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THE RBF AT 75: REFLECTING ON RISK AND FAILURE PUBLISHED ON FEBRUARY 14, 2017
THE RBF AT 75: INTERNATIONAL PHILANTHROPY PUBLISHED ON AUGUST 8, 2016 RBF founding trustee Nelson Rockefeller (left) in Latin America with the American International Association for Economic and Social Development in 1958. Photo courtesy of the Rockefeller Archive Center. Photo courtesy of the Rockefeller Archive Center.
STEPHEN HEINTZ TO CO-CHAIR COMMISSION ON THE PRACTICE OF DEMOCRATIC CITIZENSHIP PUBLISHED ON APRIL 3, 2018 Rockefeller Brothers Fund President Stephen Heintz will co-chair a new committee to explore evolving concepts of citizenship and to examine how citizens interact with democratic institutions in an effort to promote increased civic participation in the United States. The Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, a project of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, will meet for the first time today, under the leadership of Heintz and fellow co-chairs Danielle Allen, professor and director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University, and Eric Liu, founder of Citizen University and director of the Aspen Institute Citizenship and American Identity Program. The nonpartisan, multidisciplinary commission will work to “deepen the dialogue around democracy, citizenship, and community, by emphasizing new forms of civic engagement and democratic practice—many of which have been made possible through new technologies.” A complete list of commission members, representing a diverse array of backgrounds, disciplines, and perspectives, is available here. While the current global political moment has made the value of an active citizenry increasingly visible, the importance of citizen engagement in advancing social change has long been interwoven throughout the RBF’s grantmaking programs in the U.S. and around the world. The Fund’s programs develop leaders, strengthen institutions, and build community through strategies that prioritize citizen participation, education, and organizing.
A DIALOGUE ABOUT DEMOCRACY & CAPITALISM WITH NAOMI KLEIN AND STEPHEN HEINTZ PUBLISHED ON MARCH 8, 2019 In January, Confluence Philanthropy hosted a webinar with Naomi Klein, author of This Changes Everything, and Stephen Heintz, president of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. A summary of that conversation first appeared on the Confluence Philanthropy blog and is republished below with permission. We expected the conversation to diverge from philanthropy’s mainstream: our theme was a dialogue about democracy and capitalism and the speakers are two of the foremost thinkers around philanthropy and social change. But what we got was a soul-shaking wake-up call about the state of the world, as well as some surprising moments of hope. Confluence Philanthropy CEO, Dana Lanza, who moderated the dialogue, dove right in, asking the speakers what’s keeping them up at night. “I’m deeply worried,” said Heintz, “that we’re approaching a fundamental crisis.” Climate change, growing inequality, and eroding democracies intersecting together are putting at risk “the planet and the people who inhabit it,” he said. Heintz shared concerns that the way in which we are implementing our three core operating systems—capitalism, the nation-state system and representative democracy—are now showing signs of being obsolete against the challenges of the 21st century. Klein concurred. “I don’t know how I could be more alarmed—we all are. The latest IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] report didn’t help, Trump’s election doesn’t help, being a mom doesn’t help.” And, she said, she’s troubled by the way we can’t seem to make connections between these crises. “I see . . . rising seas and rising fascism as intertwined.” The marked increase in migration that’s fueling far-right political movements, Klein believes, is actually resulting from climate adaptation. “We understand there’s a connection, and that’s why we’re seeing the fortressing of the wealthy world.” “So how do we create an economic system,” asked Lanza, “that ensures climate justice and fights the advent of fascism?” “Climate change is testing our humanity,” said Klein. “It’s about what kinds of people we want to be, even in a future filled with shocks.” Our first responsibility, she said, is to frontline communities. “Right now, the people who did the least to cause climate change are suffering and paying the most. We’d reverse that, so the polluters would pay for what they’ve done.” Stephen Heintz agreed. “The climate crisis is really the forcing mechanism: it is so big, so existential, so serious,” he said. “But it reveals these bigger issues around humanity—the sense of fairness and justice and equality. Unless we reestablish an ethos of caring and sharing as a way of acting on this planet, we’re not going to solve this crisis.” For Lanza, that raised moral and spiritual implications to these issues. “How do we reconcile our influence and privilege with the need to make more space at the proverbial table?” Heintz suggested philanthropists actually must practice more humility, and that investors should broaden their definition of wellbeing to include whole systems, rather than simply the performance of their dollars. And, he said, the two don’t need to be mutually exclusive. “We can be both good stewards of capital and also of what the dollars are doing.” Klein suggested that philanthropy, in some cases, stalls change by under-funding the movement building organizations that challenge prevailing economic systems. “It’s not that there’s no role for philanthropy,” she said, “but how can grantmaking encourage more democracy and equity? How do we fund people who make demands for systemic change rather than those that craft incrementalism?” She also took aim at the arrogance of philanthropists who go it alone—notably, at the moment, Michael Bloomberg, who had announced earlier in the day that he would “write” the Green New Deal. “That’s extraordinary arrogance,” she said. “The idea is not to say that we know what the Green New Deal is, but to spend a year consulting with expertise that has been waiting for this tipping point.” Democracy and inclusion are key to drafting such a deal. If anything, she said, “We need help figuring