Earlier this month, GivingData attended the 2025 Grantmakers In Health Annual Conference in New Orleans. The conference offered a substantive program, grounded in both the historical context of its host city and the current realities of the sector.
New Orleans provided a fitting backdrop for conversations that challenged participants to consider both the fragility and potential of public health systems. The conference emphasized both technical strategy and the importance of honest introspection, consistent engagement, and long-term institutional responsibility.
Several themes emerged throughout the program, many of which align closely with the values and focus areas of the GivingData community.
A recurring point of emphasis is the importance of deliberate and sustained efforts to build trust. This was discussed across various relationships: between funders and grantees and between public health institutions and the communities they intend to serve. Trust was not characterized as an inherent attribute of any actor or institution but as the result of repeated, reliable action carried out with care and transparency.
In several sessions, speakers addressed the limits of conventional outreach strategies and encouraged grantmakers to examine how information is both crafted and received. The rise of community-led media initiatives was highlighted as a particularly effective way to reach stakeholders. For example, programs that support locally produced content—such as radio and podcasts —were presented as effective ways to engage audiences that are often underserved by traditional channels. The broader implication was that foundations should adopt communication practices that are responsive to community context, not merely transactional.
The conference highlighted a crisis not only in misinformation but also the absence of accessible, trustworthy information tailored to specific communities. Many communities receive health guidance that lacks relevance, clarity, or credibility. In response, several presenters advocated for a more intentional investment in public communication strategies that center local voices and recognize the complexity of health-related decision-making.
Another area of focus was the increasingly interdependent nature of work in public health and philanthropy. Speakers acknowledged that the scale and variety of current public health challenges requires ongoing cooperation across foundations, service providers, government agencies, and media organizations grounded in shared goals.
Finally, participants reflected on the degree to which public health remains misunderstood or overlooked by the broader public. Several speakers emphasized that the field would benefit from a coherent narrative that communicates its relevance to everyday life. Funders were encouraged to invest in messaging that makes the mission of public health clearer, more relevant, and easier to connect with.
Our time at the conference gave us a deeper insight into the nuanced challenges of public health and the inspiring efforts our community and peers are making to address them. As we continue to support health foundations in their efforts to build more impactful and responsive grantmaking practices, we remain committed to trust, communication, and cooperation in advancing shared objectives.
For an example of how one health foundation is aligning processes with purpose, read our grantmaker story on the Mat-Su Health Foundation and learn how they underwent deliberate and thoughtful organizational change to better equip themselves to support their community with purpose, accountability, and lasting impact.