Dear Friends,

Spring is a magical time of year. It marks Nowruz, it is healing as the sun returns long enough to remind us it never left, and it can still bring forth warmth and new life through buds that offer beauty and sustenance. It is inspiring as landscapes shift almost daily with emergence, offering new perspectives and renewed beauty. Just as we are on the edge of burnout with dark, cold days, spring reminds us that we can and did make it through, and the life force of abundance once again returns from its dormancy.

This spring, I am sitting with these reminders more than usual. It is nearly six years to the day that I made a phone call that would change the course of my life. It was a call that started a chain of events that led me to where I sit today—firmly planted in the belief that a future where all of us not only can thrive but will thrive together is possible. That this is not a luxury, it is a right we must claim. That phone call led to my discovery of the vital conditions framework and to my personal experience with it being the most unifying and hopeful organizing framework I’ve ever worked with.

Sadly, our national rate of thriving is once again at an unforgivable low—just as it was in the spring of 2020. So, it only makes sense that I have spent the better part of the last many months wondering, what will it take? How do we have the impact I know we can have—that we must have? What would it take to see that number spike upward? How might we make a great stride forward and sustain those gains?

In pondering these questions at Rippel, we re-discovered that we have more solutions than not, that we are not alone in this desire, and that all around us there is abundant energy to join with others on making a great stride forward in thriving for all. When we announced our intention to see a 20 point increase in thriving in the next decade, we were met with enthusiasm and real “roll up your sleeves” readiness to get to work. We didn’t set a goal for any one organization alone—we unlocked an invitation for the field to rally around a specific aim that will only be accomplished together. To make concrete a shared ambition and hold ourselves accountable to the journey—not just to a number and date on the calendar.

Just like spring, the energy for what lies ahead was laying dormant, but it burst through as soon as we issued the invitation to make this great stride forward together. That is the result of stewards like you across the country who have been hard at work, tilling the soil in communities you call home—tending to the places you love, building the relationships you need to take the next big steps. No matter where you are in your journey to thrive together, four things will take us there:

1. Invest in belonging and civic muscle
2. Design systems and practices that are fair and just
3. Increase the strength and stability of the vital conditions
4. Reduce historic overreliance on urgent services

Staying focused on these four drivers of well-being will take discipline, and it requires internal work for individuals and organizations to align with the transformations we need in our systems. While this is forever work, I am proud of our progress within Rippel to transform ourselves, so that we can stand credibly with all of you and realize our full potential to contribute to the movement to thrive together. You can read more about our progress with our upcoming impact report.

Spring renewal aside, there is no doubt that the world is a difficult place—it was a brutal winter and the headwinds are real. But I know the antidote to the anxiety and fear we feel—the real resistance work—is to emerge together ever more unified, claiming love, humanity, and care for the commons. We can resist the doom loop that keeps us fractured and isolated, choosing instead the energy, courage, and joy that comes from being reminded that we are not alone, that good work has already taken root, and that together we are growing even stronger. Joining together humbly, courageously, in community and with intention, will bring forth a joyful future where we all thrive together, no exceptions.

Best,

Becky Payne 
President and CEO

Dear Friends,

I want to talk about courage, humility, breaking rules, and serious commitments.

Three years ago, we launched a decade of commitments through our strategic roadmap. It also happened to be my first year in this role. In hindsight, my newness to philanthropy afforded me a certain degree of grace or perhaps naive optimism. Well-intentioned but undeniably green, I pushed on things that surely puzzled onlookers: making culture my top priority, crafting a roadmap for 10 years instead of the conventional 3-5, scrutinizing our governance and endowment investments, and more. It’s possible that I tried to take on too much at once, but I admittedly feel a sense of urgency when I am faced with things that to me seem obvious and necessary to drive impact. I am pleased to say we accomplished a lot—almost everything we set out to do and more. There are lessons to be learned about feasibility, no doubt, but I remain steadfast in our responsibility to use our privilege in service of a future where all people and places thrive together—no exceptions. We will soon share more about our progress in Rippel’s first-ever impact report. But what I want to focus on here is what all that effort—the push to ready our people, our organization, and our relationships with all of you—has prepared us for next.

I am inviting each one of you to a collective goal. An invitation to join us in humble curiosity about what it will really take to make a big stride forward in the number of Americans who can say they are thriving—today or in the near future. This is an invitation to stop waiting on the social contract we know is needed and start joining together with others who are already building the conditions for that contract to emerge.

I’ll admit, once again, I am compelled by urgency. I am tired of bearing witness to this indicator approach 60%, only to plummet below 50% by the end of last year—neither is acceptable, and we are going in the wrong direction. The good news is we know how to move this measure. We see the patterns in communities, organizations, and stewards across the country already making progress. What we lack is a collective belief that it is possible, and the courage to commit to what we need to do at scale—that means many more people, many more organizations, and many more communities raising their hands to commit to change the conditions in their own spheres, to invest in vital conditions, and join in shared stewardship.