out a democratic process [for this].” Heintz said there was a lot of talk at Davos this year about capitalism’s flaws. “People recognize there’s something fundamentally flawed in the way capitalism is being practiced today,” he said. “This is a great opportunity. People recognize things are wrong and that we have to work together democratically for a brighter future.” His words brought Lanza to a burning question: “Where do you each find your hope?” Heintz finds a lot of causes for hope, including the rise of the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements and the way that the American public has finally shrugged off climate denialism despite decades of misinformation efforts by the fossil fuel industry. There’s political hope, as well. “Just look at the midterms,” he said. “Ballot initiatives to fight gerrymandering and voter suppression, to give felons back the right to vote, to create automatic voter registration. And huge diversity was added to Congress for the first time.” But when it comes to capitalism, Heintz feels strongly that we need to “move to a new economy—from obsolete capitalism to a wellbeing economy, a wellbeing society” that’s organized around equity and inclusion. “We have the capacity to reach a kind of social tipping point. The question is, can we accelerate and reach that tipping point before we reach the climate tipping point?” “It’s an extraordinary moment to be alive, because the peril is so great, but the promise is also giving me life,” said Klein. She believes the key is learning to envision bold systemic change. “I think science fiction is incredibly important in this moment,” said Klein, “because we need permission to dream together.” While recognizing the limitations of the original New Deal, Klein said it’s time to offer bold plans like it again. “We’re going to remember a time when we worked together with vision and boldness, and we weren’t afraid to plan . . . FDR created 200,000 jobs for the Civilian Conservation Corps in first three months,” she said, “and that ultimately created two million jobs.” “Roosevelt was accused of being a traitor to his class, a socialist,” said Heintz. “He said, ‘They attack us relentlessly, but I welcome their attacks.’ It’s important to remember that it’s a badge of honor to be attacked when you’re on the arc towards justice.” Confluence Philanthropy advances mission-aligned investing. It supports and catalyzes a community of private, public, and community foundations, individual donors, and their values-aligned investment advisors representing more than $70 billion in philanthropic assets under management and over $3.5 trillion in managed capital. Confluence is an international organization, with the majority of members based in the U.S. and a handful in Europe, Canada, and Mexico. Our members represent a diversity of institutions, charitable asset types, personal and professional roles, and programmatic missions, but they all share a commitment to mission aligned investing. confluencephilanthropy.org
THE WESTERN BALKANS: A REGION IN TRANSITION PUBLISHED ON APRIL 24, 2019 Sarajevo, the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Photo by Michał Huniewicz. In 2018, a new program team—Program Director Mia Vukojević and Program Associate Sonia Jagtiani—stepped up to guide development of the next phase of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund’s Western Balkans program. They took this opportunity to reflect on the Fund’s grantmaking in the region over the last four years and to assess the implications of rapidly changing social, political, cultural, and economic conditions in the Balkans. They traveled extensively in the region, met with dozens of RBF grantees and partners, and pored over countless reports, articles, and other documents to ensure the program’s strategies reflect the evolving context in the Western Balkans today. The resulting program memo describes a region still in transition some 30 years after the end of communism and nearly 20 after the last of the Balkan wars ended. Ongoing corruption, organized crime, lack of government and leadership accountability, and “brain drain” affect both the daily lives of citizens and the “big picture” for the future of each country in the region. The goal of joining the European Union, once a main driver of reform efforts in the Balkans, no longer holds the allure it did a decade ago. Europe’s financial and refugee crises, and more recently Brexit, have had a direct impact on the Balkans and its EU prospects. While the Western Balkan countries are still going through accession processes, it has become evident that, in the near term, aspirations for peace, prosperity, and democracy must focus on the people and institutions of the Balkans. Despite this sobering picture, civil society and independent media in the Western Balkans have shown resilience and determination. They continue to press for further democratization or at least to hold the line against new intrusions on freedoms and rights. This elastic state of the region—growing and stretching here, receding and restricting there—signals the need for an increasingly responsive, flexible approach to the Fund’s grantmaking in the Western Balkans. Developments in Europe necessitate an embrace of democratic transition, durable peace, and sustainable development in the Balkans with or without formal EU integration. The unresolved conflicts that color all aspects of life there today also highlight the need for renewed attention to reconciliation and civic participation, and the growing constellation of civil society actors spanning causes from women’s rights to government transparency and renewable energy to cross-cultural exchange illustrate the opportunities for partnership and intersectional collaboration. These modest shifts in our understanding are reflected in updated Western Balkans program guidelines, approved by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund board of trustees in March 2019. The revised text articulates our evolving understanding of the regional context and recalibrates the focus of our support for continued engagement with Europe. It also gives greater priority to democratic practice and peacebuilding as the cornerstones of the Fund’s vision for a thriving Western Balkans region and details refinements to our approach.
