Photo © Ezra Stoller/Esto.
The children of John D. Rockefeller, Jr.: John 3rd, Winthrop, Abby, Laurance, David, and Nelson. 1960.
Mission
The Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) advances social change that contributes to a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world.
Through our grantmaking, convening, mission-aligned investing, and leadership, the RBF supports the people and organizations building lasting solutions to the challenges facing today’s increasingly interdependent world. The RBF is committed to becoming an anti-racist and anti-sexist institution.
VALUES
We live in an interdependent world.
Eight billion humans and nearly nine million other species of life inhabit our planet, sharing one biosphere and one climate. National economies are increasingly interconnected. Crises in one part of the world often affect conditions elsewhere, and solutions can also transcend boundaries.
Global interdependence anchors the values of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund:
Dignity
We uphold the innate rights and inherent value of every person and the broader community of life.
Integrity
We are transparent about our efforts and impact, stand behind our commitments for the long term, and strive to meet the highest ethical standards.
Solidarity
We work alongside grantees and other partners to understand and respond to the needs of the communities they serve, build long-term trusting relationships, and hold each other accountable as we contribute toward common goals.
Humility
We recognize the limits of our knowledge and resources and therefore seek opportunities to learn, adapt, and improve.
Durable social change requires an approach that is both ambitious and patient. Guided by these values and the legacies of Rockefeller family philanthropy, we embrace innovation and strategic risk to advance our mission. We use our full range of resources, including our convening capacity, to help build a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world.
PHILANTHROPIC TRADITION
The Rockefeller Brothers Fund was created in 1940 by the sons of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller—John 3rd, Nelson, Winthrop, Laurance, and David—as a vehicle by which they could coordinate their philanthropic efforts. Abby “Babs” Rockefeller Mauzé, their older and only sister, joined the RBF board in 1954. Two substantial gifts from their father, one in 1951 and the other upon his death in 1960, formed the original endowment of the RBF. On July 1, 1999, the Charles E. Culpeper Foundation of Stamford, Connecticut, merged with the RBF, increasing the Fund’s assets by a third. Almost two decades later, in 2018, a generous bequest of $250 million from the estate of the RBF’s cofounder David Rockefeller raised the endowment to over $1 billion.
Over more than 80 years, three successive generations of Rockefeller family members have provided exceptional leadership to ensure that the RBF remains dedicated to the philanthropic ideals of the Rockefeller family while also inviting the participation of distinguished nonfamily trustees and staff.
Beginning with John D. Rockefeller 3rd, who served as president from inception until 1956, seven presidents have guided the RBF. They include Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1956–1958; Laurance S. Rockefeller, 1958–1968; Dana S. Creel, 1968–1975; William M. Dietel, 1975–1987; Colin G. Campbell, 1988–2000; and the RBF’s current president, Stephen B. Heintz, who assumed office in February 2001.
Several themes have persisted throughout RBF history. These include a special interest in conservation and the environment; civic participation and democracy; international engagement; cultivating an experimental disposition; and embracing family tradition.