News

RBF grantee Center for Public Integrity was recently awarded a prestigious Knight-Batten Award for Innovations in Journalism.

Edwin Rekosh, human rights lawyer and founder and executive director of the Public Interest Law Institute (PILI), an RBF grantee, is this year's recipient of the International Human Rights Award from the American Bar Association Section of Litigation.

The Connect U.S. Fund, a project of RBF grantee Tides Foundation, has been featured in The Chronicle of Philanthropy for fostering engagement among foundations that advocate a progressive, internationally cooperative American foreign policy agenda.

Recently profiled as a CNN Hero, Alfa Demmellash of Rising Tide Capital was recognized by President Obama at a White House event highlighting effective nonprofit programs.

"There is no question about the power of the immigrant vote," says Chung-Wha Hong, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition.  In New York, where more than 4 million foreign-born workers produce nearly a quarter of the state's economic output, Ms. Hong's organization has sought to implement a "community-based electoral machine."

When Deborah Simpson decided to run for a seat in Maine's House of Representatives in 2000, she was an unlikely candidate for elected office: as a waitress and single mother, she lacked connections to deep-pocketed donors. She had, however, heard about the state's new Clean Elections Act and figured she could campaign by talking about issues instead of asking people to write her checks.  Read more

While the 2008 U.S. presidential election was hailed largely because it put an African American in the White House for the first time, another celebrated success was the explosion in civic participation: thousands of new voters registered for the first time, volunteered, and turned up at the polls to cast their ballots. 

Three issues, six grantees, and a wonderful mix of opinions converge as the health of democracy in America is explored in the 2008 annual review.

The Georgetown State-Federal Climate Resource Center at Georgetown Law has announced that the newly formed Governors' Energy and Climate Coalition has pledged to address climate change and provide the nation with a comprehensive energy strategy.

Bank Information Center consultant Heike Mainhardt-Gibbs, author of an RBF-funded study, will defend her latest findings in a panel discussion at the Civil Society Policy Forum at the 2009 World Bank/International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings from April 25-26.