In my travels and virtual connections, I’ve witnessed a return to localism—the kind that can truly make a difference. Local stewards are not blind to hardship or suffering imposed by current events. They are buoyed by the conviction that they can act—and they are courageously taking steps to expand vital conditions locally. Most importantly, they act with others, recognizing no one person or organization can make change at scale alone. We know this, and yet, within and across sectors, too many fall into false traps—competition and divisive debate about whose approach is best. The fact is, there is plenty of work to go around, and many paths to thriving. We dilute our efforts and deceive ourselves when we let the current systems, designed to keep us separate and demoralized, win.

No more. We are calling all fellow stewards to join us in committing to actions capable of increasing thriving by 20 points in the next 10 years. Not only can it be done—it must be done. The 51% of our neighbors, friends, and family who are struggling and suffering are counting on us.

The specifics will unfold in collaboration and dialogue with those who join us over the coming months. We are committed to capturing and making visible the organizations and communities that sign on to this goal with us, lifting up their stories, and supporting meaningful connections with each other. We are working with partners to help measure and track progress, and to enable real dialogue about the commitments and actions necessary to improve the numbers.

We’ve been so encouraged by those we have spoken to already and look forward to engaging with many more of you as this effort expands. It will take courage to believe we can succeed, humility to know we need each other, and a willingness to break the so-called “rules” that keep us trapped in systems that don’t serve us. Only then can we make serious commitments to a social contract that provides the vital conditions we all need to thrive together.

I can think of no better time than the MLK holiday to share this ambition with you. As we enter 2026, we look forward to meeting you on the front lines of this movement and seeing where we take it together.

Best,

Becky Payne 
President and CEO

Dear Friends,

As a young girl enthralled with science, I was inspired by Jane Goodall. As an adult, her activism, heart, and courage continue to inspire my spirit. In recent years, I was captivated by her articulation of hope as a discipline. While I am a pragmatist, I always find a way to believe a better future is possible—and that often rests on hope. I felt seen and validated in knowing that someone who accomplished so much recognized that hope is not simply naive thinking in times of crisis, but that it truly is the fuel we need to counter despair and improve the human condition.

Now more than ever, we need the discipline of hope. Violence and harm are taking seemingly endless forms; persecution, imprisonment, and murder for one’s ideas or beliefs have no place in our country and no place in the landscape of hope. We have confused righteous debate for genuine dialogue—one keeps us on a path toward fear and division, and the other is the foundation of improving our country. Genuine dialogue honors our shared values, recognizing that our diversity unlocks innovation and transformation that will take us to a more fair and just future, and doing so through the hard work of building relationships. Alongside nearly 200 other organizations, Rippel signed on to this statement led by United in Advance, standing firm in the protection of freedom of speech—even speech we disagree with or that may challenge us. We don’t all have to agree, but we must be able to acknowledge the things we disagree on and refrain from causing harm to each other in the process.

Focusing more locally helps us build the muscle of seeing hope as a discipline and reaffirms what is true: it is harder to hate up close. To do so well tests our commitment to our belief that bridging differences, building belonging and civic muscle, and calling many more people in to shared stewardship is the path forward. This requires a foundation of trust that can’t be built on transactions and can never be built with a spirit of division. Frayed trust in our systems, our leaders, and each other (a notion that is, sadly, increasing) is what brings us to this moment. We must choose to trust that we all want and care about the same things: thriving people and places, with no exceptions, now and for future generations.

Thankfully, I have the privilege of escaping the news cycle to visit real people in real communities. Nothing gives me more hope than witnessing people and their love for their communities. Recently, I zig-zagged across the Northeast and Midwest to visit vastly different communities: Arlington, Detroit, Toledo, Cincinnati, and Dewitt, IL. In each place, I heard from residents about how much they love where they are from, the history they don’t want to lose, and their hopes and commitments for working with others to create a better future. Even my own pride in the places I’ve called home: Battle Creek and East Lansing, Michigan, New Orleans, and Atlanta—I am shaped by and better for what I have given and received from each of these places and the people there.

Redoubling our efforts locally can be a powerful outlet to overcome division, leverage the power of hope, and live up to the opportunities to determine the legacies we want to leave behind. Jane Goodall gave us permission to view observation as a radical act, maintain persistence of purpose, have the courage to confront injustice without falling into despair, name the problems so we can go with confidence that solutions exist, and see legacy as an important transfer of agency. This is hope as a discipline; it is also a kindred spirit of shared stewardship.

