Philanthropy Must Never Forget What the Pandemic Taught Us About How to Support Public Health

Much of the United States seems to have moved on from the pandemic. States and cities are shutting down vaccination and free testing sites, mask mandates have fallen nationwide, and people are streaming into restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues after two years of social isolation.

While some of these developments may be premature, one thing is clear: The nation’s public-health system and the grant makers that support it must not move on from what they learned about how to build a better, more resilient public-health system.

One of the few bright spots during the pandemic was the willingness of government and philanthropic leaders to quickly deploy unprecedented levels of resources to address the crisis. Trillions in federal dollars have gone toward Covid-19 response and recovery, including bolstering the health system and reaching hard-hit communities. Philanthropy contributed more than $6 billion in just the first months of the pandemic — a remarkable mobilization of funding, people, and partnerships to fight a voracious virus that didn’t care about red tape and procedures.