Open AccessField Building: Lessons From The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Anthology Series
Author(s) -
Stephen L. Isaacs,
James R. Knickman
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
health affairs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.837
H-Index - 178
eISSN - 2694-233X
pISSN - 0278-2715
DOI - 10.1377/hlthaff.24.4.1161
Subject(s) - foundation (evidence) , field (mathematics) , sociology , locality , political science , law , philosophy , mathematics , pure mathematics , linguistics
As editors of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's (RWJF's) anthology series, we have examined the entire range of the foundation's grant making since 1972. We found that the RWJF has enjoyed considerable success in building fields--from nurse practitioners to tobacco control to end-of-life care. The RWJF has done this by shaping fields as they were emerging, by adopting a wide-ranging "bear hug" approach, and by staying the course. The lessons from the RWJF's field-building efforts are relevant for both large and small foundations: Small funders can develop strategic plans aimed at building fields in their home state or locality.