We have re-interrogated our purpose in this moment of urgency and are emerging reaffirmed that our drive to realize a future where we all thrive together with no exceptions must continue. We are doubling down on our commitment to support communities that want to join in this work by tapping into our collective knowledge. Our Movement to Thrive Together Hub, Vital Conditions graphics library, ReThink Health Toolbox webinars, the frameworks and tools in our learn by topic library, and many conversations and presentations by staff across the country are just the start. Aligned with our north star of all people and places thriving together with no exceptions, I am convinced that we must meet this moment with serious and increased urgency, paired with specific and concrete commitments that will tell us if we are making progress on the path toward a generational aspiration. We are dissatisfied with only 49% of Americans reporting they are thriving, and we will bring even more urgency to moving that marker. I am excited to share more about this and invite all of you to join us in the coming months.

As you enjoy the transition of Fall, remember to look for the bright spots, hold the injustices to account, and center hope and courage in your ability to join with others in having an impact. We all have something to contribute, and we are eager to join each of you in insisting on a better future for all.

Best,

Becky Payne
President and CEO

Dear Friends,

It is hard to believe we are halfway through another year. I can’t help but feel that the relentless heat and violent storms are nature’s way of mimicking the turbulence unfolding in society. At once blistering in pace and also prolonged in the suffering imposed—and somehow often far more destructive than our wildest imagination. It is impossible to write a reflection without acknowledging the very real harm being inflicted repeatedly on our most vulnerable communities. What I can offer is that despite the harms, we see incredible signs of resilience and determination across the country. Many communities and organizations are focusing on local solutions to chart a path forward.

At Rippel, we are focused on what we hear from so many of you is most needed in this moment—continuing to offer hope and direction to navigate times of despair with love, solutions, and inspiration. In the spirit of supporting each of you on the front lines of reclaiming our future, we’ve had some exciting news: we recently launched our brand-new Movement to Thrive Together Hub. It is our sincere hope that this hub will be a meaningful source of concrete tools, data, action, and support to inspire and transform your work as local changemakers.

The Movement to Thrive Together Hub is a beta online resource that features county level data on thriving and vital conditions, national data on the state of stewardship practices, and stories of inspiration for those working toward place-based systems change. Developed in partnership with our friends at the Institute for People, Place and Possibility (IP3), the hub is more than a new platform—it’s a bold invitation to everyone who dreams of a thriving future for all.

The movement to thrive together is an undeniable effort in communities across the country to expand vital conditions through shared stewardship. Those in the movement work across all vital conditions, fostering the interdependence, broad scale alignment, and collective responsibility that is needed to create a world where everyone thrives. Seeing growing momentum across the country we designed the hub to provide the infrastructure to transparently understand, track, and share stories related to the movement. The hub shares and celebrates the work of stewards around the country so that you can see you are not alone, there are concrete actions that can be taken, and data you can rely on to support local engagement and commitments—expanding what’s possible together.

This Hub Is Just the Beginning

The Movement to Thrive Together Hub is a down payment on a space we hope to grow with you and for you. The field has been missing an approach to measuring equitable, place-based systems change that accounts for the assets and desired future state of communities. Over 350 changemakers across the country signed up for our webinar to learn about the hub, affirming the much-needed resource for changemakers, and offering inspiration for what more is needed with the full expression of this hub in the future.

More than anything, I was gratified and bursting with pride to see something we worked so hard to design for the field, launch out into the world. Like so many things we do—it reflects long arc work to support utilization and learn from communities what is working and what could be even more helpful. The hub is our offering to the field to say we see you, we celebrate you, and we want to learn and grow the infrastructure to support you with you.

Please join us in lifting up the progress and value of the movement to thrive together:

• Look out for new resources, stories, and more updates to this hub in the months to come.
• Share your feedback, questions, and ideas—help us refine the tools and data that stewards like you need to make a real impact.
• Share your stories with us and help us connect the many stewards in the field.
• Invest with us in future iterations of the hub so that every steward has the knowledge and tools they need to guide their thriving together journey.

I hope in our offerings you find the opportunity to lift your gaze, gain hope and inspiration to take that next best step to navigate the current moment, and center on what’s most important to build thriving in your community. We are here for you, and we are grateful for the many stewards who are turning toward each other to say: together we will build the future we know we deserve and need, in spite of what is happening around us. This is the essential work of shared stewardship—dismantling divisive thinking and exclusionary practices to create a shared future in which everyone thrives together.

Best,

Becky Payne
President and CEO 

Dear Friends, 

I hope you caught our opening episode of Season 5 of Unsung Stewards. Dr. Arvind Singhal reflected on using our mindset and mental frames to shape how we see and navigate our experiences. As one of the leading scholars in positive deviance, he offers a powerful tool—a mental somersault—to solve complex social problems.

It’s no overstatement that it will take years to undo the damage and harm we are living through. Our country is being taken down to the studs in an ironic and painful fulfillment of the kind of renovation Isabel Wilkerson called for in Caste. While I don’t agree with the methods—or choices of which walls are being kept—the opportunity to be architects of our future is nonetheless still present.

