Public Health Funder Network

The Public Health Funder Network is a community of grantmakers, donors and APHA members who recognize that philanthropy serves an important role in the improvement of population health outcomes and the overall health of communities. The network's goal: to promote a cross-sector approach to solving complex public health challenges by networking and sharing best practices. The network places a special focus on philanthropy as a catalyst to drive change through innovative strategies and partnerships with local communities and stakeholders.

In an effort to build an increasingly informed and transparent public health funding community, a network of funders and donors has been convening during the APHA Annual Meeting since 2013. Unlike most grantmaker associations, APHA has a membership that includes practitioners, scientists, educators, students and funders; and its meetings facilitate cross-sector dialogue. The Public Health Funder Network believes these conversations enhance the public health sector’s ability, both strategically and collaboratively, to impact health outcomes by investing private resources judiciously in communities served.

APHA 2024 Annual Meeting

Join us Oct. 27-30, 2024 in Minneapolis to engage with others at the intersection of public health and philanthropy.

The APHA 2024 Public Health Funder Network activities will include:

1. Six peer-reviewed sessions for APHA Annual Meeting participants to learn about grantmaking in public health, discuss best practices and share work with other funders and the broader public health community.
2. A business meeting for Public Health Funder Network Planning Committee members to evaluate activities and plan for next year. New members working in philanthropy are welcome to join.
3. A social hour to highlight philanthropic partnerships with public health agencies and community-based organizations, engage in intentional dialogue and generate new insights on designing with community and innovating towards a more just public health system. 

Call for APHA PHFN Abstracts

The call for abstracts is now closed. Thank you to those who submitted a session abstract. We greatly appreciate your time and effort. 

The PHFN Program Planning Committee will meet during the month of April to peer-review session abstracts.

APHA will send accepted/rejected status notices to abstract submitters on June 4. 

Registration

APHA 2024 registration opens June 4. Register early to secure the best rate. 

• Early-bird registration: June 4-July 15
• Advance registration: July 16-Sept. 16
• Regular registration: Sept. 17-Oct. 25
• Onsite registration: Oct. 26-30

We look forward to welcoming you to Minneapolis! 

Contact Us

PHFN Co-Chair: Irfan Hasan, Deputy Vice President for Grants, New York Community Trust, 212-686-1622

PHFN Co-Chair: Richard Thomason, Policy Director, Blue Shield of California Foundation, 916-702-4595

PHFN Founder and Co-Chair of Communications/Membership Subcommittee: Claudia Baier, Director Community Engagement/Senior Program Officer, VNA Foundation, 312-214-1521

APHA Staff Liaison to the PHFN: Torrey Wasserman, Development Manager, 202-777-2486

Creating the Funder Network I Needed (Philanthrofiles.org, Sept. 15, 2016)

We Need More Bridge-Builders in Our Fractured Era (PhilanthroFiles.org, Nov. 25, 2014)
Philanthropy helping public health achieve its objectives; Donors becoming health partners (The Nation's Health, February 2014)