Preconference sessions begin in Minneapolis
The GIH Annual Conference on Health Philanthropy, Advancing Philanthropy’s Commitment to the Long Game, kicked off yesterday afternoon with preconference sessions in Minneapolis. Conference participants had the opportunity to attend two preconference sessions:
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HERE to Listen: Listening for Racial Equity Impact in Philanthropy
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Public Health Approaches to Firearm Violence Prevention
The day concluded with a networking session, before the full slate of conference offerings begins tomorrow.
Session Spotlight: Public Health Approaches to Firearm Violence Prevention
Firearm violence is a serious public health problem, killing more than 45,000 Americans each year and the leading cause of death for children in the United States in 2020. Given the impact and complexity of this health crisis, GIH hosted a preconference session on gun violence to brief Funding Partners on its causes and to provide an opportunity for health funders to learn more about potential solutions through a public health lens.
The multi-part program began with presentations from three speakers:
- Thomas Simon, Senior Director for Scientific Programs, Division of Violence Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Cassandra Crifasi, Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health
- Shani A. L. Buggs, Assistant Professor, UC Davis
The presenters focused on overlapping issues related to firearm violence, including: trends and patterns in gun distribution, community intervention and prevention strategies, and structural and social determinants of firearm violence. During the panel conversation, the presenters underscored how multiple sources of inequity–including those related to race, socio-economic status, and gender–contribute to trends and disaparities in firearm violence. As a result, public health approaches to prevention should be multi-faceted.
Following the presentations, a panel of funders highlighted ongoing work in this space:
- Tracy Costigan, Senior Director, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Tim Daly, Program Director, The Joyce Foundation
- Jessi LaRose, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Missouri Foundation for Health
- Scott Moyer, President, The Jacob & Valeria Langeloth Foundation
Panel discussion topics including a range of opportunities and investments, including: community-centric approaches to violence prevention, policy reform, research, and youth education. Multiple panelists cited the need to fund initiatives to address conditions that allow violence to flourish–balancing both near-term impact with long-term systems change.
The pre-conference session concluded with panelists joining attendees for small round table discussions on both challenges faced and lessons learned. A group of pre-conference attendees also shared a commitment to convene more often throughout the year on the topic of gun violence prevention and advance work collaboratively with the colleagues they’ve met through Grantmakers In Health.
This pre-conference session, Public Health Approaches to Firearm Violence Prevention, was supported by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, and The Jacob & Valeria Langeloth Foundation.
On the Ground
“It is exciting to finally see the 2023 conference come to life. For nearly a year, the Grantmakers In Health team has worked to create a conference agenda that will allow attendees to learn, connect, and grow together in Minneapolis. Today’s pre-conference sessions were a great opportunity for funders to build skills around listening and racial equity and deepen their understanding of strategies to address firearms violence prevention. We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone else to the Annual Conference tomorrow.”
– Cara V. James, President and CEO, Grantmakers In Health