A Sobering Picture of Our Collective Well-Being and Divergent Opinions 

• We’re experiencing record levels of unhappiness and social distrust 

• Only 53% of Americans report that they are thriving

• Parsed by political affiliation we are living through very different realities 

People struggle in an environment of division, and far too many are suffering. What if the mental somersault we practice is to see each bad news headline as an opportunity to rebuild? Hear me out…

Currently, many are focused on resistance: fractured and diffuse, fully engaged in fight mode, at the mercy of powers actively taking down our institutions and systems. I do not wish to suggest that resistance is not a useful or valid strategy to counter destructive forces. Rather, I seek to call us in to reclaim the power of our collective focus to unleash a bold and fair renovation of our systems.

Not long ago, many of us routinely recounted the ways our systems were failing too many people. Now all we seem to focus on is the loss of those very systems. Let me be clear: this is not the desired path to transformation. But now that it is here, what do we stand to lose by only flexing our muscles in the direction of resistance? Of crisis response? Or, in Rippel’s language, focusing only on urgent services at the expense of vital conditions? 

Reclaiming Our Focus 

You’ve likely heard the sayings “we grow in the direction of the questions we ask,” and “what we focus on grows.” While it’s natural to feel outraged at the pain being inflicted, we must (at least) equally focus on what we want to grow: fair and just systems, well-being, belonging, and love.

We have reasons to be optimistic. More in Common’s latest polls show most Americans value connecting across differences but feel they lack opportunity—and are hesitant across perceived political divides. We share the desire, but it will require effort and new muscles. Reminding ourselves that the vast majority of Americans value the vital conditions that enable us to thrive is that opportunity—and a powerful path forward.

Consider communities that are already laser focused on thriving and building vital conditions; already investing in belonging and civic muscle. They are starting in a different place, benefiting from the local trusting relationships they’ve built, and acknowledging the history of harms inflicted on many—not confused that this is a new or recent phenomenon.

Places like the Inland Empire have organized themselves to look at their data and their assets and reclaim their narrative through the lens of the vital conditions, allowing them to track not just deficits through morbidity and mortality, but growth of conditions that produce thriving. Honoring the complexity and interdependence of people and the world we move through.

In Winston-Salem, North Carolina, people are healing from past harms and coming together to show that the arc of history and failed systems can be adjusted. The community is joining in new, restorative ways that embrace the vital conditions and build just systems.

Many other places across the country are growing in the direction of belonging and thriving. Not because they are ignoring their past, or what is happening beyond their community. But because they are choosing to build different muscles that enable them to move beyond what divides them as they steer their transformation.

A powerful form of resistance is our ability to see each other as human—as parents, children, the neighbor’s kid, the elder, the teacher, the local store owner. We can choose to be curious about so many different identities rather than who we voted for. Commit to growing the muscles that will lead us where we want to go; not clinging to the systems we were calling out as unfair and unjust.

The mental somersault I offer is to consider the opportunity before us to come behind the wrecking ball with a restoration of our own design. I am committed to reclaiming what is possible, and unwilling to turn over my future to anger, exhaustion, or despair. I am choosing to train my sights and my muscles to build love, and support others in that pursuit in any way possible. Join me and many others on this journey—contact us at [email protected] to learn more about how you can join the growing movement to thrive together.

Becky Payne
President and CEO 

Dear Friends,

It is hard to believe we are already halfway into January. Not only has 2025 arrived, it is breathlessly charging ahead with devastating fires, geopolitical destabilization, and the profound loss of President Jimmy Carter. If you succeeded in taking time to rest and reset at the end of 2024, you may be struggling to hold on to the rare calm that comes from stepping back as we ritually do with the turning of the calendar.

Like many of you, I too took some space at the end of last year. However, mine was partially forced due to a long-planned surgery and lengthy recovery. I limped to my December surgery date exhausted from the year, feeling anxious and guilty about the things left unfinished that others were now left to contend with. But I was also quietly looking forward to the break—to the sanctioned excuse to step back. Like all good Type A adrenaline saturated individuals, I had high ambitions for my “time off.” Stacks of books were ready by my bed and my chair, writing ideas and promises to “do that in my quiet days” filled a to-do list that would have horrified my doctor. Despite my ambitions, my body and mind had other plans. I had no choice but to just be—and was humbled by the forced lesson in the importance of letting go and accepting help and care. It was a new kind of rest for me—at first unsettling and eventually valuable time to observe and reflect without inserting myself into what I was taking in.

For those of us who are engaged in and committed to systems change work, rest and care are vital extensions of our social justice values. Rest allows us the space we need to focus on healing and growth and enables us to sustainably contribute to the long arc of change. And care is a manifestation of the soul work that is critical to building a thriving future, helping us to build deep empathy, practice listening with intention, and lead with love. I learned that accepting this for oneself can be incredibly hard, and yet it is exactly what we must do if we are to truly lean into the “together” part of thriving together. None of us can walk this life alone and achieve the kind of well-being we deserve and so many of us are working to build for all.

