Contribute to the Philanthropic Growth and Impact Fund

Grantmakers In Health (GIH) is committed to supporting health funders as they navigate the changing field of philanthropy and to building a more inclusive nonprofit sector.

 

Featured Resources

bi3 Article: Trust-Based Philanthropy is Grounded in Mutual Accountability and Learning

A new article shows how applying a trust-based philanthropy lens helps funders capture the full impact of grants, describes how bi3 evaluates initiatives, and how building funder-grantee relationships grounded in power-sharing, transparency, and mutual accountability helps achieve greater impact.

Read More →

New Competency Model for Foundation Program Officers Released

The Dorothy A. Johnson Center on Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University has released a competency model for foundation program officers.

Read More →

Taking A cultivate approach to Improve Community Health

Health foundations are increasingly recognizing that their mission is not simply to award grants to deserving nonprofit organizations, but rather to play a catalytic role in improving the conditions that influence health, especially at a population level.

Read More →

Explore Philanthropic Growth and Impact Topics

Latest Resources

Views from the Field by Heather-Flaherty

Eight Ways to Build a Healthier Tomorrow as a Small Foundation

But we know that making a dent in deep societal issues and in drivers of health outcomes and health equity—like systemic oppression, institutionalized racism, and generational poverty—takes a lot more than writing a check.

Read More →

ClearWay Minnesota

For more than two decades, ClearWay Minnesota has led the fight against Minnesota’s top preventable cause of death and disease: commercial tobacco use. Our scope is among the broadest of any tobacco control organization in the country. The work we led has prevented thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of hospitalizations, and saved billions in worker productivity and health care costs.

Read More →

Candid: Directory of Funds for Coronavirus Relief

A significant number of health foundations are contributing to response and recovery funds. Candid is compiling a list of funds specifically established in the wake of Coronavirus. The list focuses on funds hosted at US-based foundations that serve nonprofits, though others outside of this criteria may appear as well.

Read More →
grantmaker focus by Serena Moy

Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation

We have learned that case management and supportive services, along with assistance navigating access to affordable health care, are vital to improving the ability of those who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless, to find and maintain stable housing. With this new focus, we can experiment with funding novel and creative approaches to the safety net of housing and health care services available in our community.

Read More →

HMSA Foundation

HMSA Foundation aims to serve all the people of Hawaiʻi by lifting up and strengthening powerful community practices that can be emulated or will lead to system changes that have a profound impact on health.

Read More →
Shyaam Subramanian

Advocacy in an Election Year

As elections approach, foundations across the country are considering how to best raise awareness of issues ranging from health equity and climate change to immigration reform and criminal justice.Health foundations tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code—which includes both private foundations and community foundations—must comply with IRS rules requiring 501(c)(3) organizations to remain nonpartisan

Read More →

Reports and Publications

2024 Health Equity Survey: Understanding the Changing Landscape

In 2024, Grantmakers In Health (GIH) surveyed its Funding Partners to understand how their health equity work has evolved. The survey consisted of 40 questions including demographic information, program focus areas, partner engagement, organizational strategy, priority population, successes, and challenges. This report summarizes findings from the Health Equity Survey titled, “Understanding the Changing Landscape.”

Read More →

Diversity in the Leadership, Staff, and Boards of Health Philanthropy

A new Grantmakers In Health survey of health funder leadership, staff, and boards found that health funder organizations are more racially and ethnically diverse than the broader field of philanthropy.

Read More →

Advancing Health and Creating Lasting Impact: MacKenzie Scott’s Grants to Health Foundations

In 2019, MacKenzie Scott announced that she was stepping into the world of philanthropy to give away her multi-billion-dollar fortune “until the safe is empty”. She has kept her word—to date, she has given away $16.5 billion. Her initial process for choosing which organizations would receive grants was shrouded in mystery. From 2019 to 2023, Scott used a process she termed “quiet research” to identify possible grantee organizations. The lucky organizations received a call from Scott’s consultants, who let them know they were receiving a grant for immediate use however they would like to spend it. In the Fall of 2022, Grantmakers In Health (GIH) became one of those grantee organizations, along with more than 20 health foundations. Two additional GIH Funding Partner organizations received gifts in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

Read More →

Trustee Resources

Explore this page to browse resources, publications, and events related to foundation trustees.