View source for Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

{{Short description|American philanthropic organization}}
{{pp-pc}}
{{Infobox organization
| name                = Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
| logo                = File:Robert_Wood_Johnson_Foundation_logo_2021.svg
| founded_date        = 1936
| founder             = [[Robert Wood Johnson II]]
| location            = [[Princeton, New Jersey]], U.S.
| purpose             = Improving the health and well-being of all in America
| leader_title       = CEO
| leader_name       = [[Richard Besser]]
| key_people          = [[Julie Morita]]
| area_served         = National
| method              = Grantmaking and social change
| num_employees       = 270
| endowment           = $13 billion<ref name="RWJF 2020 Financials">{{cite web |title=Financial Statements |last1= |first1= |url=https://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/files/rwjf-web-files/Financials/2020_Financial_Statements.pdf |work=The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation |date=May 28, 2021 |access-date=October 15, 2021}}</ref> (2020)
| disbursements       = ~$500 million annually
| homepage            = {{URL|http://www.rwjf.org}}
| abbreviation        = RWJF
}}

The '''Robert Wood Johnson Foundation''' ('''RWJF''') is an American [[philanthropy|philanthropic]] organization. It is the largest one focused solely on health. Based in [[Princeton, New Jersey]], the foundation focuses on access to [[health care]], [[public health]], [[health equity]], leadership and training, and changing systems to address barriers to health.<ref name="NJ.com 17Nov2021">{{cite news|last=Syp|first=Mark|title=Robert Wood Johnson marks its anniversary with an eye toward the future of public health|url=http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2012/11/robert_wood_johnson_marks_its.html|access-date=2014-03-22|newspaper=Times of Trenton|date=2012-11-17}}</ref> RWJF has been credited with helping to develop the [[9-1-1|911]] emergency system, reducing tobacco use among Americans, lowering rates of unwanted teenage pregnancies, and improving perceptions of [[Hospice care in the United States|hospice care]].<ref name="NJ.com 17Nov2021"/>

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation supports the development of programs that can be used in community-led initiatives or by government bodies,<ref name="MiamiHerald 7May1989"/> funds research through surveys and polls,<ref name="LATimes 20July2021">{{cite news |title=Same hospitals but worse outcomes for Black patients than white ones |last1=Alpert Reyes |first1=Emily |url=https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-07-20/black-patients-injuries-illness-surgery-same-hospitals |newspaper=[[LA Times]] |date=July 20, 2021 |access-date=October 14, 2021}}</ref> and makes [[impact investing|impact investments]].<ref name="PND 12Sept2011">{{cite web |title=Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Establishes $100 Million Impact Capital Fund |last1= |first1= |url=https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/robert-wood-johnson-foundation-establishes-100-million-impact-capital-fund |work=Philanthropy News Digest |date=September 12, 2011 |access-date=October 15, 2021}}</ref> According to ''[[Pensions & Investments]]'' and Foundation Center, the foundation was the fifth-largest in the U.S. in investment assets, as of 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-11-12|title=The largest foundations|url=https://www.pionline.com/article/20181112/ONLINE/181109876/the-largest-foundations|access-date=2021-07-16|website=Pensions & Investments|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Foundation Stats: Guide to the Foundation Center's Research Database - Foundation Center|url=http://data.foundationcenter.org/#/foundations/all/nationwide/top:assets/list/2015|access-date=2021-07-16|website=data.foundationcenter.org}}</ref> As of 2020, the value of its endowment was $13 billion.<ref name="RWJF 2020 Financials"/>