Care and interdependence stand out in the legacy of President Carter, who lived a life devoted to taking action on the things that would make the human condition better for scores of people around the world. He did so by accepting and seeking the wisdom and collaboration of others—especially those with different viewpoints. Last spring we hosted an event at the Carter Center to explore what it takes to build collective will to thrive together—to bring together seemingly disparate endeavors focused on transforming systems of democracy, economics and health. It was an incredible couple of days with inspiring people working in their communities and organizations to bring change within their spheres of influence. We learned from each other and committed to keep exploring how to better build on our respective assets. And while that learning and growth continues, I am left wondering: what is so difficult about joining together when we share so much in common?

Living within just a few miles of the Carter and King Centers in Atlanta, I have no shortage of inspiration and reminders that we have always gone farther and been better off when we join in community with—and in service of—others. And if the past year has taught us anything, it is how essential it is to seek out those whose ideas are different than ours if we are serious about transforming our systems. Movements and networks like the movement to thrive together are built for moments like these. The pursuit of thriving together rejects divisiveness and calls us back in to what we all share, the ideas and values that embrace our shared humanity and are centered on the vital conditions that we all need to thrive. We all care about these things—and we all deserve the opportunity to have them.

As we all try to make sense of the devastation in LA, we will see grand gestures of generosity and coming together to emerge stronger. There are also smaller, everyday moments to extend care to one another—regardless of faith, politics, or professional position—and build the kind of belonging that helps us tap into the full assets of our communities.

I challenge all of us—funders, academics, nonprofits, and activists alike—to look in the mirror and see where we might go farther by more deeply joining with others. What might that require us to let go of, to trust in from others? Thriving together means thriving for ALL and the only path to that is through joining together. By doing so, we make space for the rest and mutual support that is necessary to sustain and grow our efforts. This is a moment like no other for shared stewardship to rise and take hold.

Becky Payne
President and CEO

Dear Friends,

I am coming to the end of months of travel—getting to visit various corners of this country for both work and personal trips. While travel can be exhausting, connecting with people and seeing their love of their community and eagerness to share what makes their home special is energizing—even for an introvert like me. I am more convinced than ever that the movement to thrive together is not just growing, it is poised to take off, and we can supercharge it by leaning into shared stewardship through this coming election and beyond.

Belonging and civic muscle are the heart space of the vital conditions framework—they are the engine of repair and renewal in our communities, and foundational to the health of our democracy. The health of our democracy and the health of our communities are inextricably linked. Our colleagues at Healthy Democracy Healthy People have found that communities with more inclusive voting policies enjoy greater social cohesion, improved community conditions, and better health with their Health and Democracy Index, and Healthy People 2030 reinstated voting as a core objective. What I would offer in addition is that voting as an indicator or a one-time act is very different than the everyday actions we must take to increase belonging and civic muscle—our focus and energy must extend beyond and in between election cycles. 

So, what about this momentous date looming on the calendar? Let’s be real: half the country will wake up on November 6th elated, and half the country will be devastated—and we will all be exhausted. As change makers in your respective places what you do next matters. This is when leaning into your skills as a steward can make the most difference. We can’t afford to be frozen in time and place, angry and hurt—or gloat and further alienate half of our community. How we navigate bringing our communities together will make the difference in whether our movement to thrive together continues to take off or stalls.

My travels and those of my colleagues interacting with so many stewards buoy my optimism that we can collectively rise to this moment and support the healing and hope our communities need and deserve. Places like the Inland Empire—the fastest growing region in the country, the entire state of Delaware, our country’s many Community Health Centers with roots in the civil rights movement and war on poverty, the Lehigh Valley, and Superior AZ, Niagara Falls, Winston Salem, are just a few of the many places where stewards are already working to build belonging and civic muscle and invest in the vital conditions that will lead us to an equitable and thriving future.

For Rippel, the path forward on November 6th is no different than when we established our commitments for the coming decade three years ago—anchored in fostering a more hopeful and unifying narrative, and building the muscle to bridge and embrace the strength of our differences. What that looks like in every community is different, as it should be, but the stewardship skills of connecting across differences, creating opportunities, and learning and adapting are ready made for this moment.

I would ask all of you to participate in the election; have your plan for voting ready and help others vote. Beyond the election, begin to seriously consider what you can do to stay engaged for the long-term health and well-being of your community, our country, people, and planet. Remember that whatever the outcome of the election, there are ways to come together regardless of how individual community members are feeling, such as through acts of service, volunteering, or launching the next coalition to focus on the state of thriving in your community. If you already have an active coalition, perhaps schedule a meeting for November 6th to come together and assess what’s next. Remember that participation in democracy is not defined by an election cycle. It is strengthened in the in-between; how we interact and what we commit to together day in and day out.

If you are not sure where to start, the framework of vital conditions helps people coalesce around what is important in a community. Place-based approaches to thinking about the future well-being of the population are engines of building belonging—and belonging is an engine of building our civic muscle. Done well and with intention it is the only path toward a thriving future for all. And that is generational work. In twenty years, how will we answer the question of how we showed up in this moment? What did you do on November 6th, 2024?

