Grantmakers In Health (GIH), a national hub for health philanthropy, featured a “Views from the Field” essay on how foundations can build community power to advance climate resilience and health equity. The article highlights lessons from The Kresge Foundation’s Climate Change, Health and Equity initiative, which has invested $22 million in community-led efforts like Live Well Springfield in Massachusetts and the Environmental Health Coalition in San Diego. These examples show how long-term, flexible funding enables residents to win concrete policy victories—from expanding renewable energy access to embedding equity priorities in regional transportation planning. GIH frames this as a call for health philanthropy to move beyond programmatic grants and support multi-issue organizing, aligning closely with Aspen CSG’s focus on empowering local communities to lead systems change and drive equitable, lasting improvements in health and resilience.
Learning What it Takes: Climate and Health