== History ==
{{Progressivism}}The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation was initially established as the Johnson-New Brunswick Foundation in December 1936, and focused on charitable efforts in [[New Brunswick, New Jersey]]. The original board of trustees included [[Robert Wood Johnson II]], [[John Seward Johnson II]], and others.<ref name="NYT 1Jan1937">{{cite news |title=Tract for Park Given to County in Jersey |last1= |first1= |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1937/01/01/94312133.html?pageNumber=46 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 1, 1937 |access-date=October 27, 2021}}</ref> It was renamed the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in 1952.<ref name="CSM 18June2013">{{cite news |title=10 biggest US foundations and what they do |last1=Bermel |first1=Colby |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/2013/0618/10-biggest-US-foundations-and-what-they-do/Robert-Wood-Johnson-Foundation-8.9-billion |work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]] |date=June 18, 2013 |access-date=October 27, 2021}}</ref> [[Robert Wood Johnson II]] left a bequest of 10,204,377 shares of [[Johnson & Johnson]] stock to the foundation upon his death in 1968. The foundation became a national philanthropy in 1972.<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/04/health/04obesity.html?scp=2&sq=%22robert+wood+johnson+foundation%22&st=nyt |work=The New York Times |first=Stephanie |last=Strom |title=$500 Million Pledged to Fight Childhood Obesity | date=April 4, 2007 |access-date=October 1, 2021}}</ref><ref name="MiamiHerald 7May1989">{{cite news |title=Little-Known Foundation Leads Way in AIDS Fight, Stays on Cutting Edge of Health-Care Issues |last1=Cooper |first1=Kenneth |url= |work=[[The Miami Herald]] |date=May 7, 1989 |page=A26 }}</ref> The value of the stock was more than US$1 billion, making it the second-largest private foundation at the time.<ref name="Kohler Case42">{{cite web |last=Kohler |first=Scott |date=January 2007 |title=The Emergency Medical Services Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 1973 |url=https://cspcs.sanford.duke.edu/sites/default/files/descriptive/emergency_medical_services_program.pdf |publisher=[[Duke University]] |access-date=September 17, 2021 }}</ref>

=== 1972–1985 ===
Initially, the foundation worked on improving access to [[health care]], with a focus on [[poverty|impoverished]] and [[minority groups|minority]] groups, infant and elder care, and [[mental health]].<ref name="NYT 6Dec1994">{{cite news |title=Dr. David E. Rogers, 68, Leading Medical Educator, Dies |last1=Altman |first1=Lawrence |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/06/obituaries/dr-david-e-rogers-68-leading-medical-educator-dies.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 6, 1994 |access-date=September 21, 2021}}</ref> It created a $15 million grant program to contribute to the development of emergency services systems in the United States. Then-president David E. Rogers established a partnership with the [[National Academy of Sciences]] to increase oversight of how the funds were used and assess project outcomes. Ultimately, the funds were distributed to 44 grantees in amounts ranging from $350,000 to $400,000. The program funded primary aspects of [[emergency medical services]], including: technology access, such as equipping ambulances with radios; training for ambulance drivers and dispatchers; interagency coordination through a national centralized, regional-based system; and development of the [[9-1-1|911]] emergency system. In 1973, 11 percent of areas covered by the foundation's program had access to a centralized emergency services system. By 1977, when the program ended, coverage had increased to 95 percent.<ref name="Kohler Case42" />

In 1985, the foundation partnered with [[The Pew Charitable Trusts]] to launch a new program to improve access to health care for the [[Homelessness in the United States|American homeless]] population. The organizations committed $25 million over five years to 19 pilot programs as part of their Health Care for the Homeless initiative. Approaches to the issue varied by city. For example, a [[Philadelphia]] program connected hospitals with [[homeless shelters]], so individuals experiencing homelessness had access to [[inpatient care|inpatient]] and [[outpatient care|outpatient]] care. Another program in [[New York City]] focused on providing care in [[soup kitchens]].<ref name="Kohler Case58">{{cite web |title=Health Care for the Homeless Program |last1=Kohler |first1=Scott |url=https://cspcs.sanford.duke.edu/sites/default/files/descriptive/health_care_for_the_homeless.pdf |publisher=[[Duke University]] |date=January 2007 |access-date=September 22, 2021}}</ref> [[United States Congress|Congress]] followed the foundation's program for providing health care through shelters by passing the [[McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act]].<ref name="MiamiHerald 7May1989" />
 
