Pathways to A Brighter Future

Today, America is facing a complex set of challenges to its future.

Our national debt is $37 trillion and rising unsustainably, fueled by demographics and growing interest costs that diminish our ability to invest in national priorities. Our healthcare system is — by far — the most inefficient in the world, undermining our health, our economy and our federal and state budgets. And our democracy, while strong, faces increased polarization and gridlock that harms the functioning of policymaking that is essential for effective, representative government.

The seriousness of these challenges is why our resolve must be unwavering. America has come too far for too long to let internal political disagreements and key reform challenges derail the progress of our nation. There is urgent work to be done and we remain resolute.

While meaningful progress in these critical areas may sometimes seem out of reach, the fact is that many well-known solutions exist. There are countless ways to create a sustainable budget, our healthcare system has many tangible solutions, and continuous improvement is necessary for any democracy.

Peterson Philanthropies is driven by the belief that we must come together to meet this moment and forge a better path. As a network of nonprofit, nonpartisan organizations, we work to identify and accelerate pragmatic solutions based on common sense and common ground. We are determined to strengthen the economic and democratic foundations of the United States and build a brighter future for the next generation. Peterson Philanthropies includes:

• The Peter G. Peterson Foundation, founded in 2008 to raise awareness and accelerate action on America’s long-term fiscal challenges to improve our economic future.
• The Peterson Center on Healthcare, founded in 2014 to make affordable healthcare a reality for all Americans by finding, validating and scaling solutions that deliver better health outcomes at lower cost. In 2023, the Center launched the Peterson Health Technology Institute, which provides independent evaluations of innovative healthcare solutions to drive the adoption of high value technologies.
• Peterson Solutions Fund, founded in 2022 as a 501(c)(4) to support a range of policy advocacy activities to address the same challenges and policy priorities that are the focus of our other organizations.

Through these entities, we work to educate and engage Americans in support of solutions to stabilize America’s fiscal outlook, improve the performance of our healthcare system, and strengthen the pillars of our democracy. Our nonpartisan, substantive approach looks over the long term, to enrich the national conversation, enabling collaborative policymaking that supports economic growth and broad-based prosperity.

It’s no secret that these challenges are multi-faceted, deeply engrained, and politically divisive. We aren’t under the illusion that they will be solved easily — but we know they are indeed solvable.

With Peterson Philanthropies, we are furthering my father’s philanthropic vision every day, reflecting his deep love for this country and enduring commitment to leaving a better world for our children and grandchildren.

I invite you to read on, to learn more about the initiatives we’ve undertaken recently, and to see where we’re going next. We all have a stake in the future we leave to the next generation of Americans.