OUR RESPONSE TO COVID-19: RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES PUBLISHED ON MARCH 20, 2020 Emergency responders don protective equipment during training for the transportation isolation system, which can be used to safely transport patients with diseases like novel coronavirus. Photo by Cody R. Miller, courtesy of the U.S. Air Force. In times of crisis, opportunities to make the world more just, sustainable, and peaceful may seem increasingly out of reach. But these moments can also sharpen our vision and bring increased clarity about our obligations as individuals, community members, and global citizens. As the coronavirus spreads across the globe, we have seen shining examples of people standing up—often at great personal risk—to heal, comfort, and support loved ones and strangers alike. From healthcare workers testing and treating patients in overwhelmed facilities; to cultural institutions and artists streaming content to fill our days and our hearts while under quarantine; to movement leaders mobilizing online to ensure equal access to healthcare, civic participation, and basic resources in these trying times, we are heartened and inspired by so many demonstrating the real meaning of "philanthropy": love for mankind. We at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund are leveraging our resources to the fullest extent possible to support these efforts to respond to the health, social, and economic impacts of the coronavirus spread in our community and around the world. We urge other funders—and all others who are able—to join us in supporting nonprofits who are rising to the occasion during this once-in-a-generation crisis. The shocks of COVID-19 are severe and unanticipated for the philanthropic sector and grantee partners. Leaders in philanthropy recognize the critical need to act with fierce urgency to support our nonprofit partners as well as the people and communities hit hardest by the impacts of COVID-19. The RBF and dozens of other funders have committed to easing burdens on our grantees and lifting their voices to address the crisis.
READ THE PLEDGE SIGN THE PLEDGE for grantees for funders The NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund is a $75 million (and growing) effort to aid nonprofit service providers struggling with the health and economic effects of the coronavirus. It will give grants and loans to help NYC-based healthcare and food insecurity nonprofits, as well as arts organizations in the cultural capital of the nation, with equipment, personnel, technological assistance, and support for financial losses. The RBF has pledged $700,000 to this fund, including $200,000 earmarked for cultural institutions.
APPLY FOR A GRANT APPLY FOR A LOAN DONATE NOW for NYC-based nonprofits via NY Community Trust The RBF has pledged $500,000 to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund to support the World Health Organization (WHO). This fund will help to send essential supplies to frontline health workers, enable all countries to track and detect the disease, ensure access to the latest science-based information to prevent infection and care for those in need, and accelerate the discovery and development of lifesaving vaccines, diagnostics, and treatment. DONATE NOW
via United Nations Foundation
A HINGE MOMENT IN HISTORY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 4, 2020 Protesters march against police violence and demand justice for George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Photo by Fibonacci Blue. Amadou Diallo. Aiyana Jones. Trayvon Martin. Jonathan Ferrell. Michael Brown. Tamir Rice. Walter Scott. Freddie Gray. Sandra Bland. Eric Garner. Philando Castile. Alton Sterling. Jordan Edwards. Stephon Clark. Botham Jean. Atatiana Jefferson. Ahmaud Arbery. Breonna Taylor. Black lives matter. The killing of George Floyd is the latest painful chapter in a brutal history America too often tries to dismiss and for too long has failed to overcome. His horrific death perpetuates the injustice that began 400 years ago when white settlers brought the first enslaved Africans to America. It extends the injustice of the slave system that only a bloody Civil War brought to an end. It renews the injustice of Jim Crow, and it reflects the impunity of decades of white lynching of Black men and women that persisted into the 1950s. It is time for white people, like me, to take responsibility. Our first obligation is to listen. The history, the stories, the data of Black experience are already there—they have been there for decades—if we take the time to find, hear, and learn them. We must feel rage, yes, but rage is not enough. We must stand with our Black and Brown colleagues, friends, community members, and leaders who every day experience rage, but also trauma, fear, despair, and exhaustion even as they continue the formidable fight for justice. We must reach out to those who are suffering the disproportionate pain of the coronavirus pandemic on Black Americans that compounds the enduring racism that targets them, their families, and their communities. We must act together to protect our common humanity. It is time, too, for philanthropy to drop the pretext of race neutrality. The inequities that continue to plague our country and the world implicate every other area of social change that our foundations work toward, including healthcare, education, democracy, climate change, and the arts. At the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, we are leaning deeper into the work of examining ourselves and have spent the last two years engaged in an organizational culture process to understand and address the effects of systemic racism in our own workplace, norms, and behaviors. It is increasingly clear that we must expand and expedite that work. Our trustees and staff are also moved to deepen our support for work to rectify these inequities and secure justice, especially efforts led by Black and Brown communities who have felt the sharpest impacts of the broken promises of our nation. Our grantmaking has long been guided by the Rockefeller family tradition of support for abolition, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Black businesses and institutions, and the Civil Rights movement. Today, our Democratic Practice program for the United States, in particular, makes grants to help engage voters of color, remove systemic barriers to the political system for underrepresented groups, and build the power of Black, Latinx, and Indigenous-led communities, organizations, and social movements. But as a foundation whose mission is to advance social change for a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world, we have a special obligation to do more. In the days to come, we will announce plans for new initiatives and resources focused on achieving racial justice in the United States beyond the boundaries of our existing democratic practice work, including criminal justice and police reform, community development, and economic justice. The events of the last two weeks have reawakened many in our country to the injustice that has persisted over centuries for others. Against the backdrop of a deadly pandemic, increasing international isolationism, and rising authoritarianism globally, George Floyd’s death marks a hinge moment in history: Our actions now will determine whether we swing back into a dark past or press forward toward a brighter future, with peace and justice for all. –Stephen Heintz, President and CEO