Other early foundation efforts included: support for the [[Nurse-Family Partnership]], which partners at-risk pregnant women with nurses;<ref name="Kohler Case50">{{cite web |title=The Nurse-Family Partnership |last1=Kohler |first1=Scott |url=https://cspcs.sanford.duke.edu/sites/default/files/descriptive/nurse-family_partnership.pdf |publisher=[[Duke University]] |date=January 2007 |access-date=September 23, 2021}}</ref> establishing the Minority Medical Faculty Development Program (renamed the [[Harold Amos#Harold Amos Medical Faculty Program|Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program]] in 2004);<ref name = "HealthEquity June2018">{{Cite journal|last1=Guevara|first1=James P.|last2=Wright|first2=Melissa|last3=Fishman|first3=Nancy W.|last4=Krol|first4=David M.|last5=Johnson|first5=Jerry|date=June 2018|title=The Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program: Evaluation of a National Program to Promote Faculty Diversity and Health Equity|url= |journal=Health Equity|language=en|volume=2|issue=1|pages=7–14|doi=10.1089/heq.2016.0022|issn=2473-1242|pmc=6071893|pmid=30283846}}</ref> and supporting development of the "swing bed" concept in rural hospitals, which allows patients to transition from [[acute care]] to skilled-nursing without having to transfer to a [[nursing home]].<ref name="ModernHealthcare 23June2008">{{cite web |title=The swing shift |last1=Robeznieks |first1=Andis |url=https://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20080623/MAGAZINE/516954044/the-swing-shift |work=[[Modern Healthcare]] |date=June 23, 2008 |access-date=September 23, 2021}}</ref>

=== 1986–2001 ===

Beginning in 1986, the foundation focused on funding programs for the treatment [[HIV/AIDS]], despite the stigma surrounding the disease.<ref name="MiamiHerald 7May1989"/> It launched the AIDS Health Services Program in 11 communities around the U.S., which aimed to integrate a network of human services agencies for case management and favored community-care models for patients.<ref name="Mor et al 1997">{{cite journal |last1=Mor |first1=Vincent |last2=Stein |first2=Michael |last3=Carpenter |first3=Charles |last4=Mayer |first4=Kenneth |title=A Tale of Two Health Care Delivery Systems |journal=Journal of Health and Human Services Administration |year=1997 |volume=19 |issue=3 |pages=240–256 |doi= |jstor=25780872 |pmid=10168166 }}</ref> By May 1989, the foundation had given $50 million to care services and [[Prevention of HIV/AIDS|prevention]] campaigns.<ref name="MiamiHerald 7May1989"/> The [[Ryan White CARE Act]] was partially modeled on RWJF's program.<ref name="HRSA1">{{cite web |title=Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program |last1= |first1= |url=https://hab.hrsa.gov/livinghistory/legislation |work=Human Resources & Services Administration |date= |access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref>

After [[Steven A. Schroeder]] became the foundation's president in 1990, he made substance abuse a major focus of the foundation's work.<ref name="Case76"/> Between 1991 and 2003, the foundation spent approximately $408 million on a variety of tobacco-related programs, including awareness campaigns on [[smoking cessation]] and the [[Health effects of tobacco|negative effects of tobacco use]]. The foundation launched Smokeless States in 1993, a program designed to educate local groups about the effects of tobacco and options for regulating tobacco usage. By 2007, 31 states and the [[District of Columbia]] had adopted the program. The foundation's Center for Tobacco-Free Kids was asked to participate as a "disinterested and trustworthy party" in state litigation leading up to the [[Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement]] of 1998.<ref name="Case76"/>

