Grantmakers In Health, a national nonprofit, educational organization dedicated to helping foundations and corporate giving programs improve the health of all people, recently featured the New Hampshire Children’s Health Foundation’s current strategic decision to shift its focus “upstream” to address poverty and financial insecurity as a root cause of the challenges it has long sought to mitigate.

As the article shared, “For a small foundation, the scale and depth of tackling poverty can feel daunting. Yet we are guided by the belief that even modest resources, when strategically deployed, can contribute to meaningful change. One of our hallmarks has been our ability to use our resources as a catalyst to leverage far greater impact.

Ultimately, our decision reflects both clarity and conviction. We acknowledge that while alleviating symptoms is necessary, it is not sufficient. By turning our attention to root causes, we are positioning ourselves, and we hope others, to play a more transformative role in the lives of New Hampshire’s children and families.

As philanthropy continues to grapple with questions of impact and equity, we hope our journey offers a useful example of what it means to evolve in pursuit of deeper change. Small but mighty, we are embracing the complexity of this work—and reaffirming our commitment to a future where all children have the opportunity to thrive.”