Since my last message, I had an energizing, inspiring few months at conferences and convenings, where I met and reconnected with so many stewards who are working to help their communities thrive and are addressing the injustices that keep so many people in patterns of struggling and suffering. Unfortunately, the hope and inspiration I felt has since been tempered by reminders of how fragile the progress of system change can be. As I began to draft this message, I found my heart heavy with reminders of this—the recent rulings from the Supreme Court, the continued news of gun violence and division in our communities, state laws restricting access to factual history in our schools and lifesaving health care in our clinics, and the unacceptable differences in Black maternal health outcomes—all threats to democracy and our collective well-being, to belonging and civic muscle, to underserved and underrepresented populations, and to the quest for a just and equitable society.
There is nothing I can write to fully capture the legal and social implications of the recent Supreme Court rulings, and I am in no position to offer anything that our BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ friends can’t say a thousand times better about the impact of these events on their lives. What I hope I can speak to responsibly is that although these examples offer a glimpse into the values of some, by every measure I can gather, be it polling, conversation, or news article, it is also clear that they are out of touch with the hearts of the majority of Americans—an exhausted majority, sitting on the sidelines as the institutions we rely on continue to act in divisive and harmful ways.
But I also hold to the belief that this is no time to be discouraged. These events continue to remind us why truly embracing belonging and reinforcing that we need and value each other is essential. History has shown us that as systems fail—as they very clearly are—this is when people rise. The enduring spirit of humanity that consistently rises to meet the challenges of our times is still present. The value and impact that building belonging and civic muscle can have on the well-being of a community is profound. This is not an overnight solution, and it requires the courage to reframe what we count as success and impact. The time horizon for the return on our investments in belonging and well-being does not match a budget or election cycle, but it is nevertheless a worthwhile and enduring return.
In order for Rippel to fully contribute to the healing our country needs, we are committing to what I refer to as a culture upgrade for our own organization. Not an overhaul—and not simply tweaking the margins. In the last year, we have very intentionally recruited significant new talent to the Rippel team, including adding a new member to our Board of Trustees and two new members to our leadership team. A third of our staff has joined Rippel within the past year, presenting both opportunities and challenges for an organization of our size. Fostering a culture that both honors our history and values the contributions of new people with different experiences is not an easy task, and we have skinned our knees as we are learning to walk in the new strength of our diversity as an organization. I know that we cannot be our best—we cannot run at full speed as this moment requires of us—without being intentional about how we show up internally as an organization. We are a reflection of the same changes we are calling for in the broader world. How we treat each other matters, not just for each team member, but for the energy and the spirit with which we carry our work into the world.
Like many, I struggle to find the right balance of when to speak out on each new threat to our democracy, with the knowledge that real change will come not through words but tangible and meaningful actions—repeated actions over time. Through each event we are reminded that staying focused on where we can have an impact is the very thing we need to do—and will continue to do with urgency. Rippel joined with our peers by signing on to a recent philanthropic joint statement, and we will speak out more vocally when we feel that our voice can contribute. We will continue to prioritize doing the hard work to amplify a unifying narrative that is needed now more than ever; to promote ways to bridge our differences; and to center belonging and engaging in our democracy through our civic muscle toward a future where the vital conditions necessary for all to thrive are present and enduring in our country. These are the strategic commitments that we are focusing our energy on at Rippel, and we encourage you to join us and others in this movement to thrive together.
Becky Payne President and CEO
Our Commitments for the Coming Decade
Dear Friends,
In my last message I introduced Rippel’s new strategic roadmap. It is the culmination of years of refinement through action learning cycles, numerous joint ventures with partners at local and national levels, and a continuous commitment to remain curious and focused on what it takes to achieve equitable health and well-being in our country. Our vision of a system of health that focuses on health and well-being—not just health care—a system that is thriving, equitable, and sustainable, remains ever relevant. And while this vision is ambitious, it is not unattainable. We must continue to stay the course, taking the long-term view and focusing on efforts that will create meaningful and enduring systems change.
