We are heartbroken and outraged by recent and continuing acts of racism and violence against Black communities and communities of color, and we stand with all who are demanding justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Christian Cooper, Ahmaud Arbery, and other victims of racism and violence.

Equity is a core value at Grantmakers In Health, woven through the fabric of our history and programming. As we make strides towards our vision of better health for all people, it is vital that we confront and tackle the enormous barrier of structural racism.

Health foundations—such as The California Endowment, California Wellness Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Jacob and Valeria Langeloth Foundation, and Sierra Health Foundation—have played a critical role in supporting efforts to address issues of injustice and dismantle systemic racism. As events unfolded over the past few weeks, philanthropy issued statements condemning violence and racism, calling on each of us to act in order to achieve equity for all. While we seek to more fully explore and document how the field of health philanthropy is contributing to racial justice, we would like to share a few illustrative examples of philanthropic leadership in this moment.

The Episcopal Health Foundation identified the goal of improving community safety as vital to meeting the foundation’s focus on improving “health, not just health care.” Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut wrote: “the fight for health justice is not just about health care.” A number of foundations, including Health Forward Foundation and Missouri Foundation for Health, identified racism as a critical public health issue. The Kansas Health Foundation released a statement connecting disparities in the criminal justice system with those that permeate our health systems, producing inequitable outcomes.

Many foundation responses were rooted in organizational values of equity, diversity, and inclusion. The RCHN Community Health Foundation, which addresses the unique challenges that community health centers face, shared a statement on centers’ roots in the civil rights and social justice movements, while The John A. Hartford Foundation reaffirmed a commitment to equity in efforts to create age-friendly health systems. The Jewish Healthcare Foundation committed to “renewed examination and profound, deliberate action” to address racial disparities in Pittsburgh.

Several articles from the field offered direct guidance for philanthropy. The Consumer Health Foundation called on philanthropy to fund Black-led grassroots organizing groups and to center communities most impacted by oppressive systems in future work. Colorado Health Foundation published “Racism is a Public Health Issue,” challenging philanthropy to alter its work to “bend the arc of justice toward a new, more equitable normal.” And The California Endowment issued a call to both the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors to turn the “passion and energy of outrage” into tangible, strategic action.

In this vital moment, Grantmakers In Health stands at the ready to support funders who are entering the equity space to learn, connect, and grow, and to lead the philanthropic sector towards a more equitable and just future.

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