ABSTRACT
The philanthropic sector is a key partner in collaborative efforts to improve population health at the local and national levels. Across the continuum of philanthropy, foundations have different operating characteristics, geographic foci, and priority funding areas, but still serve as critical resources to foster such collaborations. In this chapter, we briefl y describe different types of foundations, and provide a few examples of roles that they have played in addressing pressing population health problems. We provide a case study of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s role in improving population health, and describe its current strategic focus on building a national Culture of Health. The Culture of Health strategy is intended to be a catalyst for improving population health, well-being, and equity; we will describe how the Foundation is implementing this strategy through the Culture of Health Action Framework, and specifi c research and programmatic investments.
