The Role of Philanthropy in Health Care

A Capitol Hill briefing, "Reform in Action: Philanthropy's Role in Meeting the Healthcare Needs of Underserved Communities," was sponsored by the Council on Foundations (COF) and Grantmakers In Health (GIH) 24 September 2009. Speakers included Lauren LeRoy of GIH (moderator) and panelists Phillip González of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation; Gary Nelson of the Healthcare Georgia Foundation; Mark Smith of the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF); and Wendy Wolf of the Maine Health Access Foundation (MeHAF). U.S. Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) also spoke. Here a few tidbits from this event, which was geared toward Hill staff.

These key foundation staffers talked about how foundations can inform the policy debate. Wolf, for example, said that "foundations can make sure [that] the balance of [policy] conversations is robust"--that is, that a variety of viewpoints are heard. Smith noted that (because of its tax status) the CHCF is prohibited from advocating for or against legislation and candidates. However, here are two examples of what the CHCF has done: fund HealthVote.org, which it runs in partnership with the Center for Governmental Studies; this site provides impartial information for voters and the media, Smith explained. He also mentioned One-e-App, the development of which was funded by the CHCF and the California Endowment to improve efficiency in the application process for Medi-Cal (California Medicaid) and other public programs by streamlining enrollment and retention; the CHCF gave this useful tool, developed by Deloitte and Touche, to the state of California free of charge. He pointed out that foundations have a "pitifully small" amount of assets, but they have more discretion in how to use them.González mentioned how the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation provided data and insights to what is now the Health Connector in Massachusetts--a state agency that helps residents find insurance and is a result of the state's innovative health reform.

Burr, a member of the U.S. Senate's Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee who also cochairs the Senate Philanthropy Caucus, commented that we tend to forget the human face behind policy issues. He praised the work of the Duke Endowment and Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust (KBR) in North Carolina, the state he represents. (In fact, his wife is a member of the KBR's Poor and Needy Advisory Board.) Burr also commented that members of Congress do not take the time to figure out what foundations are doing and what people they are helping. He noted that foundations help individuals whom they never even see. We should encourage foundations and not limit them.

Among the foundation leaders' concluding take-away messages were the following. Nelson said that foundations do more than plug holes by providing needed financial relief; they also work on policy development. Nelson explained to Health Affairs in an e-mail communication that he meant that foundations can "invest in reforms driven by nonpartisan policy research and analysis." Wolf said that, in her opinion, the money awarded by philanthropy "is least important." Foundations' connection to their communities and their knowledge is more important. Also, foundations differ from government in that they can hand out grants more expeditiously, or, alternatively, they can take a long view and work on an effort for a long time. She cited the example of MeHAF's work on health information technology (IT) over a long period of time.

LeRoy summed things up with this message: "philanthropy and government are natural allies"--they care about the same topics. She urged staffers to call GIH for referral to a foundation that might assist them; she also said that no question about foundations is too basic to ask.

For more information on this event, send e-mail to Jourdan Clandening, public relations coordinator at the COF, clanj@cof.org .