Reflection on Ambassador James Joseph
On February 17th, the world lost a leader, an activist and a philanthropist with the passing of Ambassador James Joseph. We would like to take a moment to reflect on his rich legacy and substantial impact.

Ambassador Joseph had an esteemed career serving philanthropic organizations and the United States government, including several years as the U.S. Ambassador to South Africa. Throughout his career and in retirement, he was a powerful advocate for equity and social justice. As such, he had a profound role in shaping the organization that RMHF is today. 

We had the honor of hosting Ambassador Joseph in 2016 when he came to speak to us about “Private Philanthropy and the New Normal: Reimagining the Potential of a Foundation.”

At this time, RMHF was at a point of inflection as we began a new phase of strategic planning and considered what our focus and impact needed to be in the future. Ambassador Joseph’s inspiring and practical counsel helped us take important steps to become who we are today. 

Ambassador Joseph believed there was a very important role for smaller foundations to play in their communities – often one more powerful than they could see themselves. He helped us see the total impact that was possible and shared his thoughts on an integrated use of capital – social, moral, intellectual, reputational and financial – also known as SMIRF capital. It inspired us to take a deeper look at everything we had to offer our community to ensure we were fully leveraging all of our assets.
“I was grateful to have been a part of that engagement with Ambassador Joseph,” said Abraham Segres, Chair, RMHF Board of Trustees. “I recently re-read the speech he gave that day, and as I reflected on his words, I was struck by their influence on RMHF and how we operate today. It was, and continues to be, a real honor and source of inspiration to have connected with Ambassador Joseph.”
Ambassador Joseph ended his speech in the same way he ended many other speeches of this nature. “When foundations provide help, they provide hope, and the gift of hope is as big a gift as the gift of life itself.” Today and always, we honor his wise words, his humanitarian efforts and the long legacy of hope he has imparted.
RMHF Continues Impact Investing Journey with Support to PCDC to Work with CAHN
Since 2016, RMHF has deployed Impact Investing strategies in alignment with our mission of fostering an equitable and healthy Richmond region. Our newest partner in this journey is Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC). PCDC is a community development financial institution (CDFI) that supports healthy, thriving communities across the country through capital financing, expertise and advocacy.
 
Through an RMHF grant, PCDC will support Capital Area Health Network (CAHN) by providing on-the-ground expertise to support strategic planning and productivity improvements. PCDC is also providing a two-part training on capital project planning and finance to CAHN’s Board of Directors and leadership. CAHN is designated as a Federally Qualified Health Center. Its mission is to “provide effective, accessible and culturally responsive patient care, education and advocacy that promote health and quality of life for all residents in Metropolitan Richmond.”
 
Since PCDC was founded in 1993, they have provided capital and services in 43 states, created or maintained 2.2 million square feet of clinic space, and helped 5,000+ practices through training and capacity building efforts.
Mental Health Collaborative
RMHF is collaborating with 17 other philanthropic foundations from throughout Virginia to support the Virginia Mental Health Access Program (VMAP) through expanded REACH behavioral health trainings for primary care providers across the Commonwealth. More than $170,000 has been contributed by these foundations in an effort to address the growing need for improved access and treatment of child and adolescent mental health care.
Grants Awarded
RMHF has recently approved grants to the following organizations:

Collaborative

Impact Investing

General Operating Support

Capacity Building 

Opportunity Investments 

We also recently launched a new grant opportunity: Addressing Community Violence & Promoting Community Healing. We are accepting applications, and awards will be announced in early June.

Interested in applying for any of our grant opportunities? 
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