Becky Payne
President and CEO

Dear Friends,

Let’s talk about values. In this season of politics, as elections across the globe unfold, it is instructive to step back and reflect on our deepest values at every level—for ourselves, our communities, our professional lives, and our nation. These levels are not easily parsed. In fact, as many argue, and I agree, “as within, so without.” To truly live into the values we espouse for the world around us, we must grapple with ourselves first. Similarly, organizations such as ours, that are oriented around a mission of justice and equity, must grapple with our internal culture if we want to be credible contributors to an equitable and thriving future.

Last summer, I introduced our efforts toward a culture upgrade for Rippel, and this remains a top priority for me and the organization. Central to this upgrade has been a serious reflection on our values and the kind of organization we need to be in order to authentically reflect what it takes to thrive together. To be transparent, we had some rough spots, and I was not willing to ask partners to step into this moment with courage, love, and trust if we were not doing the same.

I sought out the wisdom of others who were leading internal change, and over the course of several months with support from the incredible team at Big2Go, we threw ourselves into the work. We intentionally listened to our staff and board, long-standing partners, and organizations new to us that we admire. In all honesty, I have pushed the team hard and had some non-negotiables along the way. I am excited to share a major milestone in our culture upgrade with the release of our refreshed values, and, in hopes of making it easier for others looking to do similar work, offer a glimpse behind the curtain of developing them.

Non-Negotiable #1: Staff will lead this effort.
A key feature was for the leadership team to let go and invite a team of staff to lead the way. A team of four Rippelers—our Values Squad—led the process of synthesizing and co-creating a set of refreshed values that reflected our journey. This was an intentional process of collaboration and reflection, and it included input from each individual across the entire organization.

Non-Negotiable #2: Progress over perfection.
We struggle with perfectionism, so the Values Squad needed to hear from me and believe that progress was the goal, and we are in this together. This also meant building on what we have, not starting from scratch. The Squad leveraged our staff engagement survey, an external niche assessment, and engaged every single staff member through focus groups and 1-1 interviews. They developed a deep understanding of how we aspire to be in community together as an organization.

Non-Negotiable #3: Bake in accountability.
I had no interest in feel-good statements that only exist to be added to signature blocks, posted on web pages, and laminated on walls. I wanted to know how we would know when we were living the values. The Squad developed values and gave examples of behaviors that show us what it looks like when we’re living out each of these values as best we can, to serve as a guidepost to hold ourselves accountable to each other.

I am thrilled to share our refreshed values: belonging, interdependence, learning, respect, and taking risks. How we arrived at these values is as important for me as where we landed. Authenticity, transparency, honesty, repair, hope, and love were our guiding principles as we began this journey–and they continue to guide our ongoing culture work. My commitments to the team throughout this process are to be clear about expectations, support them with real resources for change, love them through their stumbles, and make the hard choices that only I as a leader can make. I am proud of the team for how they rose to the challenge, individually and collectively, and I am so grateful to lead this incredible organization of people who are so deeply committed to a future where we all thrive together.

The values are already positively impacting our work, allowing us to launch brave new initiatives like our recently released playbook and convening for Building the Will to Thrive Together, and we are committed to keep supporting stewards on the path to thriving together, with no exceptions. I believe that continuing to focus on the importance of our internal culture is essential for us to create the change we are seeking in the world. I am grateful every day that I get to do this work. It is hard, multigenerational work, and that means investing in a culture that transcends me as a leader and cultivates an organization capable of carrying this work for decades to come. What a privilege to put my energy into joining others working for a thriving future for us all.

Becky Payne
President and CEO

Dear Friends,

As I am writing to you, we are concluding Rippel’s 70^th anniversary year. It has been a year of growth and celebration for us as we lean into our commitments for the coming decade, and for me personally stepping into a new role in a new sector. We embraced this milestone as an opportunity for transition and preparation, readying ourselves and joining with partners new and old to act in service of a future built for everyone to thrive.

Today in our country, it is harder than it should be to both honor our history and chart a path to a different future. Our view of reality is shaped by 24-hour news cycles that capitalize on scarcity and conflict. Stories increasingly wrapped in division and fear pit one against another in pursuit of individual gains at the expense of our collective humanity. It can feel as though progress is impossible and simply trying to maintain the status quo should count as a win. Not only do I reject that as a win, I offer that we can’t afford to go it alone. We must commit to care for each other in lasting and systemic ways—and we can do this by embodying shared stewardship. There are numerous bright spots in our country, but we must get better at spotting and lifting them up. Surely you can close your eyes right now and recall an example of people overcoming adversity and creating positive change. Imagine each person reading this and recalling such an example. Now do the math—that is powerful! The news cycle simply recycles different angles on the same story—together we just identified hundreds of examples of shared stewardship in action.