June 3, 2020
PEACEBUILDING PROGRAM ADOPTS NEW GUIDELINES TO CONFRONT EVOLVING CHALLENGES PUBLISHED ON AUGUST 5, 2020 Afghan Women’s Network, a grantee of the Peacebuilding program, empowers women to participate in the political process to secure justice and peace. Photo courtesy of Afghan Women’s Network. By Perry Cammack, program director In light of conceptual evolutions in the peacebuilding field and geopolitical developments, in June 2020 the RBF trustees approved new program guidelines and revised grantmaking strategies for our Peacebuilding program. The nationwide protests for racial justice that erupted in the wake of the May 25 killing of George Floyd provided a potent reminder that peacebuilding is not a linear or antiseptic process. Peacebuilding is tense, turbulent, and confrontational. And for peacebuilders on the front lines of social change, it is often dangerous. In developing the new guidelines, the Peacebuilding program team took inspiration from a wide range of peacebuilders. Some are internationally acclaimed figures like Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Vaclav Havel, and John Lewis. Others are the less well-known but equally inspiring partners whom the Peacebuilding staff is privileged to work with and learn from. Popular narratives of peacebuilders often focus on epic negotiations and historic compromise intended to formally end conflict. But successful and enduring peacebuilding is grounded in understanding and addressing conflicts’ root causes—from authoritarianism and endemic corruption to systemic racism and the lingering effects of colonialism. Peacebuilding requires support and protection for communities working to disrupt dominant narratives and transform—or dismantle—oppressive economic and political systems. It also requires building pro-peace movements with genuine political power. Toward the overarching goal of advancing just and durable peace, the Peacebuilding program will focus its grantmaking through the following four strategies: - Developing analysis and policies to advance peacebuilding: Policymakers and civil society require robust analysis of conflict dynamics and creative policy solutions to address underlying drivers of conflict. This strategy includes support for policy analysis and reporting on specific conflicts and on peacebuilding theory and practice more broadly.
- Supporting collaborative approaches and networks for shared security: Courageous collaboration is the heart of conflict transformation. This strategy supports efforts to provide government and civil society leaders with tools, methodologies, and networks to de-escalate conflict or increase cooperation.
- Strengthening constituencies for conflict transformation: Peace becomes possible when entrenched power structures are weakened or dismantled. This requires pro-peace constituencies to mobilize and build political power.
- Defending civil society and human rights to foster sustainable peace: There is a symbiotic relationship between rising authoritarianism and conflict. Around the world, principles of good governance, human rights, the rule of law, and a strong civil society are under assault. As a result, the protection of civil society and communities affected by conflicts is a critical aspect of conflict transformation.
From building movements to disrupting prevailing narratives, from supporting political compromise to protecting communities at risk, the program team believes these four strategies constitute a robust approach to peacebuilding. Within these strategies, the Peacebuilding program will continue to prioritize the inclusion of women, youth, local communities, and excluded groups in peacebuilding processes. The Peacebuilding program will continue to support civil society efforts that work to transform specific conflicts, focusing on Afghanistan and Israel-Palestine. But the complex ways in which local conflicts interact with regional and international geopolitics are becoming increasingly clear. The Middle East and South Asia regions, where the United States has been in a state of near-continuous war since 1991, lie at the epicenter of international geopolitical confrontation and the global arms trade. Conflict, as well as climate change and authoritarianism, have displaced millions of people throughout the region. It is impossible to understand individual conflicts without reference to these regional and international dynamics. Regionally, the Peacebuilding program will support civil society initiatives that aim to transform confrontational dynamics that both drive and arise from conflict. This grantmaking will focus on reducing geopolitical tensions—including between the United States and Iran—as well as on transforming the political economy of conflict and increasing protection for forcibly displaced communities. Lastly, the program supports a smaller body of work on international peacebuilding. These efforts allow the program to support the further development of the field and to explore synergies that can exist across different geographical contexts. The United States and the world seem to be at a crossroads. Amid a global crisis of confidence in politics, institutions, and governance, the risks of rising xenophobia, nationalism, and authoritarianism are only too clear. But this moment also creates an opportunity to imagine new frameworks of shared security and interdependence, fresh thinking about U.S. foreign policy, and an invigoration of the broader practice of peacebuilding. This is an ambitious agenda, but it is a necessary one. In the words of the great peacebuilder Nelson Mandela, “It always seems impossible until it is done.”
