Becoming a Foundation for the Future

Dear Partners and Friends,

I was asked recently what attracted me to the work of Healthcare Georgia Foundation and I said without hesitation, so much is possible here. I’ve been President for almost 8 months, and as I’ve come to understand the Foundation’s history and strengths, experienced some of Georgia’s diverse and vibrant communities, and connected with many of our community partners, my excitement for the future has only grown.

Over the past several months, the Foundation’s Board and staff have taken a deep look at who we are, what we can uniquely offer, and what Georgians need from us. As a respected organization with a history of community partnerships, we have several tools we can use to improve health in our state. Grantmaking is one of those tools, as is advocacy, convening, elevating voices and telling stories to make change. As we consider what it means to stand for health equity, we are in the midst of our own realignment, connecting the dots between what Georgia needs, and the roles the Foundation can play.

In 1999, HGF was created to improve the health of all Georgians and our work must include the entire state. There are big challenges here, like improving health for Black mothers and babies, rural health disparities, and access to high quality affordable insurance coverage. These systemic issues require commitment, collaboration, and courage to develop lasting solutions.

We’ve definitely got work to do, but our partnerships are strong and our vision is clear. We must change systems, bring people together, and support and advance new ideas. We recognize that relationships are at the heart of our work. We must be present and collaborative, including the voices of our community partners to constantly review and improve our work. We know that the best ideas and approaches come from diverse groups working together over time, allowing answers to emerge as we work together to create the change that Georgians deserve.

Over the coming weeks we’ll be sharing more about our new strategic direction and actively seeking input from and partnership with nonprofit organizations, healthcare providers, the philanthropic sector, policymakers, and the business community around equitable health outcomes for all Georgians. We are ready to step up and do our part.

Thank you to all who have partnered with us in the past, and welcome to those who may be just getting to know the Foundation. I’m thrilled to be doing this work in this state with you.

Sincerely,

Kristy Klein Davis
President