Our Strategy

The Rhode Island Foundation will be a proactive community and philanthropic leader to meet the needs of the people of Rhode Island.

This strategy – which will guide our work for the next three to five years – will enable the Foundation to be a catalyst for positive change in Rhode Island by actively inspiring philanthropy and working with individual, business, government, and community partners to develop solutions to longstanding challenges; it will enable us to create maximum positive impact through our grantmaking, outreach, and other investments in the community.

• Renewal of our commitment to grantmaking in six sectors: education, health, human services, arts and culture, environment, and community development, with a special focus on signature initiatives in public education and health, incorporating policy advocacy, fundraising, and leadership to create positive change;
• Focused and streamlined grantmaking to more quickly and effectively respond to the needs of the state’s nonprofit organizations, and to maximize impact;
• Proactive fundraising to inspire philanthropy and to build additional permanent philanthropic capital so that we may continue to increase our investments in Rhode Island; and
• Measuring, learning from, and sharing the impact of our efforts in order to better serve Rhode Island and meet the state’s needs.