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) is grateful to the 30 co-signatories who joined us in submitting 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.
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
Select Legal Challenges Relevant to Health Funders in 2026
This resource highlights key court cases that could affect health funders, their communities, and their partners. It focuses on legal challenges to changes in federal programs and policies implemented by the current Administration. The brief also highlights significant cases related to health funders’ priorities. Understanding these cases can help funders anticipate changes in federal policy, assess potential implications, and identify opportunities to support or protect health programs and services.
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.”
Recently Featured
Staying the Course in Turbulent Waters
Managing change is hard, but managing uncertainty can be even harder. This sentiment captures the challenges health funders have faced while navigating the roiling health policy debates of the 115th Congress.
A Model for Advocacy: How One Foundation’s Unconventional Investment is Shaping Health Policy
The Colorado Health Foundation’s unprecedented journey to creating and endowing Healthier Colorado —a nationally unique 501(c)(4) organization—arose when the Foundation began its transition from a public charity to a private foundation in 2011.
Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Challenges of and Recommendations for Tracking Local Policy
If you advocate for, research, evaluate, or fund policy change, a local policy database will enrich and facilitate your work.
Philanthropy Talks to Philanthropy
The annual conference showed again this year why it is the premier opportunity for health funders to talk to their peers about challenges, lessons learned, and the path forward.
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.
Awarding Excellence in Advocacy and Philanthropy
On March 14, GIH announced that Chet Hewitt, President and CEO of the Sierra Health Foundation, is the 2017 recipient of the Terrance Keenan Leadership Award in Health Philanthropy, and that Ron Pollack, the Founding Executive Director of Families USA, is the 2017 recipient of the Andy Hyman Award for Advocacy.