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The balance of political influence needs to be shifted from the few with money to the many, said Lucas Welch, executive director of the Pluribus Project, at the Aspen Ideas Festival. Introducing a panel discussion about money in politics, Welch pointed to public frustration with elected government and the influence of corporate spending. Panelists included leaders of The Pluribus Project, Take Back our Republic, Demos and change.org.

A group of more than 100 former American ambassadors sent a letter to President Obama supporting the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran. The signers of the letter include diplomats who were appointed by Republican and Democratic presidents. The Iran Project, which organized the letter, was cofounded by the United Nations Association of the United States of America and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund in 2002.

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.

As part of an ambitious plan to reduce the city’s carbon footprint by 80 percent by 2050, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio formally requested the energy sector to help identify solutions to power the city government’s operations using renewable energy. RBF grantee Architecture 2030 has published a report, Achieving 80x50, which recommends that New York City update its building code to meet high-performance standards on efficiency and integration of renewables.

According to a report from Center for An Urban Future, creative industries have been among the fastest growing segments of New York City’s economy over the last decade, and they outpace traditional economic engines like finance and insurance.

The Fund has revised the Charles E. Culpeper Arts and Culture Grants portion of its Pivotal Place: New York City guidelines, following an April 2014 review of its grantmaking from 2003–2013. The revised guidelines clarify the Fund’s interest in diversity and reaching artists of color and nontraditional communities, supporting the creative process, including residencies at The Pocantico Center, and building the capacity of small and mid-size arts organizations.

The Fund has revised the guidelines for its China grantmaking program to express the increasingly integrated nature of the RBF's work on pollution mitigation, public health, and climate change, as well as the development of China’s philanthropic sector.

More than 100 corporations, states, regions, and cities around the world have committed to ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to research published by CDP and The Climate Group, an RBF grantee. At least 40 companies, 13 states and regions, and 74 cities have committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 80 to 100 percent, or acquiring 100 percent of their power from renewable sources.

RBF President Stephen Heintz is among nearly 70 foundation leaders asking the Securities and Exchange Commission to require corporations to disclose their political spending. In an interview with NPR, he said that shareholders have a right to know how public companies are using unreported spending to influence elections.

China faces environmental challenges as its continuing growth meets the reality of finite water resources, according to a report published by China Water Risk. Water plays a key role in energy generation, in addition to providing for agriculture needs and municipal use. The report explores the risk exposure of different water usages as well as strategies to slow energy demand and achieve the right mix of power sources.