In 2019, JBRF began a multi-year journey of implementing the Strategic Design Initiative (SDI). This novel approach to philanthropy and grantmaking was a mobilization of 28 women — those with lived experience, leadership, and influence — who came together to design programs for a thriving future.

The resulting roadmaps addressing cancer patient navigation and workforce development in health-related carers for Black women living East of the Anacostia River led to the formation of Black Women Thriving East of the River (BWTEotR).

Today, BWTEotR is an independent initiative that is building a future in which Black women living in Wards 7 and 8 thrive with more access to opportunities, resources, and effective treatment, leading to optimal health and economic success. We are proud to have incubated BWTEotR with long-term funding by convening the founding group, providing compensation for their time, developing interventions, and assisting with implementation.