Forward Promise reflects the Foundation’s belief that it is essential to focus on what makes people healthy—or unhealthy—from a perspective that includes factors outside of the medical care system. Social influences rooted in our neighborhoods, housing, schools, jobs, and economic security have a powerful effect on our health. Across most of these areas, however, boys and young men of color often have limited positive options.
With this initiative, and together with other foundations and organizations active in this arena, we want to vastly expand the potential for boys and young men of color to grow up healthy, obtain a good education, and find meaningful employment. Together we can realize a future where young men of color have the opportunity to become healthy adults who contribute to their communities and society.
June 2013: This invitation-only gathering will bring together front-line innovators, scholars, policy-makers, funders, media professionals and advocates for ongoing information sharing and strategy development.
In June 2012, RWJF convened more than 100 leaders working to address the unique set of challenges facing young men of color in America. Our goal was to start a conversation about how we can better support one another in our work, coordinate to make the biggest impact in the lives of young men of color, and take this work to scale and make it sustainable.
“Investing in Boys and Young Men of Color: The Promise and Opportunity” highlights key challenges, recommendations, and ideas for action to improve health, education, and employment outcomes for young men of color.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation announced a new Call for Proposals for Forward Promise, a $9.5 million initiative that focuses on innovative, community-based projects working to strengthen health, education, and employment outcomes for middle school- and high school-aged boys and young men of color.
In late 2011, RWJF issued the Forward Promise Call for Ideas to gather information about innovative program models that would help young men of color succeed in life, school and work. This was an experiment for us: an attempt to learn from those already working in this area to ensure our resulting funding strategy has the impact we hope it will.
As RWJF's Program Officer for Forward Promise, Maisha is on the frontlines of the Foundation's grantmaking strategy to improve the health and success of young boys and men of color.
