Strengthening Maternal Mental Health in Rural Communities
We explored how maternal mental health is showing up across rural communities, how states are engaging in this new initiative, and where philanthropic strategies can play a meaningful role to advance maternal mental health in rural communities. The conversation drew on perspectives from national rural health infrastructure, community-based organizations, and physician-led public health work across rural regions of the country. Speakers reflected on persistent gaps and promising approaches, and highlighted strategies funders can support to strengthen rural delivery systems and promote more accessible, culturally responsive care for mothers and families. The session concluded with time for funder discussion and questions.
Responding to H.R. 1: Funder Opportunity to Help States Mitigate SNAP Coverage Losses
H.R. 1’s unprecedented requirement that states pay for a share of SNAP benefits based on their payment error rates will impose a massive financial burden on state budgets, forcing them to choose between cutting other programs and services, reducing SNAP eligibility, or even stopping participation in SNAP entirely.
To mitigate this threat, the Aspen Institute’s Financial Security Program and Social Finance have partnered to develop a proposal to help states effectively implement H.R. 1 and reduce some of the coverage losses and fiscal impacts. The concept, based on a successful model that supported states during Medicaid Unwinding, is to deploy small teams of digital services and process design experts directly to states or counties (depending on the type of SNAP administration).
Health Policy in 2026: What Comes Next?
Following a tumultuous year in health policy, GIH will continue to keep funders up to speed on legislative and administrative changes that will affect health access and impact health disparities. In this timely webinar, experts from Leavitt Partners provided an overview of what to expect from Congress and the administration in 2026 leading up to the midterm elections, focusing on key legislative priorities and executive actions to help funders navigate and engage on these changes. Speakers included Laura Pence and Sara Singleton from Leavitt Partners.
In 2025, Grantmakers In Health launched a new collaboration with Leavitt Partners for health policy monitoring services related to GIH strategic priorities, which includes regular webinars on timely policy topics.
SNAP Strategy Funder Working Group: Strategic Communications Operations
Our Working Group Call focused on strategic communications opportunities. Elizabeth Wenk, Principal and Managing Director, and Nick Seaver, Senior Vice President and Co-Director of Training Programs at Burness, shared new insights from message testing about SNAP that highlights messaging that moves audiences, insights on which arguments resonate and counter opponents, and how different groups respond to these messages. The State Innovation Exchange (SiX) Food, Agriculture, and Rural Economies team shared what they are hearing from state legislators advocating for SNAP, and how funders can support state policymakers’ efforts to protect the program.
CEO Working Group Webinar: New CEOs
Grantmakers In Health is pleased to convene the CEO Working Group in March for foundation leaders who have been in their position for less than five years. This will be an opportunity to discuss the challenges faced as new CEOs, with one another and sometimes with seasoned leaders in the field. These calls are open to GIH Funding Partner CEOs, Presidents, Executive Directors, or the highest-ranking health staff at multi-issue foundations. During these candid, confidential conversations, philanthropic leaders share information, swap strategies, raise concerns, and ask for one another’s advice. Reach out to Ann Rodgers to learn more.
Roundtable Discussion: Health Funders Communication and Policy Staff
Grantmakers in Health hosted a special joint call that combined the GIH Policy Staff Learning Community and the GIH Communications Staff Learning Community. We discussed the importance of communicating about policy changes in meaningful ways that engage communities and partners. In this informal conversation, we swapped strategies, illuminated solutions, and made connections. We kicked-off commentary provided by Gaby Molina of the Connecticut Health Foundation, Katie Peshek of The Colorado Health Foundation, Pang Randolph of the REACH Healthcare Foundation, and Glenn Schneider of The Horizon Foundation.
SNAP Strategy Funder Working Group: Training and Technical Assistance Opportunities
Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders and Grantmakers In Health are forming a funder Working Group for a coordinated, strategic response to the SNAP cuts in H.R. 1. The Working Group comes as an actionable response to insights shared by field leaders in a SNAP-focused webinar earlier in October.
