3 ‘Core Commitments’ Guide Robert Wood Johnson Fund

In 1943, Robert Wood Johnson, creator of the foundation that bears his name, wrote a one-page document for Johnson & Johnson saying how he ranked the importance of the company’s constituencies.

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The primary loyalty of the company, he said, was to its customers; at the bottom of the list were the stockholders.

Following the model of its founder, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has come up with its own statement to show how it ranks the people it serves. The statement follows:

“Our first core commitment is to the American people. We will do this by being faithful to our mission of improving their health and health care. We should never forget that our fundamental purpose is to improve the lives of Americans, by both encouraging healthier living and the conditions that promote health, as well as by promoting positive changes in the way health care is delivered.

“Our second core commitment is to our constituents who help us fulfill our mission, as well as to the fields in which we work. As a grant-making organization, we act through our grantees. We have the responsibility to be open to the ideas of others, to select grantees in a manner that is fair as well as effective, to be courteous and prompt in responding to applicants, and be clear about how we monitor our grantees’ progress. We should do everything within our power to assure the success of our grantees and should respect their commitment to their work and to the institutions they represent. In addition, as the nation’s largest private foundation in health, we have a special responsibility to ensure the vitality of the fields of health, health care, and philanthropy. This entails training future leaders, assuring the integrity of vital national data, and educating the public.

“Our third core commitment is to our staff. Staff at all levels of the organization must meet the highest possible standards. Thus, we need to recruit the best possible talent, emphasize staff development, and prepare selected staff members for leadership positions in other organizations. Staff at all levels should be treated with respect and dignity, work in a supportive environment, and be held accountable for their work using fair performance standards.”