The Path to Policy Change: Practical Steps and Lessons from Health Funders
As part of its continuing mission to serve trustees and staff of health foundations and corporate giving programs, on November 3, 2005, Grantmakers In Health (GIH) convened nearly 80 grantmakers and a diverse group of individuals with expertise in different types of public policy work to discuss the challenges and opportunities for health funders interested in fostering systemic change. This report offers lessons learned about how to approach public policy work generally as well as those related to advocacy, communications, community organizing, data development and analysis, and evaluation.
More Coverage, Better Care: Improving Children’s Access to Health Services
Children’s access to health care has been a longstanding policy issue, with strong bipartisan support for expanding insurance coverage and redesigning the health care delivery system in ways that benefit young people. Despite enormous progress made over the past two decades, however, millions of children remain unable to obtain needed health services. This Issue Brief covers how the current health care system succeeds and fails for children, emerging policy developments, what grantmakers are currently doing to promote children’s access to health services, and lessons learned to help guide future work.
Preparedness or Panic: Resources for Grantmakers
Basic public health infrastructure is essential for effective preparation for and response to emergency events. This resource guide is designed to help grantmakers working at the local, state, and national levels better understand how they can contribute to strengthening the public health system, as well as become more proactive in their efforts to prepare for and respond to emergencies.
Foundations and the Media
Local and national media outlets can help grantmakers inform and educate the public about important health issues and promote the work of their grantees. For many foundations, however, working with the media is uncharted territory.
Partnering to Improve Public Health
The public health system is the nation’s first line of defense against many threats, both naturally occurring and manmade. It ensures the public’s health and safety by identifying and tracking disease, protecting food and water supplies, educating the public on a variety of health issues, and responding to disasters.
For the Benefit of All: Ensuring Immigrant Health and Well-Being
This Issue Brief explores the unique health, social, and policy issues that affect immigrant populations; it looks at attitudes toward immigration and how these influence support for social programs and the provision of public benefits; it highlights philanthropic activities to improve health care access and coverage for immigrants and their families; and discusses how grantmakers are working to ensure the health and well-being of immigrants in their communities.
In Harm’s Way: Aiding Children Exposed to Trauma
Every year, thousands of children nationwide experience trauma as a result of exposure to violence, abuse, natural disasters, severe illness or injury, loss of loved ones due to violence or accident, or forced relocation. This exposure can have both immediate and long-term effects on children’s health and their ability to function fully in their families, schools, and communities. This Issue Brief focuses on the needs of children exposed to trauma, strategies for early identification and intervention, and ensuring the provision of timely and appropriate services to them and their caregivers.
Building a Healthier Future: Partnering to Improve Public Health
GIH’s latest Issue Brief Building a Healthier Future: Partnering to Improve Public Health combines the conversation of a one-day Issue Dialogue with a background paper to identify significant opportunities for grantmakers to partner with public health agencies at the local, state, and national levels, as well as with organizations outside of the traditional public health system, such as faith-based communities, employers, and community organizations. Specifically, this document will help further grantmaker efforts to build and sustain public health partnerships.
For the Benefit of All: Ensuring Immigrant Health and Well-Being
Immigrants and their families contribute to the diversity and economy of the nation, contributing to vibrant, productive, and healthy communities. Yet, immigrants face several barriers to health and well-being. Some result from being disproportionately low income and uninsured; others are unique, such as cultural and linguistic barriers; limited eligibility for public benefits; and bearing the brunt of unwelcoming public views, attitudes, and policies.