Our Home State:
New Jersey
New Jersey has a lot to be proud of when it comes to health, but there also are wide, persistent—and in some cases, growing—gaps in health across the state. A series of comprehensive, equity-promoting policies are needed to ensure that everyone in our state has a fair and just opportunity to live the healthiest life possible.
Research
A Policy Agenda for a Healthier, More Equitable New Jersey
Providing context and data to support informed decisions to address structural racism in policies, practices, and systems and to empower communities and individuals so that each person in N.J. can thrive.
Featured Content
Seizing the Moment: Creating NJ's First Public Health Institute
RWJF and the newly announced incubator organization of the public health institute (PHI) are looking to make the longtime goal of a state PHI a reality. Read the report.
Areas of Focus
Structural racism, compounded through generations of policies and practices, causes different New Jersey populations to experience vastly different realities. Our work seeks to address the drivers of inequitable health conditions in three key areas:
Advancing birth equity in New Jersey
Black people in New Jersey are seven times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white people. To end such disparities, the systems that serve populations of color need targeted improvements in prevention, care, and support.
Making safe, affordable housing available to all
New Jersey has among the highest housing costs in the country and millions of residents—largely people of color—are segregated and effectively shut out of opportunities to live in the kinds of homes and communities to which they aspire This is a major barrier to good health.
Creating a stronger public health infrastructure
The COVID-19 pandemic called attention to—and worsened—the impact of racism and inequity on the lives of people of color and residents with low incomes. As New Jersey turns to recover and repair, a revitalized public health system is crucial to making sure history does not repeat itself.
Trending News, Insights & Evidence
A collection of trending topics, thought leadership, and research about our work to build a Culture of Health here at home in New Jersey.
Advancing racial equity to achieve health equity
Racial disparities in health access and outcomes remain 'embedded' in N.J.
Trenton must do more to help N.J.’s hungry
Featured Initiatives
We work alongside organizations large and small to address issues critical to making health equity a reality for everyone living in our home state.
New Jersey Health Initiatives
A national program from RWJF dedicated to supporting innovations and driving conversations to create healthier New Jersey communities.
New Jersey YMCA State Alliance
The Alliance fosters a greater ability for YMCAs, community partners, and thought leadership across the state to impact families, improve community health, and advance equity.
Rutgers Center for State Health Policy
The Center provides analytic expertise in areas that include Access and Coverage, Health and Long-Term Care Workforce, and Health System Performance.
Jegna Council
The Jegna Council is an advisory group that guides our New Jersey grantmaking team as they strive to more effectively center equity in their work and build power across the state, with an intentional focus on communities that have historically lacked opportunities to live their healthiest life.