Session materials, such as Powerpoint slides and handouts, are available for download on the GIH Conference app.
Tuesday, June 6, 2023
1:00 PM - Registration Opens - Minneapolis Grand Ballroom Foyer
2:00 - 5:00 PM - Preconference Sessions (preregistration required)
HERE to Listen: Listening for Racial Equity Impact in Philanthropy
Symphony III [AT CAPACITY]
This interactive preconference program offers a framework of practices that can further racial equity. Participants will deepen their racial equity analysis so that they are better able to be in community with colleagues and grantee partners through honoring lived experience, exemplifying equity, being responsive, and engaging with community. The program is designed to include both large and small group conversations, as well as moments of personal reflection. Session designed by ProInspire and supported by the Effective Philanthropy Fund.
Speakers:
Monica Biswas
Director
ProInspire
Rachel Leonidas
Director of Communications
ProInspire
Public Health Approaches to Firearm Violence Prevention
Rochester Room
Firearm violence is a serious public health problem, killing more than 45,000 Americans each year and becoming the leading cause of death for children in the United States in 2020. Given the impact and complexity of this health crisis, GIH is hosting this preconference session on gun violence to brief partners on its causes and to provide an opportunity for health funders to learn more about potential solutions through a public health lens. Session supported by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, and The Jacob & Valeria Langeloth Foundation.
Speakers:
Shani A. L. Buggs
Assistant Professor
UC Davis
Tracy Costigan
Senior Director
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Cassandra Crifasi
Associate Professor
Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health
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
Thomas Simon
Senior Director for Scientific Programs, Division of Violence Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Wednesday, June 7, 2023
7:00 - 8:00 AM - Registration and Breakfast - Minneapolis Grand Ballroom Foyer
7:30 – 8:00 AM – Morning Yoga - Orchestra A&B
7:45 - 11:00 AM - Site Visits - Lobby/11th Street Entrance
Building Community Wealth and Power through Equitable Food Oriented Development
Departure: 7:45 AM
Join us for a tour of the Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA) Farm, a 155-acre research and incubator farm and discuss their approach, which aligns with principles of Equitable Food Oriented Development. Minnesota has one of the largest Hmong American populations in the United States. Many Hmong farm, but they face multiple challenges, including lack of access to affordable and long-term land, equipment and capital, trainings, cool and dry storage, and alternative markets. HAFA was formed, to address these barriers, by Hmong farming families to support other Hmong farmers to advance the prosperity of Hmong-American farmers. Please note: attendees joining us on this site visit are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing and shoes.
Integrative Health and Wellbeing at the YMCA of the North
Departure: 8:00 AM
Grounded in the World Health Organization’s definition of health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, the whole-person well-being approach at the YMCA of the North aims to provide access for all people and communities to programs and services that reflect a multidimensional approach to health and well-being. The Y of the North believes everyone deserves a chance to succeed—no matter their background or income—and that can happen only when we unite to nurture the best in all of us. We will nurture people and communities through our 5-Dimensions of Whole-person Wellbeing: Nourish, Move, Reflect, Connect, and Restore. Join us for an immersive opportunity to experience a few of our integrative health services (community acupuncture/acupressure, community greenhouse, Virtual Y, and small group health coaching) and hear from practitioners, branch staff, and members involved in YMCA of the North’s Whole Person Well-being approach.
Please note the following policies and recommendations:
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A waiver is needed if you want to do acupuncture. It will be handed out as you board the bus.
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Masks are recommended for acupuncture.
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No photos of children. Other photos are allowed.
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Wear comfortable clothing and shoes.
Frontline Organizing in Post-Uprising Communities
Departure: 8:10 AM
We know improved health outcomes are tied to increased income status, recognition of race/culture needs, and improved housing. Join this site visit to explore a multiracial alignment of low- and no-income community organizations to learn how they are growing a base to change hearts and minds, public policy, and community governance for the better of all Minnesotans. Hear from the organizers that are making meaningful interventions and using proven strategies to help communities thrive, not just survive. Hosted by the worker center, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha (CTUL) and Tending the Soil whose offices are located in George Floyd Square, a memorial built around the site where he was slain in 2020, which participants will have an opportunity to visit. Please note: the hosts ask that attendees wear masks while indoors; GIH will have masks available on request.
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM - CEO Working Group (Invitation Only) - Duluth
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM - Lunch – Minneapolis Grand Ballroom
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM - Networking Lunch for Terrance Keenan Institute Alumni – Rochester Room
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM - Newcomers’ Welcome Lunch – Salon E
12:30 - 12:45 PM - Break
12:45 - 2:00 PM - Opening Plenary - Harms and Healing: Grappling with Philanthropy's Past
Minneapolis Grand Ballroom
Merriam Webster defines philanthropy as “goodwill to fellow members of the human race,” yet the wealth used to create some foundations was obtained by actions in direct opposition to this definition, as were the projects sponsored by others. During this conversation, we will discuss the Milbank Memorial Fund's decision to finally reckon with its involvement with possibly the most infamous study in our country's history, the US Public Health Service Study of Untreated Syphilis at Tuskegee. The process culminated with an apology in 2022. The response of an organization of family members of men in the study, and the Fund’s continued journey offer lessons for anyone committed to advancing health equity, including philanthropies and community groups.
