Funder Approaches to Youth Behavioral Health Equity
Even before the pandemic, the mental health and well-being of adolescents and young adults was worrisome and worsening. COVID-19 has exacerbated these trends and heightened existing disparities. GIH surveyed its Funding Partners in October 2021 to better understand how health foundations are addressing youth behavioral health equity. The survey results are summarized in an infographic that provides a useful snapshot of primary funding areas, types of populations supported, and top funding strategies.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation: January 2022
Racism and Racial Inequities in Health: A Data-Informed Primer on Health Disparities in Massachusetts serves as a foundational resource to broaden the collective understanding of racial and ethnic health inequities and disparities. The primer is intended to support discussion about how our healthcare system and other systems that impact health enhance or undermine health, and to facilitate the development of solutions to strengthen those systems to serve all Massachusetts residents.
Improving Data on Race and Ethnicity: A Roadmap to Measure and Advance Health Equity
The second of two reports, Improving Data on Race and Ethnicity: A Roadmap to Measure and Advance Health Equity, provides more details about race and ethnicity data collection in federally administered health programs and an expanded list of recommendations for improving the data. The recommendations consider actions for states and the private sector as well as actions for the federal government.
Public Health Forward: Modernizing the U.S. Public Health System
The Bipartisan Policy Center, deBeaumont Foundation, and the Public Health Forward Coalition has just released Public Health Forward: Modernizing the U.S. Public Health System, a five-year roadmap for public health. The report provides practical, bi-partisan actions to modernize and repair the nation’s public health system. Key recommendation for policy makers and public health departments include addressing: financing; data and information technology; workforce; public health laws and governance; partnerships; and community engagement.
40 Years and Future Focused: Introduction of GIH’s New Strategic Plan
Grantmakers In Health was created nearly 40 years ago. In the four decades since then, much has changed in the world related to philanthropy, policy, health care, and our understanding of health and wellness. GIH President Cara James provides a first look at GIH’s new strategic plan.
2022 Fall Forum
Each fall, GIH offers programming designed for funders with a strong interest in health policy. These meetings, collectively known as the Fall Forum, are an excellent opportunity for funders with a strong interest in health policy to get up-to-speed on current issues, interact with leading thinkers, and connect with their grantmaking peers.
Freedom to Thrive: How Health Funders Can Support Transgender Communities
Despite well-documented disparities in health and well-being, according to Funders for LGBTQ Issues, for every $100 awarded by U.S. foundations in 2018, only 4 cents directly supported transgender communities. GIH Program Director Ann Rodgers sat down with Kris Hayashi and Alexander Lee to learn more about how health funders can support transgender communities.
Moving the Needle on Black Birth Equity – A Call to Action
Philanthropy has an urgent responsibility and opportunity to address the structural factors leading to birth inequities. Healthier pregnancies, labors, and postpartum recoveries not only benefit birthing individuals, but also result in healthier children and families. Focusing attention on those who need it most could have positive implications for entire communities harmed by systemic racism for future generations. There is much work to do, but not enough philanthropic organizations are supporting these issues to tackle them at scale. We need all hands-on deck to truly move the needle. We five funders— from different states and coming to this issue from different angles—are reaching out to our fellow funders with a call to action to join us to in this work.