Like many of you, I am increasingly alarmed at the fracture, anger, violence, and racial injustice seemingly eroding the very fabric of our society. But I am equally hopeful and inspired by the many bright spots we see, where justice is being fought for, courage is winning the battle against division, and fellow stewards are finding each other. It shows that we share more in common than it may sometimes seem. It is only by coming together, connecting with one another on a human level, working through legacies of injustice and suffering, and focusing on what unites us that we will truly be successful in expanding the vital conditions that we all need to thrive together.
We can choose to rewrite the rules so that we move away from decisions that serve individual interests, where every gain for you means a loss for me, and instead return to the values of this country where the importance of connection at the social, political, and economic levels was appreciated and valued. We have strayed far from that ideal in our nation over time—atrocities inflicted on our indigenous peoples, the scourge of slavery, and other harmful legacies. These legacies have sown seeds that have grown into today’s soaring disparities in every metric a civil society should be measured by—wealth, education, and health.
But there is hope. We have witnessed inspiring and powerful examples of joining together across differences to aim for something beyond all of us—the civil rights movement, our national response to 9/11, and our collective efforts to aid communities recovering from natural disasters. How do we convert that episodic American spirit of collective sacrifice and shared problem solving into a daily practice to create enduring change to the systems that leave countless people excluded from the promise of the American dream?
I don’t suggest that I have the answers, but we are hungry to connect with like-minded stewards who share our ambition for a different future.
Over the next decade, Rippel will work with other stewards to strengthen the growing movement to thrive together by focusing on the four commitments in our strategic roadmap: to foster and reinforce a unifying narrative, bridge differences, invest in vital conditions for well-being, and measure and make visible the broader movement to thrive together. These strategic priorities will guide our work as well as our offerings to all of you.
As we kick off our 70th year, we are excited to launch several new initiatives. In April, we welcomed several close friends of ReThink Health, who spent a day with us co-designing an inaugural cohort of current and former partners. This will be a powerful platform for peer learning, storytelling, problem solving, and strengthening connections across communities working toward the same ideals. I am also thrilled to share that we just redesigned our website, making it easier for you to learn about our mission, our work and resources, and the growing movement to thrive together. In May, we will offer the first in a series of ongoing ReThink Health Toolbox webinars—introducing you to our core frameworks and tools and making them freely available to stewards everywhere. And we will increasingly use storytelling to make available the lessons we have gathered from changemakers across the country. Recognizing that stories are powerful sources of courage and practical inspiration through the examples of others, we will soon be releasing a platform to collect stories from stewards everywhere.
Joining Rippel was an intentional move toward greater alignment for me personally—committing the next act of my professional life to an organization deep in talent, ambition, and desire to create a better world for all. Our next chapter as an organization is about ensuring that we bring a laser focus to what it will take to achieve that ambitious future. I invite each of you to join us in aligning your abundant personal, organizational, and community assets with the work to create a future where all people and all places can thrive, no exceptions!
Becky Payne President and CEO
New Year, Renewed Commitment to Thrive Together
Dear Friends,
As we turn the calendar, it is tradition to reflect on the year past and refocus our intentions on the year ahead. This year I find myself embarking on this annual ritual with a profound sense of gratitude and humble responsibility as I start the year in my new role as President and CEO of The Rippel Foundation. When I joined Rippel as an Executive Vice President a little over a year ago, it was an opportunity to recommit to the work that first ignited my passion in public health and public service—the ideal that we can come together across communities to shape an equitable future in which health and well-being are truly accessible to all.
It makes me smile to think that my personal growth at this moment is very similar to that of Rippel. After more than 20 years in government service at the state and federal levels, I have the benefit of experience that time affords. At the same time, I am new to the field of philanthropy and recognize that there is much to learn. As Rippel enters its 70th year, it too has a rich history of expertise and accomplishments—and yet, it is relatively young following its reinvention 15 years ago through the ReThink Health initiative. We are at once “elders” and still in our youth. I firmly believe that is our mutual strength, because the work that lies ahead calls for the patience, wisdom, and humility that comes with experience, and the energy, hope, and ambition of youth.
