 
Dear Friends: Since 1953, the Fannie E. Rippel Foundation has provided over $123 million to exceptional individuals and organizations committed to advancing science and medical care. These grants have been based on the purposes dictated in J.S. Rippel’s highly innovative Will that established our focus on cancer, heart disease, women, the elderly and hospitals. Recognizing that contexts change, the Will also gave broad discretion and responsibility to the Trustees to determine how to use the assets to best address these issues over time. Last year, the Trustees elected to engage in an extensive strategic planning process. Our goal was clear – to determine how to best embody the spirit and intent of our founder and the lessons of our history as we establish a fresh vision for our future. While our purposes remain unchanged, the Trustees now believe that major advances will come from substantially new ways of thinking about how we maintain our health, as well as how we define, structure, and deliver health care. Our new strategy embraces the wholeness of the individual, the progress of science and the challenging dynamics of our health care system. To focus our efforts on these critical issues, the Trustees adopted a new mission statement. Knowing that purposeful actions can produce significant results, our mission is to strategically invest our limited resources to seed innovation, catalyze change, and create model processes that will lead to improvements in health. This mission is reflected in our tagline, "Seeding Innovations in Health." As the polarization that infects our health and medical systems continues to break down our current models, new paradigms must evolve which integrate a variety of approaches, experiences and perspectives: traditional and non-traditional; Western and Eastern; medical and public health; holistic and reductionist; biochemical and biophysical; behavioral and mind/body; technology and spirituality; mental and physical; as well as U.S. and European approaches. These new paradigms must also address consumer and provider interests, as well as market, financial, business and political considerations. This is reality. Change in a complex environment also calls for both proven leadership and activation of the knowledge and creativity that resides within individuals, organizations, and communities. As a result, over the next few years, the Foundation plans to concentrate on identifying and supporting a few bold individuals and organizations positioned to help frame new models and make a meaningful difference to the health care system over time. Through their own efforts, as well as by engaging diverse working groups, we expect these leaders to help facilitate discussions and collaborative learning that result in evolving strategic agendas, tactical action plans and well-considered projects. Ultimately, these processes will help clarify the problems facing our health care system, create greater urgency for change, produce feasible and practical alternatives, and stimulate more informed dialog among key decision makers. Our initial funding will support only solicited proposals that foster systemic changes from the diverse perspectives of integrative medicine, economics, quality and outcomes, medical education, and New Jersey women. With $90 million in assets, we cannot be so bold as to expect that we alone can solve the nation’s health care crisis. However, in complex systems small perturbations may induce profound changes. Acting in a role similar to that of venture capitalists, we are positioned to seed activities and innovations that have the potential for impact far exceeding our own vision or resources. While our funding moratorium will be lifted shortly, we do not expect to make significant discretionary grants in FY 2009 (ending April 30, 2009). Available funding for solicited grants should then increase over the next few years. We all know that this is an important time in the evolution of our nation’s health and our health care system. As the populations of the world increasingly seek the balance and integration of science, nature and economics for the health of the planet, we too seek this balance and integration for the health of individuals and communities. Committed to living our values, the Rippel Foundation will be moving in 2008 into a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified green building in Morristown, New Jersey. Additionally, as part of our growing commitment to greater transparency and better communications, we are developing a new logo, image and website that will be launched early in 2008. Periodic updates and newsletters will highlight both our own and our grantees’ activities. Website updates may also announce specific areas where we will seek RFPs to identify grantees that can fulfill the stated need. We invite you to check the site periodically. Please know that we look forward to continuing our relationship and sincerely invite your suggestions for how we might best further the important goal of improving our nation’s health. All the best,
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