The Role of Philanthropy in Advancing Health Equity: Addressing Breast Cancer Disparities in Black Communities

Breast cancer disproportionately impacts Black women, who face higher mortality rates compared to white women, despite similar incidence rates. These disparities stem from systemic inequities, including limited healthcare access, socioeconomic barriers, and discrimination. To address these challenges and achieve true health equity, we must not only combat breast cancer but transform the systems that perpetuate these inequities.

Philanthropy plays a critical role in driving this transformation by supporting holistic approaches like systems thinking, collective impact, and results-based accountability (RBA), all of which foster multisectoral action plans that address the broader factors contributing to disparities in breast cancer outcomes. 

Systems Thinking: Seeing the Bigger Picture 

Philanthropy can drive systems thinking, a problem-solving approach that looks holistically at the broader, underlying social determinants that impact health outcomes. Effective strategies for addressing breast cancer disparities must recognize the variety of factors that influence an individual's decision making. 

For instance, philanthropic organizations often fund research to explore how social factors – such as housing instability – delay cancer screenings in Black communities. This kind of investment allows for a deeper understanding of the connections between health disparities and broader societal challenges, leading to comprehensive interventions that address both cancer care and the social conditions that shape health outcomes. 

Collective Impact: Leveraging Cross-Sector Collaboration 

No single group can solve breast cancer disparities in Black communities. Philanthropy can support collective impact— a collaborative approach where nonprofits, healthcare providers, policymakers, and community leaders work together toward a shared goal. 

Philanthropic organizations convene coalitions to develop comprehensive action plans that address breast cancer and other chronic diseases that disproportionately impact Black communities. Uniting multi-sector partners helps develop holistic, community-driven strategies that integrate health, education, housing, and economic development to promote long-term health equity. 

For example, philanthropy can fund partnerships between hospitals and community organizations to develop culturally sensitive health education programs that improve access to cancer screenings by addressing social determinants that impact access. This approach can improve outcomes for Black women facing breast cancer, as well as other chronic diseases. 

Results-Based Accountability: Focusing on Impact 

Philanthropy advances health equity through results-based accountability (RBA), focusing on outcomes over activities. RBA begins with the goal—for example, reducing cancer incidence and mortality—and works backward to uncover the root causes of disparities. This approach helps teams develop actionable strategies for meaningful change. Organizations working collectively and using RBA to address breast cancer disparities would measure success not by the number of screenings conducted, but by decreases in late-stage breast cancer diagnoses and mortality. 

Philanthropic investments can then track key health metrics from RBA-driven action plans, focusing on critical factors like care access, patient outcomes, and social determinants to ensure resources are used effectively. Tracking these metrics allows for continuous improvement, ensuring strategies are refined to address disparities and create lasting impact. 

Multisector Action Plans: A Holistic Approach 

Achieving equity in breast cancer requires comprehensive, multisector action plans that address the root causes of inequity. Philanthropy provides the resources needed to develop and implement these plans, using systems thinking, collective impact, and RBA. 

For example, a national philanthropic initiative could create a task force to address breast cancer and other chronic diseases in Black communities. The task force could unite healthcare providers, social services, policymakers, and community-based organizations to develop integrated solutions that meet both medical and social needs. These initiatives would create long-lasting, systemic changes that benefit future generations, fostering healthier communities. 

Philanthropy as a Catalyst for Transformation 

Philanthropy is vital to advancing health equity and reducing breast cancer disparities in Black communities. By investing in systems thinking, collective impact, and RBA, philanthropic organizations can help communities develop comprehensive strategies that address both breast cancer and the underlying inequities driving poor health outcomes. 

At the Council on Black Health, we are committed to creating solutions that achieve healthy Black communities. Addressing the systemic drivers of health disparities is central to our mission. But this effort cannot succeed without the sustained support of philanthropy. 

Philanthropy must go beyond short-term relief to act as a catalyst for systemic change. By supporting coordinated, data-driven efforts, philanthropic organizations can empower communities to drive the sustainable change we need. In doing so, they will help lay the foundation for equitable health outcomes, not just for breast cancer, but for all health disparities impacting Black communities.