At a time when we are faced with daily reminders of how unjust systems have failed so many fellow Americans, and the compound crises of climate change, inadequate health care, continued racial disparities, and a generation more familiar with active shooter drills than the freedom to play carefree through their neighborhood, it can seem like we are slipping backward. I will not suggest that the path toward a brighter future is easy, but I do insist that it is visible should we choose to follow it. It requires us to truly sit with our legacies of injustice, the pain they have caused, and the ways that they have led us into our fractured systems. We must hear, see, and feel each other to imagine a path forward that intentionally dismantles systemic injustices and promises never to repeat them. We must build our resolve to choose differently, knowing that business-as-usual practices do not serve us on a path to well-being.
At Rippel, we embrace complexity, strive to be a learning organization, and believe deeply that a hopeful, abundant, equitable future in which we all thrive together is more than a starry-eyed vision—it is an expectation that can and must be achieved by working together. We know there are bright spots across the country where shared stewardship is taking hold and communities are fostering belonging and building civic muscle—an antidote to our fractured times. Every day, people are stepping forward, demonstrating care for one another, and engaging in productive dialogue that respects and builds on our differences to design a future worthy of generations to come. These are the courageous acts we need to make visible, learn from, and replicate.
We have an exciting year ahead at Rippel. I invite you to join us as we commit to our next decade of catalytic change by focusing on four strategic aims that will advance the wider movement to thrive together:
fostering a new narrative of hope and abundance;
bridging differences in order to design new approaches toward a more equitable and thriving future;
facilitating commitments from leaders to align investments to the for well-being; and
building our shared ability to measure progress on the rise in stewardship and presence of the vital conditions.
It feels like a tremendous gift to wake up every day and work with dedicated stewards across so many communities and organizations that are committed to a better future. We are eager to partner with individuals and institutions to learn, grow, commit to action, and co-invest in achieving these aims. We don’t have all the answers, but we thrive on the promise of collectively moving toward our north star with each and every one of you.
My warmest wishes for a year ahead that builds toward a future of renewal and hope for us all.
Equitable Society
Toward a Just and
Equitable Society
Dear Friends,
Since my last message, I had an energizing, inspiring few months at conferences and convenings, where I met and reconnected with so many stewards who are working to help their communities thrive and are addressing the injustices that keep so many people in patterns of struggling and suffering. Unfortunately, the hope and inspiration I felt has since been tempered by reminders of how fragile the progress of system change can be. As I began to draft this message, I found my heart heavy with reminders of this—the recent rulings from the Supreme Court, the continued news of gun violence and division in our communities, state laws restricting access to factual history in our schools and lifesaving health care in our clinics, and the unacceptable differences in Black maternal health outcomes—all threats to democracy and our collective well-being, to belonging and civic muscle, to underserved and underrepresented populations, and to the quest for a just and equitable society.
There is nothing I can write to fully capture the legal and social implications of the recent Supreme Court rulings, and I am in no position to offer anything that our BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ friends can’t say a thousand times better about the impact of these events on their lives. What I hope I can speak to responsibly is that although these examples offer a glimpse into the values of some, by every measure I can gather, be it polling, conversation, or news article, it is also clear that they are out of touch with the hearts of the majority of Americans—an exhausted majority, sitting on the sidelines as the institutions we rely on continue to act in divisive and harmful ways.
But I also hold to the belief that this is no time to be discouraged. These events continue to remind us why truly embracing belonging and reinforcing that we need and value each other is essential. History has shown us that as systems fail—as they very clearly are—this is when people rise. The enduring spirit of humanity that consistently rises to meet the challenges of our times is still present. The value and impact that building belonging and civic muscle can have on the well-being of a community is profound. This is not an overnight solution, and it requires the courage to reframe what we count as success and impact. The time horizon for the return on our investments in belonging and well-being does not match a budget or election cycle, but it is nevertheless a worthwhile and enduring return.
