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

StartStrong: Transforming the System of Care to Reduce Infant Mortality

It is a dichotomy to think that the United States, with the sophisticated medical care available here, has higher infant mortality rates than most other developed countries. A higher rate of premature births in the United States is the main reason for this poor ranking.

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How Foundations Can Accelerate Health System Improvement by Investing in Capacity Building Across Sectors

At a time when the health care system is facing a host of challenges, many with attributes that are impossible to solve alone, we see organizations from across the health and social sectors combining their skills and expertise through interesting partnerships to crack the “impossible” together.

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Funding Upstream Solutions is Key to Remedy the Social Ills of Trauma

The root cause philanthropy cannot ignore, regardless of the outcomes we seek or the population we serve, is exposure to trauma. Trauma is defined as the effects of a single event, a series of events, and ongoing circumstances that are experienced or perceived as physically or emotionally harmful and life threatening.

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Gun Violence Prevention

A key topic of conversation at this year’s GIH board retreat was the role of health philanthropy and GIH in responding to gun violence.

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Care Partners: How Philanthropy Can Kick-Start Programs to Engage Community and Family Members to Improve Depression Care for Older Adults

Late-life depression is a pressing public health concern among an aging population facing increasing chronic health concerns. As many as 5 to 10 percent of older adults seen in a primary care health setting suffer from depression, which can last for months or even years, and is associated with both decreased quality of life and higher health care costs.

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Hospital Anchor Mission and Community Health: Implications for Health Funders

A group of funders, working in partnership with Grantmakers In Health developed a health funder learning journey to understand health care evolution and examine how hospitals and health systems can more effectively advance health equity in partnership with health funders.

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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.

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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.

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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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