Apart from substance abuse, the foundation also funded studies on [[End-of-life care|palliative care]] and worked with researchers to develop the chronic care model.<ref name="Hung et al 22Feb2007">{{cite journal |last1=Hung |first1=Dorothy Y. |last2=Rundall |first2=Thomas G. |last3=Tallia |first3=Alfred F. |last4=Cohen |first4=Deborah J. |last5=Halpin |first5=Helen Ann |last6=Crabtree |first6=Benjamin F. |date=February 22, 2007 |title=Rethinking Prevention in Primary Care: Applying the Chronic Care Model to Address Health Risk Behaviors |journal=The Milbank Quarterly |volume=85 |issue=1 |pages=69–91 |doi=10.1111/j.1468-0009.2007.00477.x |pmid=17319807 |pmc=2690311 }}</ref> In 1989, the organization funded a five-year, $28 million study on palliative care, publishing the results in 1995. The Study to Understand Prognoses and Preferences for Outcomes and Risks of Treatment found that most Americans die alone in hospitals while receiving high-cost care and treatment, often against the patient's desires. The study led to the formation of several groups by the foundation, including Last Acts, 900 entities that have drafted best practices for [[palliative care]]. Between 1989 and 2007, the foundation gave more than $148 million for research related to palliative care. By 2007, more than 500 hospitals throughout the U.S. had palliative care programs, most of which were created after the foundation and [[George Soros|George Soros's]] [[Open Society Institute]] began research and advocacy efforts.<ref name="Case68">{{cite web |last1=Kohler |first1=Scott |title=Care at the End of Life |url=https://cspcs.sanford.duke.edu/sites/default/files/descriptive/care_at_the_end_of_life.pdf |website=Center for Strategic Philanthropy and Civil Society |publisher=[[Duke University]] |access-date=September 30, 2021 |date=January 2007 }}</ref>

During this period, the foundation also contributed to efforts to enroll more uninsured U.S. children in [[Medicare (United States)|
medicare]]. A study published in [[Health Affairs]] noted that RWJF spent $55 million on its Covering Kids campaign, which lasted from 1997 until 2002. The study found that the overall rate of uninsured children in the U.S. decreased during the campaign.<ref name="HealthAffairs 2004">{{cite journal |last1=Blewett |first1=Lynn A. |last2=Davern |first2=Michael |last3=Rodin |first3=Holly |date=November 2004|title=<nowiki>Covering Kids: Variation In Health Insurance
Coverage Trends By State, 1996–2002</nowiki> |url=https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.23.6.170 |journal=[[Health Affairs]] |volume=23 |issue=6 |pages=170–180 |doi= 10.1377/hlthaff.23.6.170|pmid=15537596 |access-date=November 2, 2021|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

=== 2002–2017 ===

In the early 2000s, under the leadership of [[Risa Lavizzo-Mourey]], the foundation prioritized [[childhood obesity]], and pledged of $1 billion for research and advocacy to raise awareness on the topic.<ref name="Philanthropy2">{{cite web |last1=Stiffman |first1=Eden |title=Charities Hope First Lady's Work on Obesity Is Just the Beginning |url=https://www.philanthropy.com/article/charities-hope-first-ladys-work-on-obesity-is-just-the-beginning/?cid=gen_sign_in |website=[[The Chronicle of Philanthropy]] |access-date=September 30, 2021 |date=October 4, 2016}}</ref> Grants from this pledge, the first $500 million of which came in 2007, have been used to fund projects in cities throughout the United States. As early as 2003, the foundation was working in [[Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville]], [[Kentucky]], providing more than $740,000 in grants between 2003 and 2011 to make infrastructure updates that encourage physical activity, such as widening sidewalks and adding the city's first [[bicycle lane]].<ref name="NYT3">{{cite web |last1=Strom |first1=Stephanie |title=A City Tries to Slim Down |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/14/health/14obese.html |website=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=September 30, 2021 |date=June 13, 2011}}</ref>