In order for Rippel to fully contribute to the healing our country needs, we are committing to what I refer to as a culture upgrade for our own organization. Not an overhaul—and not simply tweaking the margins. In the last year, we have very intentionally recruited significant new talent to the Rippel team, including adding a new member to our Board of Trustees and two new members to our leadership team. A third of our staff has joined Rippel within the past year, presenting both opportunities and challenges for an organization of our size. Fostering a culture that both honors our history and values the contributions of new people with different experiences is not an easy task, and we have skinned our knees as we are learning to walk in the new strength of our diversity as an organization. I know that we cannot be our best—we cannot run at full speed as this moment requires of us—without being intentional about how we show up internally as an organization. We are a reflection of the same changes we are calling for in the broader world. How we treat each other matters, not just for each team member, but for the energy and the spirit with which we carry our work into the world.
Like many, I struggle to find the right balance of when to speak out on each new threat to our democracy, with the knowledge that real change will come not through words but tangible and meaningful actions—repeated actions over time. Through each event we are reminded that staying focused on where we can have an impact is the very thing we need to do—and will continue to do with urgency. Rippel joined with our peers by signing on to a recent philanthropic joint statement, and we will speak out more vocally when we feel that our voice can contribute. We will continue to prioritize doing the hard work to amplify a unifying narrative that is needed now more than ever; to promote ways to bridge our differences; and to center belonging and engaging in our democracy through our civic muscle toward a future where the vital conditions necessary for all to thrive are present and enduring in our country. These are the strategic commitments that we are focusing our energy on at Rippel, and we encourage you to join us and others in this movement to thrive together.
Becky Payne
President and CEO
Our Commitments for the Coming Decade
Dear Friends,
In my last message I introduced Rippel’s new strategic roadmap. It is the culmination of years of refinement through action learning cycles, numerous joint ventures with partners at local and national levels, and a continuous commitment to remain curious and focused on what it takes to achieve equitable health and well-being in our country. Our vision of a system of health that focuses on health and well-being—not just health care—a system that is thriving, equitable, and sustainable, remains ever relevant. And while this vision is ambitious, it is not unattainable. We must continue to stay the course, taking the long-term view and focusing on efforts that will create meaningful and enduring systems change.
Like many of you, I am increasingly alarmed at the fracture, anger, violence, and racial injustice seemingly eroding the very fabric of our society. But I am equally hopeful and inspired by the many bright spots we see, where justice is being fought for, courage is winning the battle against division, and fellow stewards are finding each other. It shows that we share more in common than it may sometimes seem. It is only by coming together, connecting with one another on a human level, working through legacies of injustice and suffering, and focusing on what unites us that we will truly be successful in expanding the vital conditions that we all need to thrive together.
We can choose to rewrite the rules so that we move away from decisions that serve individual interests, where every gain for you means a loss for me, and instead return to the values of this country where the importance of connection at the social, political, and economic levels was appreciated and valued. We have strayed far from that ideal in our nation over time—atrocities inflicted on our indigenous peoples, the scourge of slavery, and other harmful legacies. These legacies have sown seeds that have grown into today’s soaring disparities in every metric a civil society should be measured by—wealth, education, and health.
But there is hope. We have witnessed inspiring and powerful examples of joining together across differences to aim for something beyond all of us—the civil rights movement, our national response to 9/11, and our collective efforts to aid communities recovering from natural disasters. How do we convert that episodic American spirit of collective sacrifice and shared problem solving into a daily practice to create enduring change to the systems that leave countless people excluded from the promise of the American dream?
I don’t suggest that I have the answers, but we are hungry to connect with like-minded stewards who share our ambition for a different future.
Over the next decade, Rippel will work with other stewards to strengthen the growing movement to thrive together by focusing on the four commitments in our strategic roadmap: to foster and reinforce a unifying narrative, bridge differences, invest in vital conditions for well-being, and measure and make visible the broader movement to thrive together. These strategic priorities will guide our work as well as our offerings to all of you.
