Governance and Operations

“While routine screenings save countless lives, many cancers do not have recommended screening tools. And accessing the tools that do exist can be difficult for people living in many communities across the U.S. These realities are why we do what we do, and why the Foundation’s current Impact Grants cycle focuses on tackling some of these urgent gaps in cancer prevention and early detection.”

“This is a challenging time for those of us who are focused on health equity. There is much that we can do as philanthropy to help our communities withstand the current challenges. As new Medicaid requirements take effect, for example, philanthropy can play a wide range of roles, including serving as a thought partner for state agencies implementing changes, connecting community members with state agencies to provide feedback, and ensuring that residents understand the changes and have the support to navigate them.”

“The greatest health challenges we face today are rooted in deep inequities—not only in access to care, but in opportunity, agency, and voice. Our most recent Community Health Needs Assessment highlights our research upon which we build our impact work. At St. David’s Foundation, we are committed to removing barriers, investing in community-led solutions, and working alongside our partners to build a Central Texas where everyone can thrive.”

“We are deepening our trust-based grantmaking, further aligning our strategy with the learnings and relationships built over years of partnership with community and grantees. Our approach reflects a growing focus on multi-year funding that helps to provide organizations with stability and flexibility to address the root causes of health inequities, strengthen resilient local networks, and advance community-driven solutions that promote health for all. The current public health, economic, and social challenges faced by our partners and the communities they serve highlight the urgency of acting now, while we remain steadfast in our long-term vision of equitable health and well-being for future generations”

“Health equity is not achieved by philanthropy alone. Guided by the vision of our all-female volunteer Board, the Jenkins Foundation is proud to collaborate with community partners and grantees by investing in relationships, resilience, and equitable access to care across the Greater Richmond, Virginia region. A recent example is our partnership in Boost 200, a workforce development initiative led by the Virginia Health Care Foundation. Through shared learning and collective investment with local funders, we have helped expand licensure opportunities for behavioral health counselors—strengthening our region’s pipeline of mental health professionals and improving access to care for our community.”

“At Deaconess Foundation, our strategy is guided by the residents in the communities in which we live, work, and serve. Through an expansive community listening process, we redefined our strategic aspiration to reflect both our community’s immediate needs and long-term hopes for our region. When we listened, we heard that our pursuit of health justice and social justice needed to extend beyond our ideas of what policy priorities should be for three to five years and that people want to be free from oppressive systems that inflict harm. Therefore, with great intention, we sharpened our vision and set our gaze on an intergenerational strategy in which Deaconess acts boldly with its power, influence, and resources to pursue liberation within seven generations.”

“Action is where philanthropy demonstrates its true value. At the Children’s Foundation, this means supporting community-led solutions, participating in collaborative funding efforts, and advocating for policies that strengthen public health, uplift nonprofit partners, and reinforce the philanthropic sector. Action requires transparency, trust, and long-term commitment.”