The foundation also continued to work on [[eldercare]] topics and provided funding for the [[Green House Project]], a [[non-profit]] that offers a long-term care alternative to nursing homes. While nursing homes tended to be regimented, the Green House model allows residents to set their own schedules, and houses fewer people in more units designed like a [[single family home]].<ref name="NYT 31Oct2011">{{cite news |title=A Nursing Home Shrinks Until It Feels Like a Home |last1=Tarkan |first1=Laurie |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/01/health/shrinking-the-nursing-home-until-it-feels-like-a-home.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 31, 2011 |access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref> In 2011, the foundation established a $100 million impact capital fund to develop the Green House model.<ref name="PND 12Sept2011" /> By 2014, 27 states had adopted versions of the Green House Project.<ref name="NYT2">{{cite web |last1=Brody |first1=Jane E. |title=The Green House Effect: Homes for the Elderly to Thrive |url=https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/15/moving-away-from-nursing-homes/?_r=0 |website=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=September 30, 2021 |date=December 15, 2014}}</ref> A 2017 study on Green House nursing homes funded by the foundation found that while imperfect, the model had better outcomes for residents, including fewer hospitalizations and a lower occurrence of conditions such as [[pressure ulcers]].<ref name="NYT5">{{cite web |last1=Span |first1=Paula |title=A Better Kind of Nursing Home |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/22/health/green-houses-nursing-homes.html |website=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=September 30, 2021 |date=December 22, 2017}}</ref>

In 2003, the foundation worked with the [[College Board]] to create the [[Young Epidemiology Scholars]] (YES) program to encourage high-school students to study in the area of public health; the program ran for 8 years.<ref>[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266826463_Young_Epidemiology_Scholars_YES_Competition_Inspiring_the_Next_Generation_of_Public_Health_Professionals  ResearchGate website, ''Young Epidemiology Scholars (YES) Competition'', article dated November 2007]</ref><ref>[http://www.yes-competition.org/yes//yes-legacy.html       Yes website, ''YES Closure Statement: The YES Legacy'']</ref>

The foundation established the commission to Build a Healthier America in 2008. The non-partisan group included individuals from business, academia, and politics and focused on studying ways to improve health in the U.S. outside of the health care system.<ref name="ModernHealth 28Feb2008">{{cite web |title=McClellan, Rivlin to head up RWJF commission |last1=Zigmond |first1=Jessica |url=https://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20080228/NEWS/712529562/mcclellan-rivlin-to-head-up-rwjf-commission |work=[[Modern Healthcare]] |date=February 28, 2008 |access-date=November 2, 2021}}</ref> The commission compiled five years' worth of research into a report it released in 2014. The report focused on [[social determinants of health]] and detailed three strategies to improve health in the U.S.: early-childhood education; community-based health initiatives; and [[preventative healthcare|preventative care]].<ref name="NBC 13Jan2014">{{cite news |title= The secret to health isn't health care |last1=Cowley |first1=Geoffrey |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna54063556 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129211311/https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna54063556 |archive-date=November 29, 2021 |work=[[NBC News]] |date=January 13, 2014 |access-date=November 2, 2021}}</ref>

In 2010, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation partnered with the University of Wisconsin's Population Health Institute to launch the County Health Ranking program, which calculates and compares the health of each county, nationwide. The counties are measured and ranked on various health and social factors, which include more than 30 indicators such as obesity, tobacco use, mental health, employment and poverty rates, and access to healthy food.<ref>{{cite news |title=DuPage County is healthiest county in Illinois, according to annual rankings |last1=Baker |first1=Suzanne |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/ct-nvs-dupage-county-health-ranking-st-20210401-kiguvh3ygrecnfzzmyq64np4re-story.html |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |access-date=October 28, 2021| language=en| date=April 2, 2021}}</ref> Over time, the foundation added coaches and competitions to the program to support communities' efforts to improve local health. This was done in response to growing evidence showing that social factors and individuals' actions could affect a population's health more than the quality of medical treatment.<ref>{{cite news |title= Robert Wood Johnson Foundation releases health rankings of counties |last1=Sapatkin |first1= Don |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/health/20150325_Robert_Wood_Johnson_Foundation_releases_health_rankings_of_counties.html |work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] |access-date=October 28, 2021| language=en| date=March 25, 2015}}</ref> The foundation also partnered with [[Federal Reserve Bank]]s to engage impact investors, banks, and community developers in health and wellness-based projects through the Healthy Communities Initiative.<ref name="USNews 2May2018">{{cite news |title=A Healthy Return |last1=Sternberg |first1=Steve |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2018-05-02/health-and-wealth-is-being-rich-the-only-road-to-well-being |work=[[US News]] |date=May 2, 2018 |access-date=November 17, 2021}}</ref>

