The New Jersey Birth Equity Funders Alliance: A Blueprint for Change
January 2022-Present
In 2020, New Jersey had one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the nation — ranking 47th out of 50 — and some of the widest racial disparities in both maternal and infant deaths. Against this backdrop, the New Jersey Birth Equity Funders Alliance was launched.
The U.S. has substantially higher spending, worse access to care, and worse population health outcomes, including the worst maternal mortality rates, compared to other wealthy countries. While the federal government has a role in improving these issues, most levers to create change reside at the state level.
The New Jersey Birth Equity Funders Alliance (NJBEFA) was launched to support the implementation and impact of Nurture NJ — a multi-stakeholder initiative led by First Lady Tammy Murphy with goals to eliminate disparities and reduce maternal mortality by half within five years. By January 2026, New Jersey had signed over 70 maternal and infant health bills into law, 80% of Nurture NJ policies had been operationalized, and the state had risen from 47th in the nation in maternal mortality to 25th.
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The Community Health Acceleration Partnership (CHAP) spent a decade strengthening community health systems in the US and globally before initiating NJBEFA as a special project. Additional founding partners included the Burke Foundation, The Nicholson Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and The Taub Foundation.
This group came together through overlapping interests in maternal health, promoting equity, and building a new model for leveraging philanthropic collaboration to advance long-term, community-led change. Essential to the effort was a commitment to unlearning traditional approaches to philanthropy and embracing new modes, with an emphasis on trust-based, participatory work that supported community-rooted organizations while building connections with government and private partners.