Speakers:
Laura Gerald, MD, MPH
President
Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust
Lillie Jewel Tyson Head
President
Voices For Our Fathers Legacy Foundation
Cara V. James, PhD
President and CEO
Grantmakers In Health
Christopher F. Koller, MA
President
Milbank Memorial Fund
Ruth Richardson, JD
Representative
Minnesota House of Representatives
2:00 - 2:30 PM - Break
2:30 - 4:30 PM - Learning Labs
Equity, Health, and Climate Change: Engaging in the Long Game–It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint
Salon G
Climate change is a health and equity crisis. Funders have an opportunity to address the impact of climate change on the daily lives of Americans, especially those most at risk. Extreme temperatures, degraded air quality, and more frequent and intense storms, floods, and other extreme weather events and disasters negatively impact population health, including mental health, and disrupt health care. Climate change disproportionately impacts people of color, people with low income, older adults, people with disabilities, and children. Learning Lab participants will have an opportunity to learn how to incorporate climate change, health, and equity activities into existing portfolios, and connect with others to multisolve on climate issues. Session designed by The Commonwealth Fund and NorthLight Foundation and supported by The Heinz Endowments.
Speakers:
Erica Browne
Program Officer
The Kresge Foundation
Emily Mediate
U.S. Director, Climate & Health
Health Care Without Harm
Trevor Thompson
Program Officer
NorthLight Foundation
Reginald Williams
Vice President, International Health Policy and Practice Innovations
The Commonwealth Fund
Hot Topics in Foundation Governance
Salon E
Health foundation boards are facing pressure to simultaneously address wrongs from the past, respond to urgent needs in the present, and plan for future challenges. Join this Learning Lab, designed specifically for foundation trustees, to explore best practices in philanthropic governance, including diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies, CEO succession planning, trust-based philanthropy, approaches to policy advocacy, and local impact investing. Learning Lab participants will have an opportunity to hear from experts on these topics and engage in interactive dialogue with peers. Session supported by the Effective Philanthropy Fund.
Speakers:
Travis Green
Solutions Consultant
LOCUS Impact Investing
Abby Levine
Independent Consultant
Kim Moore
Independent Consultant
Shaady Salehi
Executive Director
Trust-Based Philanthropy Project
Robin Stacia
CEO
Sage Consulting Network
The Journey from Health to Health Equity: Moving from Words to Action
Salon F
In recent years, more foundations have started to critically examine what they fund and how they operate, finding that if we are not intentional about centering equity we may perpetuate rather than redress structural inequities. It is time that foundations “walk the walk,” not just get the messages right. How can we operationalize a shift from health to health equity, and wrestle through the roadblocks along the way? This will be a conversation where we can share our journeys, but also grapple with tough questions together, and come away with ideas for moving our collective journey to move health equity forward. Session designed by St. David’s Foundation and supported by the Effective Philanthropy Fund.
Speakers:
Vanessa Walker Harris
Vice Chair of the Board
Richmond Memorial Health Foundation
Laura Gerald
President
Kate B. Reynolds Foundation
Regan Gruber Moffitt
Vice President of Community Investments
St. David's Foundation
Susan Shumaker
President
Cone Health Foundation
The Leaky Bucket: Strategies to Address Health Workforce Retention
Symphony III
Join this Learning Lab to learn about the latest challenges in training and retaining our nation's health workforce, hear what other funders are doing in this space, and dialogue with your grantmaking peers about innovative strategies to make an impact. Session supported by The New York Community Trust.
Speakers:
Patricia (Polly) Pittman
Director, Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity
Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University
Kara Carter
Senior Vice President, Strategy and Programs
California Health Care Foundation
Chris M. Collins
Associate Director, Health Care
The Duke Endowment
Yasmine R. Legendre
Program Associate
Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation
2:30 - 2:50 PM - Quick Takes
Black Women Thriving East of the River: Walking in Our Footsteps
Symphony I
Participants will literally step into the shoes of Black women living east of Washington, DC’s Anacostia River and walk in their footsteps along two “Journey Maps” created for patient workforce development and cancer navigation. By walking in these footsteps, attendees will not only learn but also feel the challenge of realizing economic and health equity. Two dynamic Black women leaders living and working East of the River will be the guides in this immersive, interactive session that will swiftly take attendees through stations representing an under-resourced section of the nation’s capital. Session designed by Jane Bancroft Robinson Foundation.
Speakers:
Natasha Dupee
Founder
Strength Through Awareness and Inclusion, LLC
Marsha Williamson
Ward 7 Resident, Washington, DC
Innovative Field-Based Staffing Models for Community Engagement and Learning
Symphony II
Learn from two prominent health foundations about their innovative staffing models. Missouri Foundation for Health’s Community Liaison is a field-based position to build relationships and be on the ground in rural regions. It is a brand ambassador and rapport-building position that does not include grantmaking. The Kansas Health Foundation recently piloted its Community Impact Officer whose purpose is to build trustworthy relationships with organizations and identify meaningful opportunities to build power and leverage support for organizations directly impacted by health inequities. This position enables the foundation to engage with grassroots organizations who expertly serve communities with the greatest health disparities. Session designed by Kansas Health Foundation and Missouri Foundation for Health.
