GIH Advocacy for the Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act (OAA)
The OAA provides critical services that address the social drivers of health for older adults. Grantmakers In Health (GIH) and Grantmakers In Aging (GIA) are partnering to engage funders in advancing the reauthorization of this important piece of legislation.
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Latest Resources
Missouri Foundation for Health: May 2023
The Missouri Foundation for Health released a new report that examines the challenges Black and Latino Missourians faced during the early months of the pandemic. The report highlights how inequities in response efforts hampered their reach and effectiveness, further exacerbating the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on Black and Latino communities.
Birth Equity Funders’ Summit: 2022 Report
The 2022 Birth Equity Funders’ Summit brought together over 100 funders in person and 35 virtually to reflect on the role of philanthropy in reducing racial disparities in birth outcomes and identify opportunities to better collaborate and align in service of this goal. This report serves as an overview of the event, as well as offers key takeaways and practical recommendations for funders.
We Can’t Fix What We Don’t Measure: Why the Youth Risk Behavior Survey is Critical
In 2021, 1 in 6 high school students was electronically bullied or bullied at school. That same year, 22 percent of high school students, and 45 percent of students who identified as LGBTQ+, seriously considered attempting suicide. We know this information because of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which along with other state and local surveys, comprises the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System.
Exploring the Impact of Vaccine Equity Grants in Rural Communities of Color
The Rx Foundation launched a rapid response Vaccine Equity grant program in March 2021 as it became clear that communities had unequal access to newly available COVID-19 vaccines. The goal was to fund organizations that were positioned to improve access to vaccines for groups marginalized by or unable to access existing systems and to do outreach and have conversations with people about their vaccine concerns and questions.
PrEP in Black America: A New Approach to Biomedical HIV Prevention Advocacy
In the U.S., Black communities have been disproportionately impacted by HIV. Between 1981 and 2019, an estimated 2.2 million people have been diagnosed with HIV, an overwhelming number of whom have been Black.
SASH: Health Equity Begins at Home
A decade ago, primary care practices and housing non-profits in Vermont partnered to reduce chronic conditions among older adults and younger adults with a disability in collaboration with the state’s Blueprint for Health. Today, as an extender of the Blueprint, Support and Services at Home (SASH), which supports healthy aging in place, is helping to advance health equity in the state.
Publications and Reports
2024 Survey Summary: Firearm Violence Prevention Strategies
GIH conducted a survey in September 2024 about funder engagement in firearm violence prevention. This fact sheet summarizes the survey results with a total sample of 81 health funders. This public health crisis and social justice issue is preventable, and health funders have an important role to play in advancing firearm violence prevention efforts.
Progress Report: Older Americans Act Reauthorization Campaign
In October 2023, Grantmakers In Aging (GIA) and Grantmakers In Health (GIH) launched an 18-month initiative to engage funders in the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act (OAA). This report highlights key activities and takeaways and previews future programming.
Fact Sheet: Five Ways Congress Can Strengthen the Older Americans Act, and What Philanthropy Can Do
First signed into law in 1965, the Older Americans Act (OAA) provides critical services that address the social drivers of health for older adults such as nutrition, transportation, senior centers, elder rights protections, caregiver support, and health promotion. A popular, bipartisan, and effective law, the OAA is set to expire on September 30, 2024, if it is not reauthorized. Foundations play a critical role at every stage of the OAA, from the time Congress begins reauthorizing the law, to the appropriation of funding, to the implementation of OAA programs. Now is the time to act.
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