Posted on November 5, 2012

At Forty, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Approves Up to $425 Million in 2013 Grants

Marking its fortieth anniversary, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has approved up to $425 million in grantmaking for 2013.

Grants to improve health nationally and in dozens of targeted communities will be focused in three interrelated areas: increasing efforts that help people stay healthy; lowering national healthcare costs; and improving access to high-quality care that is delivered by a diverse and abundant workforce. In 2012, RWJF has supported efforts to improve care for chronically ill people in rural areas, nurture future healthcare leaders, make neighborhoods healthy and safe, reverse the obesity epidemic, and other initiatives.

Since it was established in 1972 following the death of Robert Wood Johnson II, the former chairman of Johnson & Johnson, the foundation has awarded more than $9 billion in grants to nonprofit organizations in every state in the country.

"Whatever issues are the most vexing — responding to AIDS, an unprecedented shortage of nurses, millions of children being uninsured, astounding racial inequalities in health care — these are the issues we've taken on," said RWJF president and CEO Risa Lavizzo-Mourey. "We cannot accept our responsibility as America's largest healthcare philanthropy if we run from the toughest problems."