Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $543.6 million (2023)
Total Assets: $13.9 billion
Grant Range: $50,000 - $1,000,000+ (varies by program)
Decision Time: 3-6 months (varies by program)
Geographic Focus: United States and U.S. territories
Annual Grants Awarded: 2,943 grants (2023)

Contact Details

Address:
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
50 College Road East
Princeton, NJ 08540-6614

Phone:

US Toll Free: (877) 843-7953
International: +1 (609) 627-6000

Website: www.rwjf.org

Email: Contact forms available through website

Social Media:

Facebook: @RWJFoundation
LinkedIn: rwjfoundation
Instagram: @rwjfoundation

Overview

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is the nation's largest philanthropy dedicated exclusively to health, founded in 1972 with assets exceeding $13.9 billion. The foundation is a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health and working with others to achieve health equity faster. In 2014, RWJF announced a strategic shift from dividing efforts into separate health and healthcare silos to focus all work on one overarching goal: building a culture of health. The foundation has made a significant commitment to allocating the majority of its grantmaking dollars to marginalized communities and at least 25 percent to social justice strategies, such as advocacy, community organizing, and civic engagement. In 2023, RWJF awarded $543.6 million across 2,943 grants. RWJF received the 2025 NCRP Impact Award for its commitment to racial equity and social justice.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Exploring Equitable Futures

Amount: Flexible, no set amount (typically requesting what is needed to complete the project)
Duration: Generally 24-36 months
Focus: Projects that seed new and unconventional ideas that could radically advance health equity for generations to come, particularly within the Health Science Knowledge System
Application: Rolling basis until October 15, 2025

Local Data for Equitable Communities

Amount: $50,000 per grant
Duration: 9 months
Focus: Supporting nonprofit organizations to collect, analyze, and use data to address inequities in the physical, economic, and social conditions of a place
Grants Available: Up to 30 grants
Grant Start Date: July 15, 2025

Research to Advance Racial and Indigenous Health Equity

Amount: $50,000 - $200,000
Duration: Up to 24 months
Focus: Supporting community-driven research that uplifts the knowledge, expertise, and power of historically marginalized racial and Indigenous communities
Application Deadline: July 16, 2025 (Letters of Intent)

Rapid Response: Reinvesting in Racial and Indigenous Health Equity Research

Amount: $50,000 - $200,000 per award
Duration: Up to 24 months
Total Available: Up to $5 million
Focus: Supporting timely, actionable health equity research interrupted by federal funding shifts
Application Deadline: October 1, 2025

Systems for Action: Community-Led Systems Research

Amount: Up to $200,000
Duration: 12 months
Grants Available: Up to 5 awards
Focus: Community-led pilot studies producing actionable evidence about how medical, social, and public health systems can work together to address systemic racism

Pioneer Program (Pioneering Ideas)

Amount: Varies
Duration: Flexible
Focus: Innovative approaches to solving problems in health and healthcare; explores cutting-edge solutions
Application: Accepts unsolicited proposals on a rolling basis with no deadlines

Priority Areas

RWJF's work centers on systems change addressing:

Racial and Indigenous Health Equity: Dismantling structural racism in health systems; supporting marginalized communities
Social Determinants of Health: Housing, education, food access and affordability, employment, and economic opportunity
Data and Evidence: Broadening how data is collected, shared, and used; including cultural and community knowledge to prioritize health equity
Healthcare Access and Quality: Working toward affordable and respectful healthcare with a diverse workforce that values different cultures' approaches to health
Community Power and Social Justice: Advocacy, community organizing, and civic engagement strategies

Recent priorities include responding to federal funding cuts affecting public health research and supporting preservation of public health data infrastructure.

What They Don't Fund

Foreign organizations or international projects (focus is exclusively on U.S. and territories)
Organizations that are not tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
Ongoing general operating expenses or existing deficits
Endowment or capital costs
Basic biomedical research without clear health improvement connection
Research on drug therapies or devices
Direct support of individuals
End-of-life care (no longer a priority area)
Long-term care (no longer a priority area)
Specific chronic conditions not part of current strategies
Physical activity for adults age 50 or older (no longer a priority area)

Governance and Leadership

President and CEO:
Richard Besser, MD, former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and ABC News' former chief health and medical editor. Dr. Besser joined RWJF in April 2017 and has been a strong advocate for health equity. He has stated that the foundation's leadership "should be working nonstop to ensure health is no longer a privilege but a right."

Board Chair:
Starsky D. Wilson, DMin, MDiv, president and CEO of the Children's Defense Fund, became the first Black chair of RWJF's board of trustees in January 2025 (elected July 2024). He has served as a trustee since January 2022.

Recent Trustee Appointments (Effective April 22, 2025):

Daniel Dawes, JD: Senior vice president of global health at Meharry Medical College and founding dean of the School of Global Health; healthcare and public health leader, health policy expert, educator, author, and researcher
Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd: Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health with decades of experience as a public health director, educational leader, researcher, philanthropic strategist, and community advocate

Governance Structure:
The Board of Trustees is composed of leaders from a variety of sectors and communities who set policies that advance RWJF's work. The foundation has a Nominating and Governance Committee responsible for developing governance policies, establishing criteria for trustees, and assisting with trustee recruitment.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Call for Proposals (CFP):
Most RWJF funding is available through specific Calls for Proposals posted on the foundation's website. Each CFP has unique requirements, deadlines, and application processes. Application methods include:

Online application portals
Letters of Intent followed by full proposals
Rolling admissions (varies by program)
Fixed deadlines (varies by program)

Active funding opportunities are posted at: www.rwjf.org/en/grants/active-funding-opportunities.html

Unsolicited Proposals:
RWJF only accepts unsolicited proposals for its Pioneer program area. These can be submitted at any time on a rolling basis with no deadlines. Applicants must initiate the process by submitting a brief proposal form through the foundation's online system.