Recognizing the far-reaching implications of SNAP for food security, health, and economic equity, this Working Group will serve as an information hub and a strategic coordination space, designed to help funders act quickly, effectively, and in alignment with one another. We will organize three Working Group meetings to start and then assess next steps.
The second Working Group call will explore how funders can support training and technical assistance for state agencies navigating significant and sudden changes in how SNAP operates, including assessing the factors influencing error rates and technology solutions to reduce them. Tim Shaw, Director of the Benefits Transformation Initiative at the Aspen Institute’s Financial Security Program, will also provide a status update on state action and responses to H.R. 1 requirements.
SNAP Strategy Funder Working Group: Advocacy Opportunities
Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders and Grantmakers In Health are forming a funder Working Group for a coordinated, strategic response to the SNAP cuts in H.R. 1. The Working Group comes as an actionable response to insights shared by field leaders in a SNAP-focused webinar earlier in October.
Recognizing the far-reaching implications of SNAP for food security, health, and economic equity, this Working Group will serve as an information hub and a strategic coordination space, designed to help funders act quickly, effectively, and in alignment with one another. We will organize three Working Group meetings to start and then assess next steps.
The first call focused on opportunities for funders to support and engage in policy advocacy to protect SNAP on a federal and state level. In addition to connecting with peers, funders heard from Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America, who provided a policy landscape update from D.C., and Joey Hentzler, Program Manager at MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, who shared about MAZON’s policy engagement and rapid response funding.
Safeguarding Medicaid and SNAP in the Wake of H.R. 1
As H.R. 1 begins to reshape the landscape of safety programs, charitable foundations face a pivotal moment. The legislation delivers sweeping tax cuts to corporations and high-income earners—while dramatically reducing funding for essential programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). These cuts threaten the well-being of millions of families, children, and seniors, and shift the financial burden to already overstretched state and local governments.
Now more than ever, philanthropic organizations must act swiftly and strategically to mitigate harm. A key opportunity lies in supporting states as they navigate urgent administrative and implementation challenges—ensuring vulnerable populations don’t fall through the cracks.
Behavioral Health in the Balance: Navigating the Impact of the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Act
Medicaid is the single largest payer for behavioral health services and is increasingly responsible for substance use disorder reimbursements. In July 2025, H.R.1 was signed into law containing an estimated $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts over 10 years, resulting in almost 15 million people losing health coverage, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates. The pressure on states to cut spending is immense, and behavioral health services will not be immune. GIH discussed the behavioral health implications of H.R.1 and opportunities for funders to get involved now. Bill Smith and Angela Kimball from Inseparable summarized H.R.1 from a behavioral health perspective. Neel Harja and Sarah Wasil from Michigan Health Endowment Fund and Itai Dinour and Hazel Guzman from Carmel Hill Fund provided examples of how funders are responding to this challenging situation. Funders left the webinar with actionable ideas to protect access to behavioral health services in their states.
Upcoming Events on Healthy Eating and Active Living
Roundtable Discussion for Health Funders’ Policy Staff
A growing number of health funders employ staff whose responsibilities focus exclusively or predominantly on public policy engagement. Do you lead your organization’s policy or government affairs work? During our roundtable discussion we connected with peers, explored pressing issues, and shared experiences to engage communities in setting funders’ policy priorities. Between calls, members interact with one another in GIH’s online learning community for policy staff.
Roundtable Discussion for Health Funders’ Policy Staff
A growing number of health funders employ staff whose responsibilities focus exclusively or predominantly on public policy engagement. Do you lead your organization’s policy or government affairs work? During our roundtable discussion we connected with peers, explored pressing issues, and shared experiences to engage communities in setting funders’ policy priorities. Between calls, members interact with one another in GIH’s online learning community for policy staff.
2026 GIH Annual Conference on Health Philanthropy
Every year, GIH brings together the bright minds, seasoned experts, and innovative practitioners working in health philanthropy to discuss the important issues facing the field.
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