INSURRECTION AT THE CAPITOL PUBLISHED ON JANUARY 7, 2021 by Rockefeller Brothers Fund President and CEO Stephen Heintz The violent attack on the U.S. Capitol yesterday was distinctly un-American and an affront to our system of democratic government. Politicians who supported or enabled, actively or tacitly, this insurrection must be held to account. Elected officials from every party and at every level of government nationwide who serve in our democratic system at the will of the people have the duty not only to denounce yesterday’s actions but to rectify the campaign of disinformation and flat-out lies that brought us to this point. Joseph R. Biden, Jr., won the 2020 presidential election by vote of the Electoral College, fair and square, and after the Capitol was secured last evening, the Congress concluded its constitutional duty of certifying the Electoral College votes of the fifty states. As a philanthropic foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund did not endeavor to advance any particular election outcome. We did support organizations across the country working for a free, fair, and safe process that would allow every American to cast their ballot, every ballot to be counted, and the count to be realized in peaceful transition or continuation of power. That endeavor has been tested more this election cycle than perhaps any in history. Our democracy, while flawed, is intended to uphold freedom and justice for all Americans. But that doesn’t mean that every American is entitled to everything they want, all the time. In fact, the opposite is true: democracy is about accepting compromise that ensures every American the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That means rejecting rhetoric, symbols, and policies that aim to disenfranchise and intimidate fellow Americans. That means the rule of law and prosecution thereunder must apply equally to politician and constituent, rich and poor, police officer and civilian, black and white. That means elections are legitimate when they adhere to constitutional process and state law, not only when your candidate wins. People are in pain, yes. Americans harbor deep distrust of institutions; rampant misinformation and intentional disinformation are eroding our trust in one another. Economic inequality has skyrocketed, and moneyed special interests drown out citizen voices in our politics. Nothing justifies the kind of violent attack we witnessed yesterday. The 2020 election process has painfully illustrated the failures of our democracy, but they are decades in the making. There is no “golden age of American democracy” to fall back on, only an opportunity—and an urgent need—to reinvent democracy to meet the needs of today and tomorrow. Doing so is the charge of all Americans. Philanthropy has a special obligation to advance this common purpose. Democracy is the basis for every other public good our foundations support; studies have shown that the strength of a country’s democracy correlates to public health, clearer air, quality of education, social services, and so much more. Long after the acute anxiety of the 2020 election season has dissipated, philanthropy must continue its investment in the reinvention of American democracy. *Editor’s Note: A previous version of this statement referenced the ongoing struggle for Black and Indigenous lives with other examples of pain experienced by Americans today. This language may have been interpreted as falsely equating persistent racial injustice with the grievances expressed by those who violently raided the Capitol on Wednesday. The RBF remains committed to continued learning and growth on our path to becoming an anti-racist institution. The American Academy of Arts and Sciences Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, co-chaired by RBF President Stephen Heintz with Danielle Allen and Eric Liu, also released a statement on the events in Washington, D.C.: Our commission recommended many strategies for reinventing our American democracy. But they all boil down to something fragile and indispensable: faith in our Constitution and each other. When a president incites insurrection against the Constitution and the rule of law, and turns the people against each other and toward disunion, every leader of every institution in the United States must condemn it. We do so today. And we redouble our commitment to the work of building common purpose and making our constitutional democracy worth believing in.
IN NEW BOOK, RBF TRUSTEE HEATHER MCGHEE EXAMINES THE COSTS OF RACISM PUBLISHED ON FEBRUARY 16, 2021 The Sum of Us cover courtesy of Penguin Random House. RBF Trustee Heather McGhee’s first book, The Sum of Us, will be released on February 16, 2021. In it, McGhee, the former president of Dēmos and board chair at Color of Change, argues that racism has costs for every American—not just people of color. The book chronicles her journey around the country to explore the social and economic gains that result when people unite across racial divides. McGhee adapted her argument for an essay in the New York Times, writing, “The anti-government stinginess of traditional conservatism, along with the fear of losing social status held by many white people, now broadly associated with Trumpism, have long been connected. Both have sapped American society’s strength for generations, causing a majority of white Americans to rally behind the draining of public resources and investments. Those very investments would provide white Americans—the largest group of the impoverished and uninsured—greater security, too… And while growing corporate power and money in politics have certainly played a role, it’s now clear that racial resentment is the key uncredited actor in our economic backslide.” Find The Sum of Us at your local bookstore, or buy on Bookshop.org to support independent booksellers nationwide.
