News

RBF trustee Hugh Lawson was named as head of Goldman Sachs Asset Management's global environmental, social, and governance efforts in a newly created position.

During a plenary session at the Center for Effective Philanthropy's National Conference in San Francisco in May 2015, Stephen Heintz, president of the Fund, participated in a panel discussion about different models of philanthropy and how each can maximize foundation impact. Heintz said foundations can demonstrate leadership by using intellectual, endowment, reputational, and relational capital, in addition to their grantmaking dollars.

In his new book, Staying the Course: Reflections on 40 Years of Grantmaking at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, William S. Moody, a former program director, charts the opportunities of working with individuals and communities around the world to make lasting and positive change.

Stephen Heintz, president of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, spoke at a seminar about philanthropy at the Terry Sanford Institute's Center for Strategic Philanthropy and Civil Society at Duke University in December 2014. Mr. Heintz discussed the Rockefeller family tradition of philanthropy, impact investing, and collaboration with other foundations, among other topics.

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund has begun a two-step process to divest from investments in fossil fuels. The Fund's immediate focus will be on limiting its exposure to coal and tar sands, two of the most intensive sources of carbon emissions, with the goal to reduce its investments to less than one percent of the total portfolio by the end of 2014.

Stephen Heintz, president of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, has been recognized as a 2014 NonProfit Times' Power & Influence Top 50 honoree for a second consecutive year. The NonProfit Times commends his commitment to nationwide public engagement, as well as bold ideas on civic engagement, and his recognition of the Fund's responsibility to work toward reducing the use of fossil fuels.

At a White House roundtable on impact investing on June 25, 2014, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund announced its intent to dedicate 10 percent of its $840 million endowment to targeted impact investments, as one of more than 20 new private sector commitments to drive more than $1.5 billion into impact investments that intentionally generate financial return as well as measurable social or environmental impact.

The trustees, staff, and grantees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund mourn the death of Dr. Richard G. Rockefeller, a former trustee, board chair, and very dear friend. Richard served on the RBF board of trustees for 23 years, starting in 1989. He was chair of the board from 2006–2013 and was an advisory trustee at the time of his tragic death.

The New York Times has announced the addition of Vali Nasr, a Rockefeller Brothers Fund trustee, to its roster of opinion contributors. Dr. Nasr is one of more than two dozen newly appointed contributors, who will write monthly columns for the newspaper as well its newly reincarnated International New York Times, formerly known as the International Herald Tribune.

During a plenary session at the Independent Sector's annual conference on September 30, 2013, Stephen Heintz, president of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, unveiled planning for a "National Purpose Initiative," an effort to reunite Americans around a common purpose. The project aims to engage hundreds of thousands—if not millions—of Americans in a dialogue that will culminate in a broadly shared agenda of national priorities.