Former RBF board chair Richard Rockefeller with Wang Zhenyao, president of China Global Philanthropy Institute, and Alice Lau, chair of the Guangdong Harmony Community Foundation.

The Richard Rockefeller Fellowship at Columbia Global

The Richard Rockefeller Fellowship complements the RBF’s grantmaking efforts in China by supporting the development of emerging leaders in China’s philanthropic and nongovernment sectors.

Since 2025, the Richard Rockefeller Fellowship has been hosted by Columbia University’s Columbia Global. The fellowship offers a five-week stay in the United States for up to eight social entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders from China who focus on sustainable development and climate issues. Fellows participate in a robust program of practical learning from the RBF and other U.S. philanthropies, as well as academic experiences drawing on Columbia’s extensive scholarship and resources. The fellowship also covers the costs of travel and lodging.

Following the fellowship period, participants enjoy sustained networking opportunities with U.S. and Chinese colleagues to support their continued work in China. With these strengthened networks, knowledge, and skills, fellows will be positioned to scale their organizations’ initiatives and create lasting positive change. 

The Richard Rockefeller Fellowship was established in 2016 as a tribute to Dr. Richard Rockefeller, a former RBF trustee who was profoundly inspired by the growth of Chinese philanthropy and the relationships he formed with philanthropic families in China. Before his tragic death in 2014, he became a passionate advocate for strategic philanthropy as a means to strengthen U.S.-China partnership and address global challenges. 

The Richard Rockefeller Fellowship was endowed by the RBF with the generous support of the Lao Niu Brother & Sister Foundation, the Dalio Foundation, and members of the Rockefeller family. From 2016 to 2022, the fellowship was administered by the RBF with support from the International Institute for Education and hosted four cohorts:

Columbia Global brings together major global initiatives from across the university to advance knowledge and foster global engagement. Its mission is to address complex global challenges through groundbreaking scholarly pursuits, leadership development, cutting-edge research, and projects that aim for social impact. The long-term goal is to reimagine the university’s role in society as not only a nexus for learning and intellectual exploration but also as a catalyst for creativity and impact locally, regionally, and globally.