A MORE DEMOCRATIC, INCLUSIVE, AND SUSTAINABLE CENTRAL AMERICA PUBLISHED ON JULY 12, 2021 Anti-corruption protests in Antigua, Guatemala, 2015. Photo by Lucy Brown via iStock. Following extensive exploration, in 2019 the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) selected Central America as the focus of a new pivotal place program. This decision recognizes the distinct relevance of our thematic priorities—sustainable development, peacebuilding, and democratic practice—in Central America, as well as the impacts of historical and ongoing U.S. engagement in the region. Funded by the generous bequest of David Rockefeller, this program honors the Rockefeller brothers’ longstanding interest in Latin America. In the intervening years, we have met with a wide range of actors and approved a set of exploratory grants to uncover how the Fund’s modest resources can have the greatest impact for the people of Central America. Our new program guidelinesidentify the countries of northern Central America—El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras—as the program’s focus. This region is home to a growing number of people, organizations, and movements demanding change, particularly in the areas of distribution of and access to power and wealth, race and gender relations, the sustainable use of natural resources, and the development of inclusive and participatory democracies. These change agents face a number of challenges. Most countries in Central America suffered armed conflict into the mid-1990s. El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras have also been directly and often negatively impacted by U.S. foreign policy over the past 75 years as the U.S. government supported human rights-violating military regimes across the region. The peace processes in Guatemala (1996) and El Salvador (1992), supported by the United States as well as the international community, brought about ceasefires and the incorporation of insurgent groups into democratic political life but left structural causes of the conflict unaddressed. Today, there are worrying signs in all three countries of growing authoritarian populism: intolerance for criticism, censorship of the media, suppression of civil liberties and human rights, attacks on civil society, and militarization of governance and civilian spaces. Systemic corruption displaces national development priorities with private interests, deepens inequality, and drives widescale impunity. With justice systems compromised, criminal violence is a constant, and gender-based violence is endemic in all three countries. Central America’s extensive environmental wealth and natural resources also are compromised by these dynamics. Together with global climate change, natural resource mismanagement—including the expansion of livestock farming, monoculture that wears down the soil, and extractive industries—contributes to a growing crisis in access to water and food. Rural, indigenous, and other marginalized communities are particularly hard hit. The resulting insecurity and uncertainty push many people from the three countries to try to migrate to the United States in search of security, employment, and access to social services. The previous U.S. administration withdrew support for initiatives to counter corruption and impunity, reinforcing the drivers of irregular migration, which was met with draconian detention and repatriation measures. The new administration has signaled a regional approach combining compassion with efforts to mitigate the root causes of migration. By addressing internal conditions, international and local stakeholders can work together to find durable solutions to the migration crisis within in the region. Our new program guidelines reflect a region with both serious challenges but also powerful positive forces making brave efforts for democracy, sustainability, and human rights. The Fund’s Central America program will help the RBF identify and contribute to these efforts to encourage active participation in the civic space, incorporate the voices of women and indigenous people in decision making, expand access to justice and human security, advocate for nature-based solutions to human needs, craft new narratives, and bolster respectful and relevant international cooperation within the region and with its neighbors.
PHILANTHROPIC JOINT STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO THE SUPREME COURT'S DECISION IN 'STUDENTS FOR FAIR ADMISSIONS' CASES PUBLISHED ON JUNE 29, 2023 The following is a statement by funders and philanthropic organizations in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s rulings in Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina and Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College. A full, updated list of signatories is available at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Supreme Court’s decision impedes colleges and universities from selecting their own student bodies and fully addressing systemic racial inequalities that persist. The ruling threatens to return this nation to a time when education and opportunity were reserved for a privileged class. It endangers sixty years of multiracial movements to challenge our nation to live up to the ideals enshrined in our founding documents. The decision erects new barriers to building a society in which everyone has the opportunity to improve their lives, communities, health, and education. Today's ruling will make the vital work of building inclusive college campuses much harder. Experience has shown that substituting socioeconomic status as a proxy for race will not achieve the diversity that strengthens the fabric of all universities. Educators and communities dedicated to teaching and mentoring young people and adults from every imaginable background understand how all students—not just students of color—benefit from diverse racial and socioeconomic learning environments. Decades of research show that students educated with people from different backgrounds and experiences improve their analytical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. These skills are essential to building our future workforce, our military, and a healthy democracy. In the realm of health, research shows that racially and ethnically representative medical schools produce better-trained physicians and care teams that reflect the communities they serve. Universities and colleges and those organizations supporting them deserve the resources and support to continue their critical mission. They need our resolve, too. Philanthropies are vital partners in our nation’s progress. We will remain steadfast in our collective mission to create a more equitable nation within the bounds of the law. To forge ahead, we must continue to advocate for the human dignity of all people—regardless of their race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or country of origin—with renewed vigor and commitment. Our nation's future prosperity, vitality, and unity depend upon America becoming a true multiracial democracy—an aspiration that requires racial equity and diversity in higher education. Despite today’s ruling, our foundations will not waver in our commitment to those making the nation’s high ideals a reality for all communities and all people.
