The Sealantic Fund

Established by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., in 1938, the Sealantic Fund merged with the RBF in 1973. Sealantic had broad philanthropic aims, supporting institutions and programs in which its founder took a personal interest. These included theological education, interchurch relations, nursing education, architectural restorations in Sleepy Hollow, New York, and public health and welfare in the greater New York area. Before absorbing Sealantic, the RBF routinely gave it general support for programs in Westchester County, New York, and in Maine, particularly on Mt. Desert Island. The merger with Sealantic brought several New York City properties into RBF ownership, including the Interchurch Center on Riverside Drive next to Riverside Church (home to the RBF offices since 2009). The RBF also continued Sealantic’s Theological Education Fund, which had spent more than $20 million to develop Protestant theological education, encouraging collaborations among seminaries, developing centers of strength, and enhancing educational resources for pastoral ministers and theological scholars.