RBF's Commitment to Civil Society

Over the past several months, threats to civil society—advocates, activists, artists, scientists, lawyers, teachers, caregivers, and others—that once seemed distant and abstract have become tangible and direct, both in the United States and globally. Our grantees and partners now face legal challenges, severe funding cuts, threats of closure, media smear campaigns, and, in the worst cases, intimidation and attacks targeting individual leaders and staff. 

At the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, our philanthropic practices are built to weather these storms. We take a long view of social change. Our grantmaking supports work to address thorny, entrenched issues that are paramount to our mission of advancing a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. 

More than half of our grants provide multiyear and/or general operating support, and we’re ready to be flexible with our grants to meet evolving grantee needs. In 2022, our board adopted a plan to spend an additional $100 million over ten years to address the climate crisis. We routinely exceed the federally mandated five-percent charitable distribution requirement for foundations; over the last five years, we’ve paid out over 20 percent more than the minimum threshold. The dollars we don’t spend on grantmaking are invested to align with our mission. 

Philanthropy is the economic engine of civil society. Independent from partisan agendas and insulated from some of the financial pressures that affect individual giving, institutional philanthropy can offer stable support that allows nonprofits to commit to long-term problem-solving on issues of broad public interest. During the 2008 economic recession, for example, individual giving fell 10.2 percent, while foundation giving declined by just two percent. 

Public interest is diverse and so, too, are foundations. What unites us is a commitment to healthy families, safe communities, fair economies, clean air and water, and a shot at success for all. Together with other funders, we will continue to uphold the critical importance of an independent and flourishing civil society, our independence, and our freedom to give. 

Pursuing the interests of a diverse public means also addressing persistent marginalization, exclusion, and disadvantage. Climate, democracy, and peace are deeply interconnected and transcend geographic, socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, and gender lines. Therefore, the RBF cannot achieve our program goals of combatting climate change, strengthening democracy, and advancing just and durable peace without ensuring that all people in the societies in which we work contribute to and benefit from problem solving. History is rife with examples of marginalized communities who played a leading role in efforts that scored universal gains, from Black unions that fought for fair labor standards to Indigenous groups that developed sustainable forestry practices to foster economic growth while preserving nature. 

We have seen firsthand how our internal efforts to create a workplace where all individuals feel they belong inspire greater commitment to our mission and contribution to our impact. The RBF has not been immune to the pressures civil society faces, but we steadfastly stand by our commitments to justice and equity in the United States and globally. 

New and likely compounding challenges lie ahead, but we won’t back down. The Rockefeller Brothers Fund remains dedicated to our grantees, committed to aligning our investments with our mission, united with fellow philanthropies, and firm in our values. We share but one world, so it can only be just, sustainable, and peaceful if it is just, sustainable, and peaceful for all.