TRACKING THE FIELD | 2023 SURVEY SUMMARY

GRANT
MAKERS
SIS

Climate Change Strategies

Climate change is affecting individual and community health in a2 multitude of ways, with climate-related
disasters, displacement, and disparities only anticipated to increase. Climate change is an urgent health
equity issue given low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately burdened by
the health and economic impacts of climate change.

Key
Takeaways

Grantmakers In
Health's survey
provides timely

data and insights

on current funding
trends, challenges,
and opportunities to
advance climate and
health justice.

Focus Areas

-2 k Air Quality (54%)

 

Respondents said their most common focus
areas are air quality, green spaces, and food
systems. Most support advocacy and civic
engagement, capacity building, community
partnership and power building, and policy
change with programs grants still the
primary type of support offered.

A core group of dedicated health funders

has been funding climate strategies for over
5 years, but climate change is not central to
the work of most foundations. Information
and strategies for linking climate and health

funders' priorities could lead to more action.

' Health Institutions (38%)

 

Green Spaces (54%)

 

Health Practitioners (38%)

 

| :\f'"[" | Food Systems (46%)

Housing/Building
Infrastructure (38%)

 

 

Disaster Response
and Emergency
Preparedness (38%)

Transportation (38%)

 

Significant opportunity exists for health
funders to advance equity by supporting
organizations with leadership from
populations disproportionately impacted
by climate change, including people

with disabilities, older adults, and rural
communities.

o

Among health funders not funding climate
change, nearly half are unsure about future
support, while 17 percent anticipate funding
climate change in the future.

Primary Populations
Supported

Communities of Color

Low-Income Communities

Indigenous Peoples or Communities

 

Vulnerable Workers*

Children and Young People

*e.g., agriculture, construction, transportation, manufacturing, warehouses,
and emergency response workers with occupational exposures
Main Types of Support

m77% 8 54%

Program
Grants

Convening

Top 4 Strategies

Advocacy and Civic
~ Engagement (69%)

 

 

57%
| Capacity Building (69%) Outside

areas

 

A Community Partnership and
Power Building (69%)

 

 

d Policy Change (69%)

 

 

54%

General
Operating

defined focus

46% B 38% )

Technical
Assistance

Reasons for Not Funding
Climate Change Initiatives

47%
Issue does
not align with
mission or
17%
et ) 27% Uncertain
Other higher of how/to
priority issues engage on

issue

Funding Climate and Health Justice

Although many respondents do not identify as currently
funding climate change initiatives, most acknowledge that
their other grantmaking strategies directly or indirectly
intersect with climate mitigation, adaptation, or resilience.
Funding efforts on the social determinants of health are
climate relevant and warrant more health funder involve-
ment in climate conversations. There are numerous areas
ripe for health funder engagement and leadership, includ-
ing addressing the mental health impacts of climate change;

role of health care and public health systems, institutions,
and practitioners; equitable emergency response plans;
and development of resilient, sustainable communities.
Supporting community-based programs, leadership devel-
opment, narrative building, and research remain under-

LEARN MORE & GET INVOLVED

funded strategies worthy of investment and peer learning.
Untapped opportunities also exist for health funders to
contribute to pooled funds, support grantee facilities or
equipment, provide loans and mission-or program-related
investments, and help communities leverage or match
public funds. Additionally, addressing climate change and
environmental sustainability within internal organizational
operations, policies, and practices is another useful and
under-utilized starting point for engagement. Climate does
not have to be a strategic priority or a separate initiative
for health funders to work on this issue. All regions, com-
munities, and grantees will be impacted by climate change,
so now is the time to learn, connect, and grow to ensure
a resilient and healthy future for all.

Visit GIH.org for more resources on climate, health, and equity. Share this infographic with

your colleagues and funder peers.

This infographic summarizes the responses to a Grantmakers In Health survey conducted May-June 2023 with
46 respondents. Support for the survey and report was provided by a grant from The Kresge Foundation.

 

Funding to Intermediary or
Regranting Organizations