Eligibility:
RWJF supports public agencies, public charities, and/or organizations that are tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The foundation supports projects in the United States and U.S. territories.

Decision Timeline

The grant review process is multi-stage and typically takes 3-6 months from submission to decision, though this varies significantly by program.

Pioneer Program Review Process:

Stage 1: Staff member reviews for basic eligibility
Stage 2: At least two Pioneer team members review
Stage 3: Discussion by the larger Pioneer team

Proposals go through up to three rounds of reviews before a decision is made to either turn it down or request a full proposal. Depending on when an application is submitted, the funding decision may not be made until the next calendar year due to the steps in the review process.

Notification:
The foundation keeps applicants updated on the status of their application as it moves through the review process. Due to the large volume of applications, RWJF cannot provide individual critiques of letters of intent or unsuccessful proposals.

Success Rates

While RWJF does not publish specific acceptance rates, the foundation is described as having "rigorous" competition. In 2023, RWJF awarded 2,943 grants totaling $543.6 million. The foundation awards thousands of grants annually across various programs, ranging from $50,000 to several million dollars.

Reapplication Policy

Unsuccessful applicants are encouraged to reapply. For the Health Policy Fellows program specifically, applicants can apply a second or third time, and some fellows have been selected on their second or third attempt. The advisory board reviews all applications afresh every year and evaluates each candidate independently without referring back to previous submissions. This policy indicates that RWJF gives unsuccessful applicants a fresh start with each application cycle.

Application Success Factors

Alignment with Strategic Priorities:
"Applicants should carefully align their proposals with RWJF's strategic priorities to maximize their chances of securing funding." The foundation emphasizes that to succeed with RWJF grants, organizations must thoroughly understand the foundation's goals and application requirements.

Strong Focus on Health Equity:
RWJF looks for new ideas that can change healthcare and improve health equity. The foundation has committed to allocating the majority of its grantmaking dollars to marginalized communities and at least 25% to social justice strategies.

Clear Research Objectives and Planning:
Writing clear research objectives is key for RWJF grants. Focus on research goals, create a detailed budget, and demonstrate your project's potential for significant impact.

Collaborative Approaches and Stakeholder Engagement:
Effective stakeholder engagement is crucial for RWJF grants. Collaborative approaches show your project's potential for large-scale impact and systems change.

Community-Driven and Community-Centered Work:
The foundation increasingly prioritizes community-led research and projects that uplift the knowledge, expertise, and power of historically marginalized communities. Projects should demonstrate how communities are central to the design, implementation, and evaluation.

Measurable Outcomes and Scalable Models:
Successful applicants must demonstrate measurable outcomes, scalable models, and strong data governance. RWJF values projects that can produce actionable evidence and have potential for broader impact.

Innovation and Bold Ideas:
Particularly for the Pioneer program, RWJF seeks projects that "seed new and unconventional ideas" and "push beyond conventional thinking to explore solutions at the cutting edge of health and healthcare."

For Fellowship Applicants:
Ideal candidates have a record of exceptional professional accomplishment and are recognized experts within their profession, community, institution, or organization. "Individuals who are flexible, team players, and fast learners tend to be more successful. A positive attitude, confidence, sense of humor, humility, critical thinking, listening skills, discretion, and patience are highly regarded."

Recent Examples of Funded Projects:

The Data Foundation received $400,000 to systematically assess changes to America's data and evidence infrastructure (2024-2025)
$10 million in stop-gap funding for former NIH and CDC grantees affected by federal funding cuts (2025)
$20 million to support preservation of public health data (2025)
$10 million supporting local, data-driven studies on health inequities (2025)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Understand RWJF's commitment to health equity and social justice: The foundation has made addressing structural racism and supporting marginalized communities central to all its work. At least 25% of funding goes to social justice strategies.
Most funding requires responding to specific Calls for Proposals: Only the Pioneer program accepts unsolicited proposals. Monitor the active funding opportunities page regularly and sign up for funding alert emails.
Expect a multi-month review process: Plan for 3-6 months from submission to decision. Applications go through multiple review stages with various stakeholders.
Community-centered approaches are highly valued: Projects should demonstrate how communities—particularly marginalized racial and Indigenous communities—are leading the work, not just benefiting from it.
Persistence matters: Unsuccessful applicants are encouraged to reapply. The foundation reviews each application independently without referring to previous submissions.
Focus on systems change, not just direct service: RWJF prioritizes projects addressing root causes and systems-level barriers to health equity, including social determinants like housing, education, employment, and food access.
Be prepared to demonstrate scalability and measurable outcomes: Show how your project can produce actionable evidence and have impact beyond the immediate grant period.

References

Accessed: December 2025