The Targeted End-of-Life Projects Initiative supports solicited and unsolicited projects that advance the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's (RWJF) strategic objective to improve care at the end of life. RWJF has pursued three strategies in its effort to improve care at the end of life:

1. To improve the knowledge and capacity of health care professionals and others to care for the dying.
2. To improve the institutional environment in health care institutions and in public policies and regulatory apparatus to enable better care of the dying.
3. To engage the public and professionals in efforts to improve end-of-life care.

RWJF Strategy
RWJF has pursued these strategies through national programs, in addition to the Targeted End-of-Life Initiative:

• Center to Advance Palliative Care. A center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City to increase the number of hospitals that have the capability to provide quality palliative care; create sufficient momentum that hospital-based palliative care becomes a standard practice in comprehensive patient care; and provide leadership in the development of standards for palliative care programs. See www.capc.org.
• Community-State Partnerships to Improve End-of-Life Care. This program supports the work of state-based commissions and task forces to identify and implement changes in policy and practice to improve care for people at the end of life.
• Last Acts®. A national communications campaign that mobilizes professional and consumer organizations in efforts to improve end-of-life care. See www.lastacts.org.
• Promoting Excellence in End-of-Life Care. This program seeks to foster long-term changes in health care institutions to substantially improve care for dying persons and their families. Key issues include improving pain and symptom management, involving the patient and family in decision-making, lessening the burden on family and loved ones, preserving dignity, meeting spiritual needs, and allowing for bereavement. See www.promotingexcellence.org.

RWJF has also supported many projects in pursuit of these strategies outside of these programs and the Targeted End-of-Life Initiative.

The Program
RWJF staff manages the Targeted End-of-Life Initiative internally. Program staff seek out projects of national significance, often from key national organizations or institutions with unique research or communications capability. Since many of the projects are solicited or in response to discussions initiated by RWJF program staff, there has been no general call for proposals. The structure of the program allows RWJF to accelerate positive change in the field and to improve the timeliness of its grantmaking. RWJF's goal has been to leverage significant improvement in care at the end of life.

The RWJF Board of Trustees originally authorized this initiative in January 1998. The Board reauthorized the initiative in January 1999, April 2000 and January 2002 for a total authorization of $33,414,441. As of May 15, 2003, eight planning and 109 implementation awards have been made under this initiative.

The Project List lists the projects by strategic objective on which there are Grant Results. Additional results are added to the list as they are completed.