RWJF

Exciting leadership news: Camille M. Busette will join RWJF as executive vice president, Programs this August. Dr. Busette is a visionary leader with decades of experience across research, policy, global development, and the private sector. Join us in welcoming her to our organization as we continue to take bold leaps to transform health. https://rwjf.ws/AYyEeH

Left deserted by the federal government after their grants were cancelled, thousands of researchers across the country are in need of solutions and alternate funding sources to keep their projects alive. Philanthropy can offer critical life support. I spoke with Virginia Gewin and Nature Magazine about how RWJF is meeting this moment. We’re committing: 🔹$10M in stop-gap funding for former NIH and CDC grantees 🔹$20M to preserve public health data 🔹$10M to support local, data-driven studies on health inequities Recovering from these cuts, protecting what knowledge and data exists, and ensuring that health equity research continues will require all of us to work together. Who’s with us? https://lnkd.in/ei-u4Sxh #HealthEquity #StrategicPhilanthropy #DataForGood #StandUpforScience

When Medicaid and SNAP cuts go into effect, around 12 million families will lose both their health insurance *and* their nutrition assistance benefits, according to a new Urban Institute study. While 32 million households participate in Medicaid and 15 million participate in SNAP, a large percentage participate in both. Data show that certain areas could be hit the hardest—including Appalachia, along the U.S.-Mexico border, and large cities. This study paints a dark picture of the challenges that millions will face and how their health, nutrition, and wellbeing will be impacted. https://lnkd.in/ez5SC8wf

Alright, I started a list. Here’s what I have so far of all the ways the Medicaid cuts will take us further from a health system that works well for everyone. What should I add?

How can philanthropy help social justice leaders build solidarity and strengthen movements to withstand crises and opposition? Rachele Tardi Forgacs, PhD Tardi and Terrance Pitts of the Solidarity Collaborative (a Proteus Fund initiative) identify three essential ways funders can protect progress and create the conditions nonprofit and movement leaders need to respond to today’s challenges. As funders, we need to:   - help leaders build on solidarity formed in times of crisis.  - invest in long-term solidarity infrastructure that gives leaders time and space to build relationships.  - break down siloes in philanthropy. With the right support, leaders can stay strong in tough times and keep making progress to advance health equity. Read their post: https://rwjf.ws/z5M2Ju

Ready to shape the future of health policy? 🏛️ The RWJF Health Policy Fellows program brings together a dynamic network of leaders working at the intersection of health, science, and policy. This non-partisan fellowship, based in Washington D.C., is designed for mid-career professionals who want to deepen their expertise and make a national impact in health policy. Know someone who might be a great fit? Share this opportunity with health professionals, behavioral and social scientists, and others passionate about addressing the drivers of health equity. 📅Applications are due November 3. 💻Applicant webinars are available from August through October.

We must speak plainly and urgently: the federal government is taking deliberate steps to dismantle research about structural racism. By cancelling grant funding and ignoring submitted grant applications related to structural racism and DEI, they are working to defund and erase the evidence while intentionally protecting the systems that fuel racial and other inequities. We have indisputable evidence that structural racism harms the nation’s health. As funders and researchers we have a responsibility to stand with communities and push forward the science and solutions they deserve. As we move forward, our language may change, but our focus remains the same: creating a future where health is not a privilege for some, but a right for all. Appreciate the good reporting by Stephanie M. Lee and The Chronicle of Higher Education. https://lnkd.in/e5qiBXFi

Looking for new strategies and resources to help your community or organization navigate an evolving public health landscape?     Join The Intersection and public health leaders for a virtual discussion on Aug. 7 about reimagining a public health system that’s more equitable, inclusive, and responsive to communities.     REGISTER:   https://lnkd.in/ecWDJya6      Speakers: Anne Carter, Shelina Davis, MPH MSW, and Lili Farhang.    #HealthEquity #PublicHealth 

I want to talk to my colleagues in philanthropy for a second. We’re all feeling it: Voters deserve better. Over the course of the last few months, too many policymakers have betrayed the trust of their constituents by rolling back popular programs and basic necessities like food and healthcare that their communities rely on. Trust in our government, which was already weak, is seriously low right now. In this context, ballot measures become a powerful course correcting tool, putting power back in the hands of everyday people. That's why I'm so alarmed to see more and more state legislatures are trying to limit direct democracy. So far this year, at least 79 bills have been introduced to make it harder for citizens to get measures on the ballot—and to pass policies that protect their health and wellbeing. Policies like protecting reproductive rights and expanding Medicaid. For funders working to address economic inequality, promote gender equity, or—like RWJF—advance health equity, the fight to protect and expand access to the ballot measure process is your fight, too. I hope you'll join us in this fight. https://rwjf.ws/XArTcB

As Terrance Pitts from Proteus Fund and my colleague, Rachele Tardi Forgacs, PhD, put it: transformative relationships are the foundation of transformative work. Challenging the threats to equity and justice is only possible when we support social justice advocates by cultivating deep partnerships, prioritizing accountability, and building long-term infrastructure that allows leaders to have what they need to tackle urgent social issues.     Read more about how funders can build solidarity to support this work: https://lnkd.in/dDE5h8FS