In 2014, the foundation announced a major shift in its approach to health issues. It had previously focused on specific health issues, and would instead focus on changes that could lead to large-scale social shifts by building what it called a "culture of health."<ref name="Inquirer 26June2014"/> The change built on the Culture of Health Action Framework adopted by the foundation in 2013.<ref name="PopHealth 2019">{{cite journal |last1=Tan |first1=May Lynn |last2=Vlahov |first2=David |last3=Hagen |first3=Erin |last4=Glymour |first4=M. Maria |last5=Gottlieb |first5=Laura M. |last6=Matthay |first6=Ellicot C. |last7=Adler |first7=Nancy E. |date=December 1, 2019 |title=Building the evidence on Making Health a Shared Value: Insights and considerations for research |url=https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7zp5c2m1 |journal=SSM - Population Health |volume=9 |issue= |article-number=100474 |doi=10.1016/j.ssmph.2019.100474|pmid=31485479 |pmc=6715953  |access-date=November 2, 2021}}</ref> Critics of the shift expressed concern that funding for some areas—such as leadership training for doctors, and programs for nursing and health policy—was being discontinued as part of the shift. When describing the changes at the [[Aspen Ideas Festival]], Lavizzo-Mourey said, "We have to make a seismic shift in the way we deal with health, and it has to come from the ground up."<ref name="Inquirer 26June2014">{{cite news |title=Robert Wood Johnson Foundation makes major changes in health funding |last1=Zamzow |first1=Rachel |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/health/20140626_Robert_Wood_Johnson_Foundation_makes_major_changes_inhealth_funding.html |work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] |date=June 26, 2014 |access-date=November 2, 2021}}</ref>

A 2017 survey conducted by RWJF, NPR, and [[Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health]] found that people in America report that their personal experience with discrimination regularly affects their lives and drives decisions that influence their health, safety, and well-being. Experiences with discrimination correlated to an increased risk for health conditions such as coronary heart disease.<ref name="NPR 28Oct2017">{{cite web |title=Racism Is Literally Bad For Your Health |last1=Martin |first1=Michel |url=https://www.npr.org/transcripts/560444290 |work=NPR |date=October 28, 2017 |access-date=January 24, 2022}}</ref> In 2018, the foundation co-funded a study along with the [[National Institutes of Health]] that found police killings of unarmed black Americans led to adverse mental health affects among black American respondents.<ref name="Bor et al 28July2018">{{cite journal |last1=Bor |first1=Jacob |last2=Venkataramani  |first2=Atheendar S. |last3=Williams |first3=David R. |last4=Tsai |first4=Alexander C. |title=Police killings and their spillover effects on the mental health of black Americans: a population-based, quasi-experimental study |url=https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(18)31130-9.pdf#%20 |journal=The Lancet |year=2018 |volume=392 |issue=10144 |pages=302–310 |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31130-9 |pmid=29937193 |pmc=6376989 |access-date=January 24, 2022}}</ref> Other public opinion polls RWJF worked on with NPR and Harvard University have covered issues such as the burden of stress in America (2014), education and health in schools (2013), trust in public health (2021), income inequality (2020), and experiences during the pandemic (2021).<ref name="Harvard polls">{{cite web |title=Harvard Opinion Research Program |last1= |first1= |url=https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/horp/npr-harvard/ |work=Harvard University |date= 26 September 2019|access-date=January 24, 2022}}</ref>

