Grantmaking Process

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund advances social change that contributes to a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. Its grantmaking is organized around three thematic programs: Democratic Practice, Peacebuilding, and Sustainable Development, and three pivotal places: New York City, Southern China, and the Western Balkans. The Fund supports efforts to expand knowledge, clarify values and critical choices, nurture creative expression, and shape public policy.

Application Process

Fund staff are highly engaged in the fields in which the RBF provides support, enabling them to identify organizations that are well-positioned to meet the Fund’s programmatic goals. While the Fund remains open to unsolicited requests, applicants should be aware that, owing to the RBF’s proactive grantmaking approach, the likelihood of an unsolicited request becoming a grant is quite low.

Applications for funding are considered throughout the year for most programs, except:

Pivotal Place: New York City – The application period for the 2011–2012 grant cycle has now closed. More information about the 2012–2013 grant cycle will be made in June 2012. See the program guidelines for further detail.

The online grant inquiry is the recommended starting point for requesting a grant from the RBF.  Staff review each inquiry for fit within current program guidelines, funding priorities, and budget constraints. The review process may take up to 90 days from the time the inquiry is received.

If there is interest in considering a grant, staff will contact the applicant for additional information, including a detailed proposal. Applicants should not a send a full proposal unless requested to do so by Fund staff. Details on what to include in the proposal can be found in Grant Forms and Tools.

Grant Review and Approval Process

If a proposal is being considered for a grant, it will be reviewed by the program staff recommending the grant as well as by an internal review team for programmatic fit, organizational capacity, and legal and anti-terrorism compliance.

Prospective grantees in the United States must either be a tax-exempt or seeking support for a project that would qualify as educational or charitable. Foreign organizations must satisfy an RBF determination that they would qualify, if incorporated in the United States, as tax-exempt or that the project for which support is sought would qualify in the United States as educational or charitable.

While the approval process is generally completed within three months, the exact timeline may vary. The majority of grants are approved by the Fund's board of trustees, which meets three times a year (March, June, and November). A limited number of grants may be approved by the Fund's president between meetings. RBF staff will advise an applicant as to how and when a proposal is being reviewed for funding.

Amount and Length of Grants

The size and duration of a grant award correspond to the work that the grant is supporting. In 2009, the average grant was just under $90,000 for a year and a half of activity; however, grants greatly varied in size, ranging from $1,500 to $300,000, and in length from six months to three years. For more information about the size and duration of the Fund's grants, which differ from program to program, please see the grants search.

Grant Award and Monitoring

Once a grant is approved, grantees will receive an award letter from the Fund outlining the terms of the grant, including the expected reporting requirements and payment schedule. The first payment on the grant is generally issued upon return of the countersigned award letter to the Fund.

RBF staff monitor grants throughout their life cycle and evaluate them at their conclusion. Each grantee is required to submit financial and narrative reports at specified intervals during the grant as well as at its conclusion. Grant reports and evaluations become part of the Fund's permanent records.