News

Shareholders want to know where corporations are spending their political dollars, according to a new report released by corporate watchdog groups. In an interview on National Public Radio's Morning Edition on February 28, 2012, Bruce Freed, president of the Center for Political Accountability (CPA), said investors need to understand the risks of corporate spending in politics.

Not long ago, Nezir Sinani was working for a state-owned power company in Kosovo. As he learned about the detrimental effects of coal on human health and the environment, he decided to make a change. Now, Mr. Sinani is advancing clean energy solutions in Kosovo with RBF grantee the Institute for Development Policy.

RBF grantees the Center for Investigative Reporting, Inc. and Crisis Action, Inc. are among 15 recipients of this year's MacArthur Awards for Creative and Effective Institutions. Both organizations were recognized for demonstrating outstanding innovation and efficacy, with great potential to continue effecting change in the future.

Poet Kwoya Fagin reflects on her residency at The Pocantico Center. The impact of the time and setting were invaluable to her as an artist and as an individual, she says.

Citing new data on the Florida primaries, the Wesleyan Media Project, an RBF grantee, has released the first analysis of campaign advertising for the 2012 presidential election cycle. It found that interest groups have sponsored nearly half of the Republican nomination television ads through January 25, compared to only three percent of ads aired during the same time period in the 2008 Republican nomination race—a 1600 percent increase.

The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University has published a report about the intersection of media and policy in the Muslim world. The report is the product of a retreat held at The Pocantico Center in October 2011, which brought together 22 policymakers, ambassadors, journalists, and media development experts from the Middle East, Pakistan, Indonesia, the United States, and Europe.

Gail Fuller, director of communications, highlights the importance of the 990-PF in helping to tell a foundation's story on Philanthropy New York's blog. More than just an annual information return filed with the IRS, Fuller discusses how the wealth of data can be repurposed to increase a foundation's transparency and enhance its storytelling.

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund has modified its Western Balkans guidelines by adding a peacebuilding goal. The amendment of this third goal will allow the Fund to continue to focus its work on the area of peacebuilding, foster collaboration with the RBF’s Peacebuilding program, and remain transparent about its work in the Western Balkans.

At a sustainability conference on December 13, 2011, Israeli Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan, and Palestinian Water Minister Dr. Shaddad Attili agreed that continued cooperation is crucial to solving the region's water issues. While the discussion was tense at times, each highlighted the need for reworking the Joint Water Committee, which was established in 1995, but was intended to be temporary.

Although the ability to accumulate private wealth in China has only been possible in the past three decades, philanthropy is growing fast. The RBF's Southern China program team discusses the often complex issues around effective philanthropy and how exchanges with U.S. counterparts can help.