RBF AND OSF HOST THIRD BALKANS DONOR FORUM PUBLISHED ON NOVEMBER 15, 2023 Andi Dobrushi of Open Society Foundations–Western Balkans and Mia Vukojević of RBF at the 2023 Balkans Donor Forum. Photo by Jakov Simovic. Returning to the joint platform for the first time since 2019, over 150 stakeholders discussed priorities and approaches of the donor community in the Balkans. On Monday November 6, at Hilton Hotel in Belgrade, Open Society Foundations-Western Balkans and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund kicked-off the third forum of donors working across the Southeastern European region. The forum, titled “Rallying a response to polycrisis,” brought together around 150 representatives from over 120 public and private donors, as well as local Western Balkans philanthropies, for the first time since the last convening in Skopje in 2019. The two-day closed event was structured around plenary sessions that involved mapping of donor trends, reflections on changes, and forecasts for the region and Europe, as well as thematic working groups allowing for peer-to-peer re-examination of priorities and approaches. Welcoming participants from across the region and Europe on Monday afternoon, Andi Dobrushi, Director of Open Society Foundations-Western Balkans, remarked that the ambition of the forum was to discuss the most apt response to the multi-crises affecting societies in the region. “We at the Open Society Foundations have decided to amplify our impact by launching a compact regional unit, the Open Society Foundations-Western Balkans. This unit will collaborate closely with other progressive actors, both private and governmental, to support regional initiatives in digital transformation, green transition, European integration, and economic and political cooperation," Dobrushi stated. Joining the welcoming remarks, Mia Vukojević, Western Balkans Program Director at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, expressed how pleased she was at the number of attendees that confirmed the donor community’s commitment to Western Balkans. “This is the biggest gathering that focuses exclusively on exchange amongst the public, private, and corporate funders that support civil society,” Vukojević said. “In the next two days we will have the opportunity to discuss some of the key challenges in the Western Balkans: defending democracy, peace and security, climate change, and preparing for the digital present and future.” Inviting participants to reflect on current geopolitical developments, keynote speaker Tim Judah emphasized the uncertainty marking the current moment. “You probably want to hear me give some sober and certain ideas about the future and how this can affect your work and so on, but the problem is that not only do we not live in predictable times but, worse, we live, more than ever before, in ‘black swan times,’” Judah said, referencing Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Despite such occurrences making prediction difficult, Judah invited guests to reflect on “deeper, slower moving changes,” such as the demographic shift experienced globally and particularly in the Western Balkans region. Judah’s keynote was followed by a lively panel discussion amongst three academics from the region: Lura Pollozhani, University of Graz; Bojan Baca, University of Montenegro; and Dzeneta Karabegovic, University of Salzburg. Closing the first plenary, U.S. Ambassador to Serbia Christopher R. Hill addressed the audience. “The Western Balkans countries need to get to their destination…and the destination is full integration into the West. That is the path that will improve lives for this and future generations,” Ambassador Hill said. The forum continued with breakout sessions on Tuesday, November 7, with donor representatives discussing major thematic and operational trends in the region, their ongoing interventions, and plans for the future. Participants discussed key thematic issues such as climate change, peace and reconciliation, and defending democracy. They also had the chance to discuss in-depth donor approaches, particularly core and flexible funding, pooled funding, and regional programming.
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THE RBF AT 75: LESSONS FROM FAMILY PHILANTHROPY PUBLISHED ON JANUARY 5, 2017 John 3rd, Winthrop, Nelson, and Laurance Rockefeller in the family’s New York Office, 1938. Photo courtesy of the Rockefeller Archive Center. Photo courtesy of the Rockefeller Archive Center.
STEPHEN HEINTZ NAMED IN 2016 NONPROFIT TIMES ‘POWER & INFLUENCE TOP 50’ PUBLISHED ON AUGUST 5, 2016
MOVEMENT BUILDING FOR STRUCTURAL CHANGE PUBLISHED ON JANUARY 18, 2019 Paula Scher's mural at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta pays homage to the graphics of rights movements. By Keesha Gaskins-Nathan The Rockefeller Brothers Fund’s (RBF) Democratic Practice–U.S. program is committed to advancing a vital and inclusive democracy. Since March 2015, the Fund has made $16.2 million in grants to support democracy reforms in the United States by combating the corrupting influence of money in politics and increasing opportunities for meaningful citizen participation in democratic systems through election and voting reforms. In light of the evolving political and economic context in United States, developments in the fields of organizing, and institutional learning and engagement, in 2018 the Fund's board of trustees approved a new strategy to support movement building for systemic reform of democratic institutions to advance economic and racial justice. The new strategy is intended to elevate the need to pursue alternative paths to reform, confirm the Fund’s conviction that collective action and organizing are essential to achieving a vital and inclusive democracy, and more clearly address developments in demographics, economics, and technology that pose deep challenges to the stability of U.S. democracy. By funding movement-building organizations to leverage their engagement in and increase their power through democratic practice, the Fund hopes to advance innovative systemic change. Effectively reforming U.S. democracy to respond to the needs of residents will depend on how people see and understand the relationship between democratic systems and the well-being of their families and communities. How people earn, learn, and engage with the world will define opportunities for democratic reform for the foreseeable future. Through this new grantmaking strategy, the Fund will support movement-building organizations that work to deepen relationships between elected officials and the communities they represent, advance meaningful political and economic policies, and develop community leaders. It will focus its grantmaking on organizations that: - have clear agenda for advancing deep social, cultural, and structural transformation of U.S. democratic and economic systems;
- employ proactive, forward-looking strategies;
- coordinate with base-building organizations to develop independent political power and vision to influence decision making at the most meaningful levels of government;
- give precedence to the leadership and perspectives of frontline communities that are most affected by political and economic policies but frequently occupy the margins of decision making spaces;
- understand and reflect through their external actions and internal culture their fundamental connection to the civil society ecosystem in time, place, and context; and
- harness creativity and innovation to re imagine and re-invent our world.
