Advancing The Mental Health And Well-Being Movement Through Grant Making: Engaged Philanthropy

Investing in the health of a nation requires thoughtful deliberation and vision. Grantmakers, especially those with a focus on health, play a unique role in helping support community innovation that can advance health. However, without a clear focus on what they are trying to effect, the direction they want to go with their investment, and how to accomplish their goals, how will the grant-making community ever know if it is making a difference and if it is improving health? The United States, now more than ever, needs clear direction to create more comprehensive solutions to fragmented problems. Grantmakers play an essential role in this space and have a responsibility to further the movement currently under way to address mental health and wellness. However, without proper alignment with the community as well as other foundations, grantmakers may add to the cacophony rather than advance the movement. Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and is not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Health is the foundation of achievement. In our journey to address health through policy, we have too often ignored mental health and substance use, which remain some of the most pressing health issues in our nation. Whole-person well-being requires foundations to use new clinical, financial, policy, and investment strategies that better incorporate and integrate mental health. Mental health is a highly prevalent health need. However, people with mental he...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: GrantWatch Population Health costs Health Philanthropy Health Promotion and Disease PreventionGW Mental Health Policy Social Determinants of Health substance use wellness Source Type: blogs