News

In response to the Architecture 2030 challenge for the building sector to become carbon neutral by the year 2030, a downtown Seattle neighborhood has transformed into the first ever high-performance district in the country.

The Communications Network has launched a new interview series about foundation communications. In the first installment of "A Quick Word With...," Gail Fuller discusses her role as director of communications at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The Q&A is meant to provide an inside look at the responsibilities and inspirations of communications professionals in philanthropy.

The John D. Gerhart Center for Philanthropy and Civic Engagement at the American University in Cairo and Innovations in Civic Participation have released a report identifying the youth-led actions that culminated in the January 2011 revolution in Egypt. The report, Youth Activism and Public Space in Egypt, includes profiles of three youth-led organizations, and analysis of the roles of social media and public art.

The 2010 Audited Financial Statement presents the financial position of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund as of December 31, 2010 and 2009.

Democratic Practice Program Director Benjamin Shute, Jr. discusses the need for campaign finance reform, especially as the concentration of wealth among fewer Americans increases, and unemployment soars. Those who can most easily afford to make large donations to candidates are having a disproportionate effect on public policy, he says, and more and more people believe that the government doesn’t work for them.

In an opinion piece published in The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Paul Connolly advises that the best grantmakers must achieve balance between passion and rationality in order to make the biggest impact through giving.

RBF grantee, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Inc. (CSIS) has published an analysis paper encouraging external institutions and government agencies to support a stronger public policy environment in the Middle East. CSIS's Middle East Program recommends that donors nurture the development of young leaders and the region's public policy environment by committing to long-term, sustained investments.

RBF President Stephen Heintz is among the honorees of this year's NonProfit Times Power & Influence Top 50. Recognized for encouraging others in the nonprofit field to be risk-takers, and noting that limited grant dollars should be triggering big impacts, this is the third consecutive year Heintz has been named to the list.

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund has made revisions to the Global Governance portion of its Democratic Practice program guidelines. The changes reflect the evolution of the Global Governance portfolio, and aim to better communicate the Fund's interest in promising approaches to enhancing the vitality of democracy in global governance.

Most Albanian business leaders believe philanthropy helps to make their companies more successful, with 62 percent of the nearly 150 companies surveyed active in giving. Partners Albania, Center for Change and Conflict Management conducted a survey of philanthropic activity by Albanian enterprises. It recommends better tax incentives, more public recognition, and educating the public about corporate social responsibility to bolster giving.