work you are doing to achieve better health for all through better philanthropy. The conference occurred at an important moment for our country. As Admiral Rachel Levine, U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health, said during our strategy session on advancing LGBTQ health equity “even after decades of social progress, the most vulnerable among us continue to suffer.” The conference provided an opportunity for us to reconnect, to reflect on the considerable health challenges facing the United States, and to learn and grow together as we explore and share solutions.
Will We Hear the Voices of the LGBTQ Community?
Across the United States we are seeing a coordinated campaign to restrict lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights and limit access to affirming, lifesaving health care. According to the Equality Federation, nearly 400 anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced across the country in 2021, and over 240 bills have already been filed in 2022. These policies directly impact the health and safety of members of the LGBTQ community. Recent data from The Trevor Project show that 66 percent of LGBTQ youth, including 85 percent of transgender and/or nonbinary youth, report that recent debates around state laws to restrict the rights of transgender people have negatively affected their mental health.
Civic Engagement Is a Social Determinant of Health
What is the civic health of the communities you serve? Are community members equitably engaged in democratic processes and civic life? How might increased levels of civic engagement influence the distribution of public sector resources, population health outcomes, and health inequities? Is it possible to imagine transformative changes in community health absent a meaningful shift in community power and civic participation?