In September 2011, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) announced a new $100 million Impact Capital Initiative developed to leverage grantmaking dollars through a series of program-related investments (PRIs) and strategic partnerships. The Foundation’s goal with this three-year (2011–2013) effort is to go beyond traditional grantmaking, to drive social change, achieve measurable impact and collaborate with partners who can help us improve the nation’s health.

The Foundation’s history of program-related investing and strategic collaborations is long, but not very deep. Our work in this area started over 30 years ago with our first PRI to the United Student Aid Funds, to be used as collateral for scholarships for needy women and rural and minority medical students. We continued that work through our support of organizations like the Corporation for Supportive Housing, the Nurse-Family Partnership and NCB Capital Impact, the parent of the Green House program, as well as long-established programs like the RWJF Local Funding Partnerships.

The Impact Capital fund will allow the Foundation to be more explicit about expectations and outcomes and strategize about who should be at the table with us as partners as we seek to find, develop and grow the most promising organizations and programs to improve the health and health care of all Americans.

Presented within these pages are related publications that provide more information about the Foundation’s Impact Capital Initiative and related projects, including an interview with Forbes Magazine and Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of RWJF.

The Foundation expects to announce additional investments under this endeavor over the next three years.