Speakers:
Valerie Black
Community Impact Officer
Kansas Health Foundation
Sarah Moody
Senior Community Liaison
Missouri Foundation for Health
3:00 - 3:20 PM - Quick Takes
Empowering Consumers to Navigate the Health Care System
Symphony I
The New York Community Trust and grantee nonprofit FAIR Health discuss FAIR Health’s grant-funded initiatives to empower consumers, particularly minority populations, to navigate the health care system: these have included the development, translation into Spanish, and dissemination of app- and website-based consumer tools. The Trust’s initial support for the development and dissemination of shared decisionmaking (SDM) tools with cost information led to subsequent grant-funded SDM initiatives. The session will discuss the Trust’s work and findings from FAIR Health’s initiatives, along with an interactive demonstration of FAIR Health tools. Session designed by FAIR Health, Inc. and The New York Community Trust.
Speakers:
Irfan Hasan
Deputy Vice President for Grants
The New York Community Trust
Nicole Iny
Senior Director, Grants & Consumer Education
FAIR Health, Inc.
4:30 - 5:30 PM - Break, sponsored by CareQuest Institute for Oral Health - Minneapolis Grand Ballroom Foyer
5:30 – 7:00 PM – Opening Reception - Minneapolis Grand Ballroom Foyer
Thursday, June 8, 2023
7:00 - 7:45 AM – Morning Yoga - Orchestra A&B
8:00 - 9:00 AM - Registration - Minneapolis Grand Ballroom Foyer
8:00 - 9:00 AM - Breakfast - Second Floor Foyer
8:30 - 10:00 AM - Networking Sessions
Networking Session: Trustees
Marquette VI
This informal networking session is intended for foundation trustees and board members to have the opportunity to connect with and learn from their peers. Join the discussion ready to share the questions and issues keeping you up at night! Supported by the Effective Philanthropy Fund.
Networking Session: CEOs
Marquette V
This informal networking session is intended for foundation CEOs, Presidents, and Executive Directors to have the opportunity to connect with and learn from their peers. Join the discussion ready to share the questions and issues keeping you up at night! Supported by the Effective Philanthropy Fund.
Networking Session: Foundation DEI Staff
Marquette VII
This informal networking session is intended for foundation staff responsible for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. Join the discussion ready to share your questions, challenges, and best practices. Supported by The Colorado Health Foundation.
Networking Session: Public Health Funders
Marquette I-II
Join this informal session with the Public Health Funders Network to connect with and learn from peers who are making policy and advocacy investments to strengthen the nation’s public health infrastructure. Supported by the Missouri Foundation for Health.
Networking Session: Oral Heath Workforce
Marquette VIII-IX
Join this session to connect with your grantmaking peers and learn more about the current opportunities and challenges facing the oral health workforce and how funders can support the creation of a workforce that helps provide more equitable access to care. Supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Networking Session: Behavioral Health
Marquette III-IV
Join this session to connect with other funders working on mental health and substance use, including ample time for networking in small groups on timely behavioral health policy and practice issues.
10:00 - 10:30 AM - Break
10:30 - 11:30 AM - Breakout Sessions
Building An Intersectional Funder Ecosystem to Achieve Equity in Birth Outcomes
Salon F
This session will be an interactive discussion to recap the origins and journey of building the Birth Equity Funders Summit held in October 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia; highlight the direction of the funder network thus far; and provide an opportunity to bring new funders to the conversation around birth equity and what can be done to eradicate the disparities for Black and Brown birthing families. Session designed by Afton Bloom, Funders for Birth Justice and Equity, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Supported by W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Speakers:
Monica Beltran
Program Officer
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Steven Lesky
Senior Program Officer
Cambia Health Foundation
Betsy McNamara
Strategic Advisor
Funders for Birth Justice and Equity
Nakeenya Wilson
Strategic Advisor
Funders for Birth Justice and Equity
Creating Equitable Care Systems: Medicaid Solutions to Support Older Adults and People with Serious Illness and Disabilities
Salon E
The pandemic exposed significant shortcomings in our care system to provide services and supports for our most vulnerable community members. Join us for a national overview of how states are taking the lead in transforming their Medicaid programs; efforts including creating palliative care and other person-centered care benefits, promoting home and community-based services through support for family caregivers and direct care workers, and addressing head-on issues of equity by focusing on dual-eligible populations. Participants will also explore how to tailor benefit models to local populations and needs. Session supported by California Health Care Foundation, Cambia Health Foundation, The John A. Hartford Foundation, The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Stupski Foundation, and Gary and Mary West Foundation.