=== 2018–present ===

Under [[Richard E. Besser|Richard Besser]]'s leadership, the foundation prioritized [[health equity]] and removing barriers to health resulting from discrimination. In an address given at the [[Sanford School of Public Policy]] at [[Duke University]], Besser pointed to where people live, recreate, and work as well as access to healthy food and livable wages, and removal of cultural barriers as important factors in individual health.<ref name="NCCPPR 15Feb2019">{{cite web |title=RWJF President Richard Besser speaks on building a culture of equity |last1=Bendaas |first1=Yasmn |url=https://nccppr.org/rwfj-president-richard-besser-speaks-on-building-a-culture-of-equity/ |work=North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research |date=February 15, 2019 |access-date=October 14, 2021}}</ref> The foundation funded a 2021 analysis by the [[Urban Institute]] which found that black patients experience "dangerous bleeding, infections and other serious problems related to surgical procedures" more frequently than white patients who receive care in the same hospital.<ref name="LATimes 20July2021" />

In 2019, the foundation worked with the [[Global Reporting Initiative]] and others to develop the Culture of Health for Business Framework. The framework provides 16 best practices for companies to measure health policies and practices against, ranging from environmental to social and governance issues.<ref name="TriplePundit 13May2020">{{cite web |title=New Reporting Framework Highlights Employee Health and Well-Being |last1=Brown |first1=Amy |url=https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2020/new-reporting-framework-highlights-employee-health-and-well-being/89051 |work=Triple Pundit |date=May 13, 2020 |access-date=October 15, 2021}}</ref>

During the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], the foundation partnered with organizations such as [[NPR]] to research financial, educational, and health impacts of the pandemic.<ref name="WSJ 14Oct2021">{{cite news |title=Close to 40% of U.S. Households Say They Face Financial Difficulties as Covid-19 Pandemic Continues |last1=Calfas |first1=Jennifer |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/close-to-40-of-u-s-households-say-they-face-financial-difficulties-as-covid-19-pandemic-continues-11634241586 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=October 14, 2021 |access-date=October 15, 2021}}</ref><ref name="NYT 15Oct2021">{{cite news |title=Hate Crimes and Pandemic Lead More Asian Americans to Seek Therapy |last1=Lukpat |first1=Alyssa |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/15/us/asian-american-therapy-hate-crimes.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 15, 2021 |access-date=October 15, 2021}}</ref> The foundation also has ongoing surveys with the [[Rand Corporation]], one of which found that many Americans agree that minority communities have been more affected by the pandemic, but do not believe structural racism is a barrier to health.<ref name="USAToday 13Jan2021">{{cite news |title=New survey finds many people don't believe systemic racism is a barrier to health |last1=Hassanein |first1=Nate |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2021/01/13/rand-survey-finds-many-dont-think-racism-barrier-health/6643274002/ |work=[[USA Today]] |date=January 13, 2021 |access-date=November 17, 2021}}</ref>

The foundation's other activities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic included collaborating with [[Boston University]] to develop a database of state policies enacted in response to the pandemic,<ref name="BU Today 19Oct2020">{{cite web |title=What Are States Doing about COVID-19? This BU Database Has Answers |last1=Barlow |first1=Rich |url=https://www.bu.edu/articles/2020/what-are-states-doing-about-covid-19-this-bu-database-has-answers/ |work=BU Today |date=October 19, 2020 |access-date=January 24, 2022}}</ref> and hosting teleconferences and virtual discussions on how the pandemic unveiled the impact that systemic racism and other forms of discrimination have on health in America.<ref name="SCMP 17April2020">{{cite web |title=Coronavirus: website launched in US to track pandemic-inspired hate speech and abuse online |last1=Churchill |first1=Owen |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3080306/coronavirus-website-launched-track-pandemic |work=South China Morning Post |date=April 17, 2020 |access-date=January 24, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Chicago Sun 19April2020">{{cite web |title=Public health expert: 'Marshall Plan' needed to redress coronavirus race disparities |last1=Ijekirika |first1=Maudlyne |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/coronavirus/2020/4/16/21222757/public-health-expert-marshall-plan-needed-to-redress-coronavirus-race-disparities |work=Chicago Sun-Times |date=April 19, 2020 |access-date=January 24, 2022}}</ref>

