Public Health

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The American Public Health Association defines public health as promoting and protecting “the health of people and the communities where they live, learn, work and play.” Focused on preventing people from getting sick or injured in the first place, public health includes everything from sanitation and social work to epidemiology and the environment. Public health is primarily a responsibility of the government, but government shortfalls and political limitations mean there is room for philanthropy to fill gaps and support advocacy for better policies. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for a strong public health system, as well as the many ways our existing system is falling short. This guide offers advice about how donors at all levels can support public health efforts in the United States. It highlights leading philanthropic strategies and offers guidance for donors new to this space to get started with giving.  

Strategies for Impact

Nonprofits are engaged in a range of efforts relating to public health. All this work is important and could benefit from greater support. Below, we discuss areas where donors might focus their funding and spotlight organizations in each that represent the kind of nonprofits that donors might consider supporting.    

Address the social determinants of health. Public health leaders know that health is largely shaped by the conditions in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship and age. The social determinants of health include access to and quality of healthcare, educational access and quality, social and community contexts, economic stability, and the neighborhood or built environment. A 2022 letter to President Joe Biden from Grantmakers in Health, The Funders Network, Native Americans in Philanthropy and more than 40 other groups named poverty as “the most critical social determinant of health.” There are nonprofits all over the country addressing the social determinants of health, from The Growing Justice Fund, which is working to create equitable access to good food, to community organizations fighting environmental racism such as Rise St. James in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley” or WE ACT in New York.

  • Give to groups working to end health disparities. Shameful disparities persist in U.S. healthcare and health outcomes. For instance, Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women. Native Americans die at higher rates than other Americans in many health categories. Latinos living in the United States are less likely to have health insurance and access to mental health services than white U.S. residents. Donors can support organizations addressing health disparities such as Black Women’s Health Imperative, Black Women for Wellness, and community foundations such as Latino Community Foundation or the LGBTQ-focused Horizons Foundation that support public health initiatives as part of their broad work in a given community. 

  • Fund youth programs. Children, adolescents and young adults can benefit greatly from early prevention and education efforts. Advocates for Youth is a national, youth-led nonprofit that champions the sexual and reproductive health of young people through a social justice framework. Alliance for a Healthier Generation takes a holistic approach to supporting early childhood health, partnering with schools, other nonprofit organizations and the juvenile justice system. 

  • Invest in initiatives on aging. The U.S. population is aging, and more attention is needed to ensure access to quality care and opportunities for older Americans to age in place. Habitat for Humanity has a program to help older adults age at home or in communities of their choice. SAGE engages in advocacy and offers services for LGBTQ+ elders. Donors can also give to programs such as reimagined senior centers, or nonprofits like Art with Elders, which sees the arts as part of a healthy aging process. 

  • Understand gun violence as a public health issue. The American Public Health Association calls for a comprehensive public health approach to address the crisis of gun violence in America, recognizing that gun violence is a leading cause of premature death in the U.S., and the leading cause of death of children and teens. Donors can contribute to ending gun violence through a public health lens by giving to groups such as the Hope and Heal Fund in California or violence prevention efforts like Advance Peace or Health Alliance for Violence Prevention.

  • Back advocacy for better public health policies. Donors can support advocacy and grassroots movements for better public health policies at the local, state, national and even global levels. The Latino Coalition for a Healthy California is an example of a group focused on health equity at the state level. The American Public Health Association works nationally on key areas including climate change, environmental health, vaccines, health equity, racism and gun violence. And Health Care Without Harm seeks to transform healthcare worldwide to reduce the environmental footprint of the healthcare industry and advance movements for environmental health and justice in the face of the global threat of climate change. 

Insights and Advice 

In considering which impact strategies to support, donors should take into account their personal interests and outlook to find the best fit. They should also keep an eye out for emerging opportunities to give with maximum impact to improve public health. Here, we offer a few insights and suggestions:

Don’t go it alone. Intermediaries and philanthropy-serving organizations can do a huge amount of the leg work of identifying opportunities in the field, and getting involved with one of these groups is a great way for donors to save time and give more effectively. Notable groups in the public health space include the CDC Foundation, Grantmakers in Health, Health and Environmental Funders Network, Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, Public Health Institute and the First Nations Development Institute, a grantmaking intermediary dedicated to the health, wellbeing, and prosperity of First Nations people.

  • Find a focus. Few public health funders try to address the vastness of the entire field. Instead, most focus on a particular issue, area of prevention or geographic region. What aspect of public health are you passionate about, or where do you have personal experience or knowledge? Perhaps these are places to start. There are nonprofits working on every aspect of public health almost everywhere around the country, in cities, small towns and rural communities. Focusing on an area that matters to you will help you find the best nonprofits for your contributions. 

  • Or take a holistic approach. Public health is interrelated with issues including racism, housing, food access, pollution, climate change and more. As you get a grasp of the causes and effects of social, economic and political determinants of health, you might seek out nonprofits that are working at these intersections and addressing public health holistically.

For Donors Getting Started

Donors who are new to this space should take the time to learn about the landscape. A good place to start is by reading IP’s State of American Philanthropy brief on Giving for Public Health. You might also take a look at IP’s State of American Philanthropy briefs on related topics, including Giving for Cancer Research, Giving for Global Health, Giving for Mental Health and Giving for Substance Use Disorders and Addiction. In addition, peruse recent articles that IP has published about what’s happening in this area of philanthropy. Some of the groups mentioned above, such as Grantmakers in Health, the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy and the American Public Health Association, also offer articles and reports that can help funders learn more about opportunities to support and promote public health. 

To find local charities working on public health issues that are well respected, Charity Navigator is a reputable place to search for worthy organizations around the country. 

But the best way to get started giving for public health is to make some initial gifts, get to know the work of the groups you’re supporting, and connect early with a funding intermediary that can help you learn more about this area and increase your giving in a thoughtful way. 

Have suggestions for improving this brief? Please email us at editor@insidephilanthropy.com.