Speakers:
Mary Olsen Baker
Manager, Quality Assurance and Information Unit
Minnesota Department of Human Services, Aging and Adult Services Division
Sulma Gandhi
Hawai’i Program Officer
Stupski Foundation
Torrie Fields
Founder and CEO
Votive Health
Wendy Fox-Grage
Senior Policy Fellow
National Academy for State Health Policy
Engaging Communities through Partnerships of Funders and State Offices of Rural Health
Conrad D
Rural America experiences significant health disparities. Approaches and strategies must take into account the unique nature of rural communities. Addressing the challenges of building healthy communities and assuring access to high quality health services in rural areas requires partnerships and cross-sector approaches. State Offices of Rural Health (SORHs) exist in every state. This session will show how SORHs have worked hand in hand with foundations in their state to address rural community health needs. Case studies from two SORH and foundation partnerships will be presented. Session designed by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation and National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health.
Speakers:
Graham Adams
CEO
South Carolina Office of Rural Health
Natalie Claiborne
Director
Montana Office of Rural Health & Area Health Education Center
Erika Kirby
Executive Director
BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation
Scott Malloy
Program Director
Montana Healthcare Foundation
Funding Narrative Change: Considerations for Field Alignment, Impact Measurement, and Decisionmaking
Conrad B & C
There has been a groundswell of attention to narrative change approaches to shifting public opinion on health and social issues, along with efforts to understand and measure their impact. In this session, ORS Impact and the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center present complementary findings from projects funded by the California Health Care Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to capture the state of knowledge in the narrative change field and provide considerations for grantmakers. These learning projects cumulatively cover insights from more than 100 funders, researchers, and practitioners in the field and chart ways forward for funders and practitioners. Session designed by California Health Care Foundation and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and supported by the Effective Philanthropy Fund.
Speakers:
Nikka Kalra
Director
ORS Impact
Ksenia Korobkova
Project Associate, Media Impact Project
USC Norman Lear Center
Stephanie Teleki
Director, Learning and Impact
California Health Care Foundation
Galvanizing the Gatekeepers: Reaching Families by Integrating Mental Health Supports
Conrad A
While access to mental health resources is critical, these resources prove futile if individuals do not seek them out. The Horizon Foundation learned that residents in our community were instead seeking help from their doctors, schools, and faith leaders—essentially, their gatekeepers—and responded by partnering with these gatekeepers to embed mental health supports where people most seek help. The programs have also proved sustainable without additional grant funding, ensuring they will provide long-term impact. Join this session for a discussion on how philanthropy can help catalyze systems-level, sustainable changes that bridge access to mental health resources in our local communities. Session designed by Horizon Foundation.
Speakers:
Tiffany Callender Erbelding
Senior Program Director
Horizon Foundation
Glenn Schneider
Chief Program Officer
Horizon Foundation
Leveraging Grassroots Capacity to Impact Policy: Lessons from North Carolina and Colorado
Salon G
In recent years, more foundations have started to focus on strategic investments in grassroots organizations to build capacity and support engagement in policy initiatives. Building connective tissue between place-based organizations, advocacy groups, and policymakers is a critical part of systems change efforts that also comes with challenges. In this session, two foundations will present their approaches to this work alongside grantees who are directly influencing access to care policies in North Carolina and Colorado. Presenters will facilitate a conversation with attendees about how to effectively center voices of marginalized communities to influence health policy at the state and local levels. Session designed by Colorado Health Foundation and Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust and supported by Missouri Foundation for Health.
Speakers:
Madison Allen
Senior Program Officer
Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust
Cheasty Anderson
Deputy Director
Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition
Yesenia Cuello
Executive Director
NC FIELD
Kyle Rojas-Legleiter
Senior Director of Policy Advocacy
Colorado Health Foundation
10:30 - 10:50 AM - Quick Takes
Leading by Listening: United States of Care's Approach to Creating Change through Centering People
Symphony I
How can you use listening research to guide your grantmaking for maximum impact? In this Quick Take conversation, learn how United States of Care undertook a multiyear project to develop their health care policy agenda from the ground up by listening to the needs and priorities of people, especially those often marginalized by the health care system today. Learn key findings from their research and the tools they use to center people at every stage of their work. Walk away with key lessons that you can apply to engage the target populations you wish to serve in making your programs more effective.
Speakers:
Jennifer DeYoung
Senior Director of Policy and Innovation
United States of Care
James Tatum
Director of Institutional Philanthropy
United States of Care
Launching the Nature and Human Health Movement
Symphony II
Our understanding of the positive connection between time spent in nature and human health has grown significantly over the last 20 years. Unfortunately, efforts remain segmented and isolated from one another. To advance the field, we need to build a movement where researchers and practitioners are better connected. The Nature and Health Research Alliance seeks to build a global community of scientists who work collectively to advance the field of nature and health through innovative and interdisciplinary collaborations that transcend disciplines and geographies. Join us to learn more about this groundbreaking new effort, how access to nature improves health, and how philanthropy can play a role in launching this movement. Session supported by Sunflower Foundation.
Speaker:
Jennifer Roberts
Associate Professor
University of Maryland - College Park
11:00 - 11:20 AM - Quick Takes
Building Momentum to Advance Health Equity: The Public Health and Equity Resource Navigator
Symphony II
One of the infrastructure failures exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic was the fragmentation of resources and information for public health departments and others responding to the pandemic to use. Communities with robust partnerships and cross-sector connections were able to share information and resources more readily and often demonstrated more resiliency and often better outcomes. This session introduces a centrally located toolbox offering a wide range of resources (e.g., articles, data tools, messaging, toolkits, graphics) from a variety of multi-sectoral partners. It highlights resources and content around the priorities of its users, and advocates sound public health principles and equitable approaches. This toolset also includes a visualization demonstrating relationships between partners to understand the strengths and weaknesses of relationships and geographic distribution of activities. Session designed by W.K. Kellogg Foundation and supported by Missouri Foundation for Health.
