What is the Wisdom Council? The Wisdom Council is an advisory group of 13 bold truthtellers and advocates, who will provide expert guidance as RWJF engages in an institutional Truth, Repair and Transformation (TRT) process. The members bring deep historical understanding of and expertise in healthcare, public health, community organizing, philanthropy, and the field of institutional truth, repair and transformation. They will partner with RWJF in the early stages of our truth process, so we can make bolder practice shifts that enable RWJF to be a more equitable and accountable philanthropy and more fully live into our shared purpose and values.
What will the Wisdom Council do? This Council is the next step in RWJF’s Truth, Repair and Transformation process, which seeks to understand the origins, growth, and distribution of our wealth, as well as the culture that enables it, and use what we learn to repair and transform how we work. The Wisdom Council will help review themes and findings identified by our historian and TRT staff workgroups, and inform the design of Public Listening Sessions to engage with partners and communities impacted by identified themes. The Council will provide recommendations based on what we learn in our historical research and community sessions, that will in turn shape how the Foundation engages in repair and transformation in the years to come.
Read more about the Wisdom Council and the Foundation's work on equity and justice from our Vice President of Equity and Culture, Fiona Kanagasingam, and Assistant Vice President for Equity and Social Justice, Maisha Simmons.
Council Member Perspectives
The philanthropy sector has a long history of being associated with the concentration of wealth and capital in a few hands. Even as it has claimed to be in the public interest, it has often replicated dominant structures of systemic racism, sexism, and discrimination. Serving on this council gives me a chance to contribute towards a more inclusive and just transformation of the sector in which I have spent most of my professional career.
Kavita Ramdas, founder and principal, KNR Sisters
In order to bring about effective systems change in a very important organization, the Wisdom Council will be able to effectively guide the Foundation to come up with appropriate responses and opportunities in order to address historical wrongs.
Keith Jones, president and CEO, SoulTouchin’ Experiences, LLC
Philanthropy’s history of wealth generation presents a unique opportunity and responsibility. Intentional or not, all the stats we quote about disparities in our communities happened because of a series of conscious decisions made by very real people. We cannot talk about wealth in this country without talking about racial injustice. I think if foundation histories were more widely known, it would add context to the power dynamics within the sector and allow for meaningful and radical progress.
Katherine Ponce, senior research manager for special projects, National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy
I am honored to be a part of the Foundation’s Truth, Repair and Transformation Wisdom Council because our experiences at the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust have shown us that real transformation requires looking internally first. There is no trust without truth, and the Trust’s truth and repair journey about the origin of our funds and where we may have caused harm has strengthened our work and our grantee relationships. It is inspiring to see RWJF, a critical leader in the field, embark on this process. I look forward to playing a role on the Wisdom Council, and I am hopeful that RWJF will inspire other funders and organizations on this journey as well.
Dr. Laura Gerald, president, Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust
I decided to join the TRT Wisdom Council because the practice of recognizing harm and repairing relationships is central to all social change work. This practice will be a helpful model for our sector which often needs to contend with the shadow sides of our origins, past grantmaking decisions, and investment approaches. My hope is that those people and communities harmed by these practices will find relief and respect in this work. It is a privilege to walk alongside the RWJF team through this work.
Dr. Carmen Rojas, president and CEO, Marguerite Casey Foundation
I truly believe that the wellbeing of all of us as humans and more than human beings exists in a web of interconnectedness. Living a good way of life means that we must work to heal the harms associated with colonization, systemic oppression, and other injustices that truly hurt everyone. As Indigenous scientist and author Robin Wall Kimmerer attests, 'all flourishing is mutual.' Looking back in a spirit of repair and healing in this collective way is a difficult but critical endeavor.
Melissa Walls, PhD, MS, professor at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
I am honored to have been invited to serve as part of this diverse community and appreciate the courage that the leadership of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is demonstrating during these turbulent times.
Dr. Gail C. Christopher, executive director, National Collaborative for Health Equity
The TRT Wisdom Council is one of the most inspiring initiatives I've seen undertaken by a major philanthropic organization. I'm honored to support RWJF in its commitment to being accountable to historically marginalized communities. I applaud RWJF in its leadership in intentionally doing its part to ensure that past harms are confronted and addressed, as well as its role in serving as a model for the type of restorative justice that should be universally implemented.
Jacqueline Patterson, founder and executive director, Chisholm Legacy Project: A Resource Hub for Black Frontline Climate Justice Leadership
I joined the TRT Wisdom Council because it resonates deeply with my lifelong commitment to social justice and equity. By bringing my expertise in social justice investing and my personal experiences with systemic inequities to this work, I hope to support RWJF in creating meaningful, lasting impact for historically marginalized communities. The TRT Wisdom Council offers a unique opportunity to engage in truth-telling, repair, and accountability—essential elements for sustaining change that leads to lasting health equity and justice. Through this process, we can help RWJF examine its legacy, learn from past missteps, and chart a path forward that truly centers the voices and needs of those most impacted by structural racism and other barriers to health.
Rachel J. Robasciotti, founder and co-CEO of Adasina Social Capital
Council Member Biographies
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RWJF is working toward a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right for everyone—no matter who they are, where they live, or howmuch money they have.
RWJF’s TRT process helps us address the root causes of health disparities by more explicitly focusing on truth-telling, repair, and accountability as necessary conditions for health equity and justice.