Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)

We take bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right. We do this by: Funding innovative and time-tested strategies to create lasting change for health ted strategies to create lasting change for health equity Creating space for health practitioners, community leaders, and researchers to work collectively to shift national conversations about health Supporting evidence that deepens and shifts our understanding of health and wellbeing Promoting policies and practices that challenge our institutions to be more equitable and effective for all of us Cultivating leaders who work individually and collectively across sectors to address health equity Catalyzing more equitable approaches to developing and investing in communities We recognize there are many ways to transform health in our lifetime. Our grantmaking aligns with our goals and we assess the effectiveness of our work through research, evaluation, and learning. Who develops our grant programs? What criteria and objectives must be met? Learn about the types of programs and activities we support and the criteria we use to select them. Every sector and community has a role to play in building a Culture of Health for everyone in America. We all have dreams for ourselves and our families. But we don’t all have the same opportunities to make those dreams come true. Structural racism embedded in every aspect of society is the root cause of the health disparities that persist today. For too long, our social practices, laws, and policies have placed more value on some lives than others based on race, class, and other factors. Since people created these laws and practices, we can reinvent them. If we are to create a world where health is truly for everyone and not just for the few, we have to embrace new ways of learning, working, and acting. RWJF is working toward a vision for the future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right. We aim to get there through our long-term focus: dismantling the structural racism that permeates society with the ambitious goal of building the future we all want for our children and grandchildren. Every individual, family, and community is seen as deserving of health and wellbeing. Health is considered a shared responsibility within our society. Everyone, no matter their background, has access to the resources they need to create conditions that support good health and wellbeing. America’s national narrative acknowledges that health and wellbeing is impacted by injustice, systemic racism, and inequities in social and economic conditions. All families—no matter who they are, where they live, or how much money they make—should have the resources they need to help their children grow up healthy. Healthcare, public health, and social services work together to fully address the goals and needs of the people they serve. Public policy and decisionmaking in the private sector is guided by the goal of ensuring everyone has a fair and just opportunity for health and wellbeing. Communities, regardless of income or geography, have the power, agency, and resources to create and implement their own solutions to the unique health issues facing them. Health data, research, and measures prioritize collecting information by race, age, ethnicity, sex, geographic region, and other relevant factors, to advance health equity for all. Everyone is included in our vision. ...view more