Speakers:
Caroline Brunton
Program Officer
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Sara Ivey
Project Director
Institute for People, Place, and Possibility
Evaluating and Measuring Community Engagement
Symphony I
As philanthropy deepens its recognition of the importance of community-driven work and community power building, it is critical that we measure the effectiveness of our efforts to center community voice in grantmaking. We believe that meaningfully engaging community is essential to this effort. Community engagement is a concept that can be interpreted differently by grantmakers and grantees. CareQuest Institute developed its Community Engagement Framework, in collaboration with Community Science, to better understand the spectrum of community engagement, our grantees' work in this area, and as a tool to inform our capacity-building for our grantees and ourselves. Session designed by CareQuest Institute for Oral Health.
Speakers:
Kien Lee
Vice President
Consulting Community Science
Trenae Simpson
Director, Grants and Programs
CareQuest Insititute for Oral Health
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM – Break
12:00 - 1:30 PM - Terrance Keenan and Andy Hyman Awards Plenary Luncheon
Minneapolis Grand Ballroom
Join us for a special plenary luncheon recognizing the 2023 winners of the Terrance Keenan Leadership Award in Health Philanthropy and the Andy Hyman Award for Advocacy.
Honorees:
Terrance Keenan Leadership Award in Health Philanthropy
Myechia Minter-Jordan, MD, MBA
President and CEO
CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
Andy Hyman Award for Advocacy
Gregory Jackson
Executive Director
Community Justice Action Fund
1:30 - 2:30 PM - Wellness Activities and Special Discussions
Networking Break
Minneapolis Grand Ballroom Foyer
Networking Session: Policy Staff
Rochester
This informal networking session is intended for foundation staff whose responsibilities focus exclusively or predominantly on public policy or government affairs. Join the discussion ready to share your questions, challenges, and best practices.
Networking Session: Foundations Affiliated with Blue Cross/Blue Shield Health Plans
Salon E
Co-hosted by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation and Cambia Health Foundation, this networking session is designed to connect grantmakers from foundations affiliated with Blue Cross/Blue Shield health plans.
Networking Session: Foundation Recipients of MacKenzie Scott Gifts
Duluth
This discussion is specifically for foundations that have received gifts from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. It continues the monthly conversations GIH has been hosting for recipients to explore how they will use the gifts and opportunities to align interests and work collaboratively toward a shared goal.
Wellness Activity: Hula as Exercise
Marquette I - II
Wellness Activity: Mind-Body Experiential Practice - Breathwork
Marquette V
2:30 - 3:30 PM - Breakout Sessions
Care Can’t Wait in the States: Promoting Health Equity by Building State Care Infrastructure
Conrad B & C
Our country’s lack of robust care policies—including child care, long-term services and supports, and paid leave—undermines the health of everyone who needs care and of the family caregivers and underpaid care workers who provide care. Philanthropy can play a vital role in supporting the movement for equitable and comprehensive care systems. This panel will discuss: lessons from state implementation of federal recovery funding; the interplay between state and federal policy; efforts to build collaboration across care sectors and constituencies; and the importance of centering solutions around the health and well-being of families, care workers, and people with disabilities. Session designed by CARE Fund and supported by Archstone Foundation.
Speakers:
Aisha Adkins
Constituency Engagement Manager
Caring Across Generations
Nicole Jorwic
Chief of Campaigns and Advocacy
Caring Across Generations
Amber Smock
Director of Advocacy
Access Living
Anna Shireen Wadia
Executive Director
CARE Fund
Community Power Building in Policymaking
Salon E
This session will discuss the two-year process of co-creation of a county-level ordinance to form an advisory body to government—the Whatcom Racial Equity Commission—as well as a county-wide qualitative study on racial equity utilizing an engagement process designed by community members. Starting with a protest to declare racism a public health crisis locally, community organizers partnered with philanthropy to champion how community members not only have to be at the table when decisions are made—it must be their table. Session designed by Chuckanut Health Foundation.
