RAMSTRONG: AN EMPLOYEE WELLNESS INITIATIVE

The RAMSTRONG project’s mission is to create a mobile website accessible online and through the VCU Mobile app that provides VCU employees with user-friendly, accessible resources to support their holistic well-being. The RAMSTRONG project seeks to meet three basic needs. First, while VCU and the Greater Richmond area offer a plethora of resources to promote health, information about these resources is not readily accessible, and especially not accessible from one website or mobile app. RAMSTRONG aims to provide an accessible means for employees to learn about and take advantage of these resources. Second, while a growing body of scientific literature indicates employer sponsored health promotion programs increase job satisfaction, productivity, and retention, these programs are only effective if they are utilized. RAMSTRONG aims to increase their utilization by promoting awareness of their availability. Third, our society invests a substantial sum of resources to the care of those suffering from injury and illness and less to promoting our health and well-being. The RAMSTRONG project is motivated by a vision of a society that invests significantly in the promotion of wellness so as to reduce the incidence of injury and illness and to increase the prevalence of personal and social satisfaction at work and in life. Our model for the RAMSTRONG app draws from the public health concept of the Wheel of Wellness, which specifies eight interrelated and interdependent dimensions of health: emotional, environmental, financial, social, spiritual, occupational, physical, and intellectual. When a person can demonstrate strength and well-being in each of these areas, they are more productive and receive greater satisfaction in life. Universities, including Princeton University, that have implemented similar website resources and the National Wellness Institute define wellness as “an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence”. Our RAMSTRONG website and mobile app will provide employees with an efficient, friendly means for becoming aware of campus and community resources and making choices that actively contribute to individual and community well-being in each of the eight dimensions. It is our hope that with the implementation of this project, VCU employees will have the resources to take charge of their wellness in each dimension and become RAMSTRONG

The Index of Philanthropic Freedom 2015

The Index of Philanthropic Freedom 2015 is the first analysis of philanthropic freedom across the world. By examining barriers and incentives for individuals and organizations to donate money and time to social causes, the Center for Global Prosperity has measured, ranked, and compared countries on their ease of giving. The research is a major step in identifying the public policy actions to encourage private giving which, in turn, can increase generosity

The Index of Global Philanthropy and Remittances 2016

The Center for Global Prosperity (CGP) at the Hudson Institute is pleased to present the 2016 Index of Global Philanthropy and Remittances. Over a 10-year period, the ninth edition of the Index reports on the sources and magnitude of global philanthropy from developed and emerging economies to the developing world. As in previous editions of the Index, private financial flows—including philanthropy, remittances, and private capital investment—continue to grow and surpass government aid. In addition to the magnitude of the developed and emerging economies’ total economic engagement with the developing world, the 2016 Index highlights the new partnerships and infrastructure that support philanthropic giving around the world

Philanthropic Freedom: A Pilot Study

This pilot study, carried out over the last two years, set out to measure a country’s philanthropic freedom or ease of giving. We identified, measured, and compared countries on their incentives and barriers to philanthropic activity, particularly those that are readily amenable to policy changes. Philanthropic freedom in this study refers to the ability of individuals and organizations (both profit and nonprofit) to donate time and money to social causes. Broadly, this study assesses the policies that lead to an environment where philanthropy thrives or, on the other hand, where it is inhibited

The Index of Global Philanthropy and Remittances 2013

The 2013 Index of Global Philanthropy and Remittances breaks new ground by measuring and analyzing the financial flows of emerging economies to the developing world, including philanthropy, remittances, government aid, and private investment. This year’s Index, sponsored by the International Development Research Centre in Ottawa, Canada, is the first attempt to systematically capture this information. The research will add to the ongoing work of the Center for Global Prosperity (CGP) at Hudson Institute. Over the last decade, CGP has demonstrated how the landscape of international development has changed. Of the total financial flows The Index of Global Philanthropy and Remittances 2013 from developed to developing countries, over 80 percent are private. Government aid, at less than 20 percent, is now a minority shareholder, the opposite of 40 years ago

The Index of Global Philanthropy and Remittances 2010

Philanthropy to the developing world remained steady in 2008 and remittances continued to grow—despite the global recession and dire forecasts—providing a much needed lifeline to poor people throughout the world. And they were more resilient to the downturn than private capital flows to developing countries, which fell dramatically in 2008. Despite this, private flows still accounted for three-quarters of the developed world’s economic dealings with developing countries in 2008, proving that this innovative, diverse new foreign aid architecture is here to stay in good times and in bad

The Index of Global Philanthropy 2008

Provides an annual update on the sources and scope of U.S. and international private giving to the developing world. Highlights trends in government aid, private philanthropy and investment, public-private partnerships, and social entrepreneurship

The Index of Global Philanthropy and Remittances 2010

Philanthropy to the developing world remained steady in 2008 and remittances continued to grow—despite the global recession and dire forecasts—providing a much needed lifeline to poor people throughout the world. And they were more resilient to the downturn than private capital flows to developing countries, which fell dramatically in 2008. Despite this, private flows still accounted for three-quarters of the developed world’s economic dealings with developing countries in 2008, proving that this innovative, diverse new foreign aid architecture is here to stay in good times and in bad

The Index of Global Philanthropy 2007

The 2007 index presents a comparison of all developed countries' aid -- government as well as private -- to the developing world. The new index reveals that U.S. private giving in 2005 (latest available data), in the form of money, volunteer time, goods, and expertise to the developing world was at least $95 billion, compared with$27.6 billion in U.S. government aid abroad

The Index of Global Philanthropy and Remittances 2009

In the ever-changing world of international development, the Center for Global Prosperity (CGP) has made its own changes, among them a new name for its premier publication. It has become the Index of Global Philanthropy and Remittances to highlight the critical role remittances play in alleviating poverty abroad. Total remittances from industrial countries to the developing world were $145 billion dollars in 2007—nearly one and one-half times larger than all governments’ Official Development Assistance at$103.5 billion and three times larger than private philanthropy at $49.1 billion