Funding Multi-Issue Strategies to Advance Health & Democracy

About this event

Health, including healthcare delivery and health policy, and Democracy, including civic engagement and electoral participation, have traditionally occupied different lanes within philanthropy. Spaces for cross-issue or multi-issue strategy and collaboration among funders remain limited. However, we must recognize how governing institutions impact the conditions for change in healthcare, health policy, and the social and economic drivers of health outcomes and equity. In equal measure, it’s imperative to recognize that full civic participation is limited when people struggle to meet basic health and safety needs.

In this session, Democracy Fund and the Rx Foundation will talk about different experiences working more intentionally at the intersection of health and democracy. Discover the frameworks that help guide the work of these two very different foundations and the practical strategies they have used to navigate the complex landscapes of healthcare, policy, and civic engagement. The discussion will include:

*WHY health and democracy funders should build relationships and see each other as allies and colleagues;
*WHY and HOW to shift funding beyond programmatic work to include systems change, capacity-building, and ecosystems.
*WHY and HOW to fund multi-issue organizations, with specific examples of organizations funded by both Rx and Democracy Fund

Practitioners, researchers, and other allies are invited to join this conversation to expand their knowledge of the health and democracy funding landscape, and consider how they may contribute to bridging these two silos for greater collaboration towards a healthier and more democratic society.

This session is presented as part of the Rx Foundations's Power is a Social Determinant of Health series