Speakers:
Heather Flaherty
Executive Director
Chuckanut Health Foundation
Terrance "TeeJay" Morris
Co-Founder
Bellingham Unity Committee
Pamela Wheeler
Chief People & Culture Officer
Opportunity Council
Shu-Ling Zhao
Co-Founder
Whatcom Racial Equity Commission
Creating a Modern, Resilient, and Equitable Public Health System: Operationalizing Lessons Learned from COVID-19 to Advance Health and Well-Being
Salon G
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the fragility of the nation’s public health system, hampered by decades of understaffing and underinvestment. It also provided opportunities to build public health anew, in a system that centers communities to advance health equity. Numerous expert panels and collaboratives convened post 2020 to develop paths and plans for a more modern, equitable public health system. Most recently, these recommendations have been compiled and prioritized into a common agenda for action, reflecting input from a broad array of public health stakeholders. Philanthropy should continue to be a critical partner in these efforts. Session designed by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Speakers:
Caroline Brunton
Program Officer
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Shelley Hearne
Director
Johns Hopkins Lerner Center for Public Health Advocacy
Angela McGowan
Senior Director, Alliance for Disease Prevention and Response
American Public Health Association
George Nichols
Senior Pastor
Lincoln Memorial Methodist Church
Funding Solutions to the National Overdose Crisis
Conrad A
The national public health crisis of overdose mortality continues, with nearly 108,000 deaths in 2021, the highest national rate ever. The Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts and RIZE Massachusetts Foundation are two health foundations established within the past 4-5 years with a mandate to support solutions to the opioid and overdose crisis. We have worked on strategy, programs and policy, as well as on managing some of the challenges of funding in this area. This session will engage funders in discussion about different approaches to addressing this ongoing public health crisis. Session designed by Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts.
Speakers:
Julie Burns
President and CEO
RIZE Foundation Massachusetts
Karen Scott
President
Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE)
Green Energy as a Prerequisite for Health and Resilience
Conrad D
With severe weather projected to worsen, the need for reliable clean energy across our nation’s health infrastructure is more important than ever. Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are at the frontlines providing quality health services and serving as critical first responders during and after disasters. Solar generation and battery storage systems allow health centers to provide vital services during power outages, reduce operating costs and pollution, and support capacity in historically disinvested communities that are disproportionately burdened by climate change. Join this session to learn about new investments, resources, and partnerships to advance widespread adoption of reliable power generation and storage systems throughout the FQHC sector. Session designed and supported by the Kresge Foundation.
Speakers:
Erica Browne
Program Officer
Kresge Foundation
Joe Evans
Portfolio Director and Social Investment Officer
Kresge Foundation
E. Benjamin Money
Senior Vice President
National Association of Community Health Centers
Becky Regan
CEO
Capital Link & Capital Fund
Immigrant Health Justice: Building Community Power and More Equitable Health Ecosystems
Salon F
With the ongoing impact of the pandemic and the lingering chilling effect of the 2019 public charge rule, immigration status is a social determinant of health for immigrants living in the U.S., a growing population in suburban areas. Immigrants, particularly the undocumented, have often been systemically excluded from policy solutions, fueling fear and mistrust and further exacerbating barriers to equitable health care. Attendees will learn about the long-game journey of a community-led initiative in Illinois, seed funded by a health conversion foundation, that aims to cultivate community leadership for health care rights advocacy and shift public health narratives in the immigrant community. Session designed by Healthy Communities Foundation and supported by W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Speakers:
Nora Garcia
Director of Programs
Healthy Communities Foundation
Edith Avila Olea
Policy Manager
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
2:30 - 2:50 PM - Quick Takes
A Trust-Based Partnership with Community Health Centers in Hawaiʻi
Symphony I
Traditional grantmaking strategies for addressing community health often fall victim to the same structural challenges inherent in the health care system writ large: fragmentation of efforts, a focus on micro-level datum, and a glacial pace. Social determinants and the systems that affect them are at the heart of our inability to make substantial progress across the entire health care spectrum, and our persistent focus on symptoms rather than root causes has driven inequities and disparities to dangerous levels. Stupski Foundation has embarked on a large-scale grantmaking initiative to promote greater health equity and improved social outcomes beyond the foundation’s lifespan. Session designed by Stupski Foundation.
Speaker:
Sulma Gandhi
Hawai’i Program Officer
Stupski Foundation
Food is Medicine: Unlocking the Role of Health Care to Drive Health and Wellness Through Food
Symphony II
Good food is the foundation of life and health. Unfortunately, poor diets are one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. and diet-related diseases are the principal drivers of rising health care costs. Food is Medicine aligns with recent calls for health care-based interventions to promote health equity and address social drivers of health. Philanthropy can play a unique role in accelerating the adoption of food is medicine programs by investing in research, policy, and infrastructure to expand the reach of these programs across the country.
Speaker:
Diana Johnson
Program Officer, Food Initiative
The Rockefeller Foundation
3:00 - 3:20 PM - Quick Takes
Health Equity: Health Providers Train-the-Trainer Program
Symphony I
The health care we receive, genetics, behavioral factors, and social factors all predict our health potential. But not everyone experiences health care in the same way, causing inequities in health outcomes. Learn how one foundation provided funding to create a consortium of three organizations located in three cities across Florida. The purpose of the consortium is to develop, deliver, and evaluate a program that leverages health providers' understanding of health equity and supports the implementation of health equity-oriented activities in the health care workplace to minimize health disparities in the communities they serve. Session designed by Florida Blue Foundation.
Speakers:
Heidi Curtis
Senior Director, Community Leadership and Education
Florida Blue Foundation
Karla Ebio
Senior Director, Foundation Community Investments
Florida Blue Foundation
3:30-3:45 PM - Break
4:00 – 4:30 PM – Keynote Address by Secretary Xavier Becerra, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Minneapolis Grand Ballroom
Secretary Xavier Becerra of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will join Grantmakers In Health for a keynote discussion on the Department’s health priorities including maintaining access to reproductive health services, reducing maternal morbidity and mortality, advancing health equity, and strengthening partnerships between HHS and philanthropy.