During this period, RWJF partnered with the [[Ford Foundation]] to establish the Presidents' Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy. The group includes 17 grant making organizations. The council's focus is on improving inclusion of disability issues in philanthropy.<ref name="CoP 15Oct2021">{{cite web |title=Once Left Out of the Ford Foundation's Strategy, Disability Rights Gets Its Own Program |last1=Lindsay |first1=Drew |url=https://www.philanthropy.com/article/once-left-out-of-the-ford-foundations-strategy-disability-rights-gets-its-own-program |work=[[Chronicle of Philanthropy]] |date=October 15, 2021 |access-date=November 17, 2021}}</ref> The foundation also funded the Childhood Opportunity Index, which ranks neighborhoods across the U.S. on access to childhood development resources that can affect health and life expectancy, and income later in life. The index was initially published in 2014, and an updated version was released in January 2020.<ref name="CNN 22Jan2020">{{cite news |title=How healthy is your neighborhood for your child? Take a look |last1=LaMotte |first1=Sandee |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/22/health/best-neighborhoods-for-kids-wellness/index.html |work=[[CNN]] |date=January 22, 2020 |access-date=November 17, 2021}}</ref>

==Leadership==
The foundation's first president, David E. Rogers, served from 1972 until 1987.<ref name="NYT 6Dec1994" />
Leighton E. Cluff served as the foundation's president from 1986 until February 1990, when he was succeeded by Steven A. Schroeder. The foundation's board of trustees selected Schroeder to lead the foundation, knowing he wanted to take it "in the direction of working on substance abuse problems".<ref name="Case76">{{cite web |last1=Kohler |first1=Scott |title=The Tobacco Use Programs |url=https://cspcs.sanford.duke.edu/sites/default/files/descriptive/tobacco_use_programs.pdf |website=Center for Strategic Philanthropy and Civil Society |publisher=[[Duke University]] |access-date=September 30, 2021 |date=January 2007 }}</ref><ref name="ModernHealthcare 12Feb1990">{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Names New President |url= |magazine=[[Modern Healthcare]] |location= |publisher=Crain Publishing |date=February 12, 1990 |page=14 }}</ref>

[[Risa Lavizzo-Mourey]] was the first woman and African American to be the foundation's [[chief executive officer]], a role she held between 2002 and 2017.<ref name="Beckers 12Feb2020">{{cite web |title=25 medical pioneers to celebrate this Black History Month |last1=Gooch |first1=Kelly |url=https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-management-administration/25-medical-pioneers-to-celebrate-this-black-history-monthfeb12.html |work=Becker's Hospital Review |date=February 12, 2020 |access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2017/3/30/so-long-stay-healthy-what-did-risa-lavizzo-mourey-achieve-at-the-robert-wood-johnson-foundation|title=So Long, Stay Well: What Did Risa Lavizzo-Mourey Achieve at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation?|work=Inside Philanthropy|access-date=2017-10-19|language=en-US}}</ref> She was succeeded by Richard E. Besser, who was named president and CEO in April 2017. Besser previously worked as the medical editor for [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] and acting director of the [[Centers for Disease Control]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/former-cdc-director-richard-besser-md-named-robert-wood-johnson-foundation-ceo|title=Former CDC director Richard Besser, MD, named Robert Wood Johnson Foundation CEO|date=2017-02-14|work=Healthcare IT News|access-date=2017-10-19|language=en}}</ref>

{{anchor|Robert Wood Johnson Fellows}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.rwjf.org/}}

{{Princeton, New Jersey|state=collapsed}}

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[[Category:Johnson & Johnson]]
[[Category:Political advocacy groups in the United States]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1972]]
[[Category:1972 establishments in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Non-profit organizations based in Princeton, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Medical and health foundations based in the United States]]