"It is necessary to carve from the whole vast spectrum of human needs one small band that the heart and mind together tell you is the area in which you can make your best contribution.”

This has been the guiding philosophy of the Hartford Foundation since its establishment in 1929. With funds from the bequests of its founders, John A. Hartford and his brother George L. Hartford, both former chief executives of the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, the Hartford Foundation seeks to make its best contribution by supporting efforts to improve health care for older Americans.

Founded in 1929, the John A. Hartford Foundation is a committed champion of health care training, research and service system innovations that will ensure the well-being and vitality of older adults. Its overall goal is to increase the nation’s capacity to provide effective, affordable care to its rapidly increasing older population. Today, the Foundation is America’s leading philanthropy with a sustained interest in aging and health.

Through its grantmaking, the John A. Hartford Foundation seeks specifically to:

• Enhance and expand the training of doctors, nurses, social workers and other health professionals who care for elders, and
• Promote innovations in the integration and delivery of services for all older people.

Recognizing that its commitment alone is not sufficient to realize the improvements it seeks, the John A. Hartford Foundation invites and encourages innovative partnerships with other funders, as well as public, non-profit and private groups dedicated to improving the health of older adults.