The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Accepts applications
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is a private foundation in Princeton, New Jersey. In tax year 2024 it gave $661 million in 3,093 grants; the typical grant was $40,000 and the largest $12.2 million. It accepts applications; its filing gives the instructions below.
From its IRS Form 990-PF for tax year 2024.
- Grants paid, 2024$661 million
- Number of grants3,093
- Typical grant$40,000
- Largest grant$12.2 million
- Assets$13 billion
- New grantees59%
Giving in 2024 was up from $551 million the year before.
59% of its 2024 grantees had not received a grant from it the year before, a sign it is open to new organizations.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants paid | Number of grants | Assets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $551 million | 2,943 | $14 billion |
| 2024 | $661 million | 3,093 | $13 billion |
How to apply
| Contact | Grants Management 50 College Road East, Princeton, NJ 08543 |
|---|---|
| Phone or email | (877) 843-7953 |
| What to submit | Most of rwjf's grants are made through targeted grant programs and funding partnerships. Rwjf's funding priorities and calls for proposals are described on www.rwjf.org. |
| Deadlines | No deadlines, except when foundation issues a call for proposal (CFP) or request for proposal (RFP). |
| Restrictions | Rwjf is dedicated to taking 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 are a national philanthropy that advances transformative systems change by identifying and confronting structural barriers to health and wellbeing. Our grantmaking takes a comprehensive approach to health, one rooted in equity and focused on addressing barriers to health caused by the intersection of structural racism, other forms of discrimination and social conditions that impact health. Through funding, convening, advocacy, and evidence-building, we work side-by-side with communities, practitioners, and institutions to get to health equity faster. |
Foundation website IRS filings on ProPublica
What The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funds
Where it gives
Its US grants went to recipients in 52 states, the most to District of Columbia. It also paid $351,041 in 3 grants to recipients outside the US.
| State | Grants | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 467 | $152 million |
| California | 394 | $93.4 million |
| New York | 347 | $54.7 million |
| Massachusetts | 167 | $46.3 million |
| New Jersey | 372 | $45.3 million |
| Maryland | 112 | $29.4 million |
| Illinois | 121 | $23.4 million |
| Georgia | 82 | $20.5 million |
| Wisconsin | 28 | $19.6 million |
| Minnesota | 38 | $16.2 million |
Grants paid in 2024
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Center on Budget and Policy Priorities | 79658 advancing racially equitable economic, tax, and social policy in states and growing essential state policy infrastructure | $12.2 million |
| Community Catalyst | 80588 serving as the national coordinating/program office for rwjf's voices for health justice authorization | $8.6 million |
| University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute | 80417 continuing the county health rankings & roadmaps' path in developing narratives to address the structural drivers of health inequities | $7.4 million |
| Vose River Charitable Fund | 78878 transforming local data environments through principles of health equity and justice to enable a better use of local data infrastructure and systems | $5.8 million |
| Economic Policy Institute | 81568 anchoring work to make families an economic priority through the support of a new policy ecosystem -- economic policy institute | $5.2 million |
| Family Values Work A Multi State Consortium Inc | 81571 anchoring work to make families an economic priority through the support of a new policy ecosystem -- family values @ work | $5.2 million |
| Borealis Philanthropy | 82080 supporting the black-led movement fund and disability inclusion fund in catalyzing investments in the racial justice and disability justice movements | $4.5 million |
| Princeton University | 81812 continuing direct technical assistance to states, including promoting community leadership in policymaking and advancing health equity, 2024-2025 | $4.2 million |
| Johns Hopkins University | 82057 supporting johns hopkins bloomberg school of public health as national program center for rwjf's health policy research scholars program, 2024-2026 | $4.1 million |
| Center for Black Health and Equity | 81364 supporting the center for black health and equity as regional hub to advance equitable commercial tobacco control in the south and midwest | $4.0 million |
| New Venture Fund | 80940 supporting the national collaborative for health equity in recruiting cohort 3 for the culture of health leadership institute for racial healing | $3.6 million |
| New York University | 80586 continuing to build the city health dashboard's impact and to deepen engagement | $3.4 million |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors | 81429 renewing support for the center for community investment in its capital absorption approach to addressing structural racism in community investment | $3.3 million |
| Center for Community Change | 81556 developing a vision for antiracist health policy and other resources for organizations working to advance an antiracist health equity movement | $3.3 million |
| Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health | 79853 supporting johns hopkins bloomberg school of public health as national program center for rwjf's health policy research scholars program, 2022-2024 | $3.2 million |
| Praxis Project Inc | 81799 supporting the health equity collective in growing and sustaining the movement for liberated leadership, phase 4 | $3.1 million |
| Third Sector New England | 80607 supporting the network for public health law, 2023-2025 | $3.1 million |
| University of Minnesota Sponsored Projects Administration | 82063 providing technical assistance and direction for the rwjf interdisciplinary research leaders program, 2024-2025 | $3.0 million |
| Princeton Area Community Foundation Inc | 82014 rwjf president's grants fund at the princeton area community foundation - 2024 | $3.0 million |
| University of California San Francisco | 81637 continuing evolving rwjf's evidence for action research program to be relevant and to advance racial equity, year 10 | $2.9 million |
| Policylink | 82190 supporting liberation in a generation in advancing an economy in which all children and families of color have basic needs met, are valued, and belong | $2.7 million |
| Policylink | 81014 general operating support for policylink, 2023-2025 | $2.7 million |
| Well Being and Equity in the World Institute | 81470 conducting planning for implementing justice squared, a program to prepare healthcare and public health leaders to address structural racism | $2.6 million |
| Prevention Institute | 81728 expanding the people, parks, and power's broad-based movement for park and green-space equity in the u.s., led by the most-impacted communities | $2.4 million |
| Community Foundation of New Jersey | 81537 supporting equip-nj in strengthening the ecosystem of organizations working to advance health equity and rwjf's policy priorities in new jersey | $2.4 million |
| Community Catalyst | 81739 ensuring that marketplace coverage meets the needs of systematically excluded communities that face high out-of-pocket costs | $2.2 million |
| Food Research and Action Center Inc | 80551 ramping up activities of rwjf's new jersey food security initiative to increase equitable access to healthy food in the state | $2.2 million |
| Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine | 81800 continuing to build rwjf's partners for advancing health equity program as a trusted leader in resources related to health equity | $2.1 million |
| Brookings Institution | 80600 advancing economic and racial inclusion through 'growth intermediaries' -- locally based and led institutions -- in small and midsize cities | $2.0 million |
| American Heart Association Inc | 79656 strengthening voices for healthy kids financially as it evolves from rwjf funding to a multifunder movement | $2.0 million |
| Charities Aid Foundation America | 81707 adding to the robert wood johnson foundation global fund as a donor-advised fund, 2024 | $2.0 million |
| Ms Foundation for Women Inc | 81482 supporting and growing a stronger, more effective u.s. Movement to advance birth justice, 2024-2026 | $2.0 million |
| National Health Law Program Inc (Nhelp) | 81557 general operating support for the national health law program, 2024-2025 | $2.0 million |
| Princeton Area Community Foundation Inc | 82346 creating the rwjf rapid response grant fund at the princeton area community foundation | $2.0 million |
| Drexel University | 81341 illuminating and addressing structural racism in the healthcare industry: building the field from the ground up | $2.0 million |
| Illinois Public Health Institute | 80167 supporting the data across sectors for health's national program office, 2022-2025 | $1.9 million |
| Sistersong Inc | 81471 general operating support for sistersong, 2024-2026 | $1.9 million |
| National Academy of Sciences | 82107 technical assistance and direction for the robert wood johnson foundation health policy fellows program, 2024-2025 | $1.8 million |
| Ideoorg | 81469 anchoring a vision for an abundant childcare system in the work of advocates to drive structural and systemic change in the childcare ecosystem | $1.8 million |
| Leadership Conference Education Fund Inc | 82231 continuing support for the data disaggregation action network in advancing state and federal policies to promote meaningful disaggregation of data | $1.8 million |
Officers and trustees
- Azita Emami
- David Williams
- Edgar Villanueva
- Jing Wang
- Julie Morita
- Julio Frenk
- Kathryn S Fuller
- Leah McCall Devlin
- May NG
- Melvin Galloway
- Michael E Sneed
- Patricia A Gabow
- Phyllis Wise
- Ricardo Castro
- Richard E Besser
Questions people ask
Does The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation accept grant applications?
Yes. Its latest IRS filing says it accepts applications, with this on deadlines: No deadlines, except when foundation issues a call for proposal (CFP) or request for proposal (RFP)..
How much does The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation give?
$661 million in tax year 2024, across 3,093 grants, with a typical grant of $40,000.
Who runs The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation?
Its 2024 filing lists Azita Emami (Trustee), David Williams (Trustee), Edgar Villanueva (Trustee) and Jing Wang (Trustee) among 15 officers and trustees.
What does The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation fund?
Based on its grants, mainly health, education and human services.