Speaker:
Xavier Becerra
Secretary of Health and Human Services
United States Department
4:30 - 5:30 PM – Plenary - One Year Later: The Far Reaching Implications of the Dobbs Decision
Minneapolis Grand Ballroom
Nearly a year after the Supreme Court's ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, we have seen access to abortion limited in a number of states, which was to be expected. But the aftermath of the decision has led to changes and restrictions in health care that have nothing to do with abortion, and challenges to the Food and Drug Administration’s long-standing authority to review and approve medications. We are still learning about the far-reaching implications of the Court’s decision. This discussion will highlight what has changed since the decision, how it is affecting access to care and the people trying to provide care, the equity implications, and where we go from here. Session supported by W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Speakers:
Jamila Perritt, MD
President and CEO
Physicians for Reproductive Health
Alina Salganicoff, PhD
Senior Vice President and Director Women's Health Policy
KFF
Sarah Varney
Senior Correspondent
Kaiser Health News
5:30 - 6:00 PM - Break
6:00 - 7:30 PM - Off-site Reception - Orchestra Hall
Friday, June 9, 2023
7:00 - 7:45 AM - Guided Power Walk- Lobby/Main Entrance
7:30 - 8:30 AM - Registration - Minneapolis Grand Ballroom Foyer
7:30 - 8:30 AM - Breakfast - Second Floor Foyer
8:00 - 9:30 AM - Networking Sessions
Networking Session: Birth Equity
Marquette I-II
Join this informal gathering to connect with colleagues and learn more about ways philanthropy can help end inequities in birth outcomes and advance community driven solutions to our nation’s perinatal health crisis. Supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Networking Session: Funders with Limited Assets
Marquette VII
Join this session to connect with your grantmaking peers from foundations with less than $30 million in assets and share strategies for achieving high-impact philanthropy with limited budgets. Supported by the Effective Philanthropy Fund.
Networking Session: Foundation Communications Staff
Marquette VI
Join this session to connect with communications colleagues, pose questions to your peers, and share learnings and advice. Participants will also learn more about GIH's expanding community of practice for foundation communications staff. Supported by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Networking Session: Food Access and Security Funders
Marquette V
Join this session to connect with your grantmaking peers and learn more about the numerous opportunities for foundations to advance programs and policies that promote equitable access to healthy, affordable, and nutritious food. Supported by The Kresge Foundation.
Networking Session: Rural Health
Marquette III-IV
Join this session to connect with your grantmaking peers and learn more about the current challenges facing rural public health agencies and the opportunities for philanthropy to support them. Supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
9:30 - 9:45 AM - Break
9:45 - 10:45 AM - Plenary - George Floyd: A Catalyst for Advancing Racial Equity
Minneapolis Grand Ballroom
George Floyd’s murder was emblematic of the racial inequities that persist in the US. Yet it was also a galvanizing force for change. This session will focus on the journey Minneapolis and the state have undertaken since 2020 and the positive changes that have come from it. While there is still more to be done and challenges remain, Minnesota provides an example of the good that can come from tragedy. Session supported by the Jacob and Valeria Langeloth Foundation.
Speakers:
Keith Ellison
Attorney General
State of Minnesota
JaNaé Bates
Director of Communications
ISAIAH
10:45 - 11:30 AM - Networking Break
10:45 - 11:30 AM - Wellness Activity: Laughter Coach, sponsored by Submittable - Rochester
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM - Breakout Sessions
Abortion Care is Health Care: The Role of Health Funders in this Moment
Conrad B & C
As we navigate a post-Dobbs world, where 24 states have either a ban or restriction on abortions, there are millions of women and birthing people who no longer have this critical access to reproductive care. At the same time, states with abortion bans have seen an increase in maternal mortality rates, a lack of Medicaid expansion, and families in these states tend to have less access to health care and financial support. It is undeniable that these overlapping systemic conditions not only deny women and others access to reproductive care, they also have serious consequences for our overall health care system. Health care providers in certain states are restricted in their ability to make medical decisions based on the needs of their patients, while individuals have less control over making decisions about their own health. What is the role of health funders at this moment? How can we move dollars to protect reproductive health care as part of our work to advance health and well-being for everyone? Session designed by The Libra Foundation.
Speakers:
Jennifer Agmi
Senior Program Manager
The Libra Foundation
Elizabeth Barajas-Román
President and CEO
Women’s Funding Network
Brandi Collins-Calhoun
Movement Engagement Manager
National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy
Andrea Ducas
Senior Program Officer
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Beyond the Medical Model in Health Care Funding: Undoing Ableism and Engaging People with Disabilities
Salon E
Funders who prioritize investments in equitable and inclusive health and health care systems often overlook people with disabilities. Disabled people have a right to quality care; however, systemic ableism embeds barriers to access and perpetuates experiences of discrimination for many people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. Funders should incorporate disability justice strategies that center the lived-experiences, leadership, and growing perspectives of people with disabilities who are patients, consumers, and advocates in the health care system. This session will offer disability-centered approaches for funders who are committed to truly equitable, inclusive, and accessible transformations in health and health care delivery. Session designed by FISA Foundation and J. Badger Consulting.