Perhaps now more than ever, we need to lean in to our true human nature to connect, to love, and to work together to insist on fairness and justice. We can do this! Our quest for an equitable and thriving future can transcend fractures of this moment, provided we stay focused on the values we share in common. We can start by choosing to place our effort into something important but often forgotten—creating space to focus on the skills and approaches that go beyond the urgency of the near term, and the distraction and division that can bring, so that we might build the capacity, relationships, and trust that we need to seed progress beyond a moment in time. If the pandemic and climate change have taught us anything, it’s that suffering is perpetuated when we stay stuck only in the urgency of now.

Here is the hard truth: this is generational work. Transformational change does not happen quickly, and I can’t promise you results in an arbitrary timeframe that aligns to annual budgets or election cycles. I can offer you a path to develop your capacity and that of those in your community to lead differently. Saying yes to working on a thriving future requires this act of courage by decision makers to adopt the practice of shared stewardship—to build the skills to connect across differences, create opportunities to implement long-term strategies that invest in the vital conditions for well-being, and develop the muscle to learn and adapt your approaches in real time with community members.

Occasionally, we are asked, “What specifically does Rippel do?” The north star goal of all people thriving, with no exceptions, is lovely and hopeful, but how do we translate that into everyday work? I will be transparent: answering this succinctly has been more challenging than I care to admit at times. This is partially our fault for being too comfortable with language that often sounds good but fails to land with clarity for some people. We can do better, and we have made strides with our new website, the ReThink Health Toolbox webinar series, and a number of publications. There is still room to improve, and we are working on it, probing our culture about what holds us back.

At Rippel, we are clear about what’s needed to create lasting change—not to ignore the moment, but to recognize that we are in a perpetual cycle of “moments.” We must cultivate the patience and discipline to find solidarity and hope, to transcend the near-term crises, and emerge stronger together with clarity about the future we are building together. That is what we do at Rippel—join you to find and implement the approaches that will carry us to that different, thriving future.

I would invite those hungry for a pithy answer to be curious about would truly satisfy the question, “How do you achieve thriving for all with no exceptions?” Genuine answers require thoughtfully interrogating the legacies that brought us to this moment and acknowledging that simple, short-term solutions cannot truly get us to a different outcome. Of course, quick fixes would be lovely, and there are countless consultants and politicians who will offer those. That is not what we do. We offer a supportive partnership in your stewardship journey to think differently about the future we really want and act on strategies with the potential to take us there. The path looks different in every community—as it should if we are serious about returning power to those who most need to benefit from our investments. I accept living with the frustration that may temporarily create for those seeking elevator answers to complex and generational problems. We probably won’t ever satisfy them, and I am committed to ensuring we don’t get distracted trying to.

Becky Payne
President and CEO

Dear Friends,

As I settle in for my second year as Rippel’s President and CEO, I find myself reflecting on what it will mean to be successful in my role. As a new leader entrusted with an ambitious mission, driven by staff and partners eager to contribute good in the world, it is easy to become impatient with the pace of change. Yet we know that enduring and meaningful change is never swift, and rarely if ever truly the result of one entity pushing the boulder up the mountain. That is more often a recipe for stalling out, or worse, slipping backward as adrenaline and sheer will eventually reach their limits. So, I have committed to cultivating the patience and courage needed to stay the course even in the face of urgency, fear, compounding crises, and the uncertainty they bring.

As we conclude our 70^th year as a philanthropy, I am also reflecting on legacies. What impact could Rippel have on the health and well-being of our country over the next 70 years? This puts my role and my tenure in context, reminds me of the long arc of time, and that the work we do today is just a brief piece of our collective journey toward a thriving, equitable future. The most pressing question for me then, is not how can I be the best CEO for Rippel in this moment; rather, it is how can I be the best ancestor for a future CEO?

This orientation toward legacies calls for fidelity to the needs of the greater good: what will put us on a path to produce enduring equity, health, and well-being for all and not just a few—and what role should Rippel play in that vast storyline? Rather than searching for the next short-term fix, I am resolved to remain patient and trust that our values, our people, and our mission to see a world where all people thrive with no exceptions have set us on the right course.

Patiently staying the course of our roadmap feels at once hard and even more needed as we enter an election year with the stage already set for division and self-serving action. The world gets divided into political camps: you are either a “D” or an “R” and never the two shall meet. That division gets reflected in mainstream commentary about “movements.” It is unfortunate that there is an outsized focus on political movements, which are primarily intended to carry a particular candidate or party to power. People I deeply respect, and who have large platforms, talk about needing a movement that unites many people under a hopeful vision, but they do so only for the purpose of winning an election rather than serving the aspirations of the American people. At Rippel, we believe in a different movement—one that is designed to heal and bring us together: the movement to thrive together that we and others have been engaged in for several years.