As we kick off our 70th year, we are excited to launch several new initiatives. In April, we welcomed several close friends of ReThink Health, who spent a day with us co-designing an inaugural cohort of current and former partners. This will be a powerful platform for peer learning, storytelling, problem solving, and strengthening connections across communities working toward the same ideals. I am also thrilled to share that we just redesigned our website, making it easier for you to learn about our mission, our work and resources, and the growing movement to thrive together. In May, we will offer the first in a series of ongoing ReThink Health Toolbox webinars—introducing you to our core frameworks and tools and making them freely available to stewards everywhere. And we will increasingly use storytelling to make available the lessons we have gathered from changemakers across the country. Recognizing that stories are powerful sources of courage and practical inspiration through the examples of others, we will soon be releasing a platform to collect stories from stewards everywhere.
Joining Rippel was an intentional move toward greater alignment for me personally—committing the next act of my professional life to an organization deep in talent, ambition, and desire to create a better world for all. Our next chapter as an organization is about ensuring that we bring a laser focus to what it will take to achieve that ambitious future. I invite each of you to join us in aligning your abundant personal, organizational, and community assets with the work to create a future where all people and all places can thrive, no exceptions!
Becky Payne
President and CEO
New Year, Renewed Commitment to Thrive Together
Dear Friends,
As we turn the calendar, it is tradition to reflect on the year past and refocus our intentions on the year ahead. This year I find myself embarking on this annual ritual with a profound sense of gratitude and humble responsibility as I start the year in my new role as President and CEO of The Rippel Foundation. When I joined Rippel as an Executive Vice President a little over a year ago, it was an opportunity to recommit to the work that first ignited my passion in public health and public service—the ideal that we can come together across communities to shape an equitable future in which health and well-being are truly accessible to all.
It makes me smile to think that my personal growth at this moment is very similar to that of Rippel. After more than 20 years in government service at the state and federal levels, I have the benefit of experience that time affords. At the same time, I am new to the field of philanthropy and recognize that there is much to learn. As Rippel enters its 70th year, it too has a rich history of expertise and accomplishments—and yet, it is relatively young following its reinvention 15 years ago through the ReThink Health initiative. We are at once “elders” and still in our youth. I firmly believe that is our mutual strength, because the work that lies ahead calls for the patience, wisdom, and humility that comes with experience, and the energy, hope, and ambition of youth.
At a time when we are faced with daily reminders of how unjust systems have failed so many fellow Americans, and the compound crises of climate change, inadequate health care, continued racial disparities, and a generation more familiar with active shooter drills than the freedom to play carefree through their neighborhood, it can seem like we are slipping backward. I will not suggest that the path toward a brighter future is easy, but I do insist that it is visible should we choose to follow it. It requires us to truly sit with our legacies of injustice, the pain they have caused, and the ways that they have led us into our fractured systems. We must hear, see, and feel each other to imagine a path forward that intentionally dismantles systemic injustices and promises never to repeat them. We must build our resolve to choose differently, knowing that business-as-usual practices do not serve us on a path to well-being.
At Rippel, we embrace complexity, strive to be a learning organization, and believe deeply that a hopeful, abundant, equitable future in which we all thrive together is more than a starry-eyed vision—it is an expectation that can and must be achieved by working together. We know there are bright spots across the country where shared stewardship is taking hold and communities are fostering belonging and building civic muscle—an antidote to our fractured times. Every day, people are stepping forward, demonstrating care for one another, and engaging in productive dialogue that respects and builds on our differences to design a future worthy of generations to come. These are the courageous acts we need to make visible, learn from, and replicate.
We have an exciting year ahead at Rippel. I invite you to join us as we commit to our next decade of catalytic change by focusing on four strategic aims that will advance the wider movement to thrive together:
It feels like a tremendous gift to wake up every day and work with dedicated stewards across so many communities and organizations that are committed to a better future. We are eager to partner with individuals and institutions to learn, grow, commit to action, and co-invest in achieving these aims. We don’t have all the answers, but we thrive on the promise of collectively moving toward our north star with each and every one of you.
My warmest wishes for a year ahead that builds toward a future of renewal and hope for us all.
Becky Payne
President and CEO