Speakers:
Josie Badger
Board Member
FISA Foundation
Ryan Easterly
Executive Director
WITH Foundation
Sandy Ho
Director
Disability Inclusion Fund at Borealis Philanthropy
Kristy Trautmann
Executive Director
FISA Foundation
Flexible Funding, Relational Partnerships, and Sharing Power: A Model for a More Equitable Public Health
Conrad A
COVID-19 revealed deficiencies in our public health systems and infrastructure to effectively serve and engage diverse populations. Together Toward Health (TTH) is a $40 million pooled fund addressing the disproportionate impact of COVID in California’s most vulnerable communities. With funding from 25 philanthropic organizations, TTH awarded community organizations across California support for education, testing, and vaccine services that are rooted in how community members live, located where they are, organized by trusted people, and offered in languages they speak. This session will highlight the lessons learned and equity-centered funding approaches used to lay a foundation for a stronger community-public health infrastructure. Session designed by Blue Shield of California Foundation and Public Health Institute and supported by W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Speakers:
Anitra Smith
Program Officer
Sunlight Giving
Richard Thomason
Director of Policy
Blue Shield of California Foundation
Susan Watson
Program Director
Public Health Institute
Jennifer Wright
Senior Program Officer
The California Wellness Foundation
Improving Health by Supporting Behavioral Health and Tribal Health Leaders
Salon F
For the past five years, The Montana Healthcare Foundation has worked with health leaders throughout Montana to develop formal and informal associations for behavioral health, urban Indian, and tribal health leaders. The focus on supporting leaders has been instrumental in the effective planning and implementation of the foundation’s health strategies. This session will explore key lessons learned in this work and explore successes, challenges, and strategies. Session designed by Montana Healthcare Foundation.
Speakers:
Scott Malloy
Program Director
Montana Healthcare Foundation
Tressie White
Program Director
Montana Healthcare Foundation
Todd Willson
Executive Director
Leo Pocha Memorial Clinic
Mary Windecker
Executive Director
Behavioral Health Alliance of Montana
Improving Health Through Civic Engagement
Salon G
Global, national, local, and individual evidence all point to the strong correlation between civic engagement and health, especially the role of voting. More and more, health funders are investing in efforts to strengthen civic health because when everyone participates in the processes that shape their communities, it increases the opportunity for everyone to be healthy. This session will explore how voting and health outcomes are connected, and the important role the health sector can play in civic engagement and assuring inclusive representation to advance health equity. Session designed by Healthy Democracy Healthy People Initiative and Vitalyst Health Foundation.
Speakers:
David Martinez III
Director of Community Engagement
Vitalyst Health Foundation
Brenda Sharpe
President and CEO
REACH Healthcare Foundation
Aliya Bhatia
Executive Director
Vot-ER and Civic Health Month
Jeanne Ayers
Executive Director
Healthy Democracy Healthy People Initiative
Taking Stock: Walking the Talk of Equity and Racial Justice
Conrad D
Equity—across intersections of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, and others—is the key to healthier, just, and more vibrant communities. This session features a research-based toolkit designed to address a fundamental question for practitioners of multisector collaboration: What do equity and community-centeredness look like? The Equity in Multisector Collaboration Toolkit brings the best thinking from the field of multisector collaboration to life through an assessment, discussion guide, and resources to support ongoing learning. The Blue Shield of California Foundation partnered with Cristobal Consulting to develop this toolkit in response to the needs voiced by their grantee collaboratives. They needed structured tools and resources to understand how their efforts aligned with best practices. The Equity in Multisector Collaboration Toolkit is informed by an extensive review of the literature to date and developed in partnership with thought leaders and multisector collaboration practitioners. It will help practitioners, funders, nonprofit leaders, and residents answer the question together, “How do we know if our work is centering community expertise and resident voices in meaningful ways?” Session designed by Blue Shield of California Foundation and The Reis Group and supported by the Effective Philanthropy Fund.
Speakers:
Kristene Cristobal
Founder and Principal
Cristobal Consulting
TC Duong
Program Officer
Blue Shield of California Foundation
12:30 - 12:45 PM – Break
12:45 - 2:15 PM - Closing Plenary - Committing to the Long Game: Strategies for Building Community Capacity
Minneapolis Grand Ballroom
The pandemic has shown a spotlight on many things, including the importance of having resilient organizations that can advance impact in their communities and stand the test of time. Philanthropy has a critical role to play in building capacity in non-profits as part of its commitment to advancing the long game. This conversation will focus on the supports nonprofit leaders often ask for, how those needs have shifted over the last several years, and how funders can go beyond the dollar to leverage the full range of their resources in support of organizations working to achieve better health for all.
Speakers:
Katherine Wu Brady
Chief Operating Officer
Catchafire
Meera Chary
Partner, Head of the Leadership Accelerator
The Bridgespan Group
Cara V. James, PhD
President and CEO
Grantmakers In Health