Despite the dominant narrative that emphasizes division, I know that we share more in common than not—a desire for a world where each of us can provide for our families through work that has meaning for us, where we enjoy our community life and know we are invested in a place where we can both care for others and be cared for when needed.

This year at Rippel, we are redoubling our efforts to support bridging differences and finding ways to move beyond division and polarization. We believe that there is great promise in bringing together three adjacent fields: those working to expand a multiracial democracy, establish a well-being economy, and reorient America’s health care industry toward equitable well-being. To that end we have joined with Dr. Tiffany Manuel and the team at TheCaseMade to develop a playbook for field builders intended to span these fields. Developed after conducting listening sessions with individuals in each of the three fields, this playbook will provide tangible and concrete steps we can take together in service of our shared vision of a future where everyone thrives.

All of Rippel’s work is grounded in the future orientation: what kind of ancestors do we want to be for our future generations? I’m beginning 2024 with patience, because although I know our vision of the future may feel ambitious to some, the everyday acts of stewardship that we see around us—both big and small—demonstrate that this vision is within reach. With sustained focus, working together, I know we can get there.

Becky Payne
President and CEO

Dear Friends,

It has been less than a year since we launched our new strategic roadmap, outlining Rippel’s commitments to move us toward our north star goal of thriving together. This fall, we have initiated work that is specifically tied to our roadmap commitments to reinforce a unifying narrative and bridge differences. This is particularly timely as we watch events unfold that are deeply rooted in legacies of hate and othering. I cannot offer words that will change or impact the conflicts, but I can help us remain committed to building a different approach to our future—one in which we foster belonging and effective outlets for civic engagement so that we may all live in a world with the opportunity to be healthy and thrive.

The work we are embarking on honors Rippel’s history of rethinking while staying focused on the enduring things that are essential for creating true and meaningful systems change. As curious observers and supporters of other stewards around us, we are increasingly interested in opportunities to learn from changemakers in other fields who are working toward a thriving future. They share our vision of a world where everyone has the vital conditions they and future generations need to participate, prosper, and reach their full potential. We recently launched a small series of listening sessions with such field builders working to expand a multiracial democracy, establish a well-being economy, and reorient America’s health care industry toward equitable well-being.

Each of these fields has tremendous potential to move us closer to a future in which we all thrive, with no exceptions. Each must also contend with legacies that have left entire communities behind. They all face serious obstacles, including opposition, defeatism, and fear that continuously interrupt progress at a time when every second counts. We know that there are stewards across the country who are working to advance the goals of each of these fields. But what if those stewards could leverage the collective strength in their shared purpose? What do the potential synergies and points of alignment look like? Who are all the other actors, and what are the roles that they need to play in achieving a thriving future?

What it will take to get there—a new playbook

At Rippel, we believe there is untapped potential and a more hopeful, unifying narrative that is grounded in solutions and action. This is why we are partnering with TheCaseMade to help build the will for solutions that can simultaneously move our democracy, economy, and health care systems toward an equitable, thriving future. We believe communities across America and around the world are ready for a new era of multisolving action. With a long history of creating spaces for individuals, organizations, and networks to come together, learn from each other, and co-create solutions, we are poised to help uncover those synergies that exist at the intersection—what we see as a “magic middle”—that can create transformative change.

We know that to get to that future, we must bring in more people—those who do not have a seat at the table, who have been systematically marginalized, and who are part of the “exhausted majority”—the disenchanted Americans who are fed up with polarizing narratives and are often forgotten in the public discourse because their voices are seldom heard. We need a new playbook for a future that will bring these groups back into the conversation in meaningful ways. Developing that literal playbook will be a key feature of our work with the CaseMade.

On this journey there are no shortcuts. Real, enduring change—change that reckons with our legacies of injustice and forges new paths for different legacies—requires us to think and act differently. I am at times met with frustration for not being specific or concrete enough about support for specific policy changes or tactical calls to action. That is very much by design; at Rippel, we operate on the belief that strategies for achieving an equitable, thriving future must be tailored for each community and designed by and for the people who live and work in those communities. We have a set of tools, frameworks, and language that we have developed and tested over many years that are effective when used to shift mindsets and build shared strategies and solutions. Our partners have told us many times that learning how to use our frameworks and develop new language and approaches to thinking is the most helpful and valuable aspect of working with us. We’ve helped them move beyond small, incremental changes to enduring, specific solutions that reflect the unique needs—and assets—of their community.

The answers will only emerge by creating spaces for other individuals and groups to come together and identify their own challenges and solutions. Whether it’s helping to set a region on a path toward a thriving future or considering what it will take to achieve a multiracial democracy, a well-being economy, and a more accountable health care system, there is no easy, one-size-fits-all answer. Rather, we are committed to building the will to think and act differently—it is the only way to create transformational change. Without new mindsets, we are simply incrementally tweaking around the margins, and that has proven incapable of creating the scale of change we need.

Becky Payne
President and CEO

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

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 70^th 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

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.

Becky Payne
President and CEO