There may be challenges to leveraging philanthropy in support of movement-building strategies. Movements often envision radical societal transformation, while philanthropic goals are sometimes more specific and limited in scope. Further, by their very presence, funders can inadvertently exert undue or inappropriate influence over movement spaces. Only through building relationships and facing these challenges together can we transform democratic systems in the United States. The Fund's support for movement building will replace the grantmaking strategy established in 2015 to "support select innovations, such as the application of new technologies and advances in organizing methods that strengthen advocacy or expand opportunities for underrepresented populations to influence policy outcomes." Under new grantmaking guidelines, the Fund will integrate support for innovation and the adoption of new technologies across all Democratic Practice–U.S. strategies. Through Democratic Practice–U.S. grantmaking, the Fund will continue to support advances in election administration and voting rights and efforts to combat the influence of money in politics. Our new support for movement building to change the rules that control democratic systems will both give life and meaning to our existing strategies and benefit from their efforts to transform behavior and re-create democratic culture. Together, these grantmaking strategies aim to achieve the political and economic redesign needed to create and sustain a truly vital and inclusive democracy in the United States.
QENDRA MULTIMEDIA’S ‘55 SHADES OF GAY’ GRAPPLES WITH SOCIAL REFORM IN KOSOVO PUBLISHED ON APRIL 2, 2019 Members of Qendra Multimedia utilized experimental theatre techniques to voice the perspectives of a wide variety of characters in a small Kosovo town—as well as the observations of one well-situated tree. (Photo by Jetmir Idrizi.) In March, Qendra Multimedia of Kosovo presented the North American premiere of 55 Shades of Gay: Balkan Spring of Sexual Revolution at the La MaMa Experimental Theater Club in New York City. Written by Jeton Neziraj and directed by Blerta Neziraj, the raucous new play uses provocative, cutting-edge theater to address continuing social exclusion and democratic challenges in Kosovo and the Balkans. At the core of the play is a gay couple who apply for a marriage license in a provincial town in Kosovo, where same-sex marriage is permitted under the constitution. In pursuit of their union, the couple encounters not only stubborn government clerks and whispering neighbors, but even a united front of clergymen who have set aside their religious differences to try to block the application. Meanwhile, the town seeks to stay in the good graces of a visiting European Union representative. During the play’s 2017 premiere in Kosovo, police were stationed at the door of the theater in light of concerns about the safety of the production crew and the audience. The recent East Village run remained edgy. In its review of the show, Broadway Worldwrites, “At times grim, grotesque but consistently gripping, the show’s sights and sounds don't only push the envelope, they lick it.” The review also notes the innovative use of lighting, multimedia effects, and sound design to heighten the tension of the script, incorporating “a braided tangle of neon lights, sultry choreography, gender fluidity, anthropomorphism, and primal animal sounds.” Playwright Neziraj says that his inspiration for 55 Shades of Gay came from the public reaction in Kosovo to a newspaper report of the country’s first same-sex marriage application. He explained that the social media response was “predictably homophobic” and that officials from the town denied such an application had even existed. Neziraj noticed that, whether or not the authorities’ claim was truthful, “they seemed to be so triggered by the mere suggestion of a same-sex marriage application being made on their watch.” Qendra Multimedia is a cultural organization based in Prishtina, Kosovo. It is considered to be one of the most interesting and provocative theatre companies in South Eastern Europe. Qendra was founded in 2002 by a group of young artists aiming to create an alternative form of art production to address political and social issues with clarity and imagination. Artistic exchanges with international partners are crucial in the work of Qendra Multimedia. www.qendra.org The U.S. Premiere of 55 Shades of Gay at La MaMa was also made possible with support from the Trust for Mutual Understanding, the Open Society Foundations, and the Republic of Kosovo.
HISTORY, DEMOCRACY, AND JUSTICE: REFLECTING ON A TRUSTEE TRIP TO THE AMERICAN SOUTH PUBLISHED ON MARCH 18, 2020 At the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, RBF staff and trustees experienced the soundscape of a civil rights-era lunch counter sit-in. In 2019—four hundred years after the founding of the first self-governing, democratic body in North America and the arrival of the first vessel of enslaved African people to reach colonial shores—the Rockefeller Brothers Fund conducted a learning journey to the southern United States. Our purpose was to hear from the foundation’s partners working to advance a vital and inclusive democracy in the United States. The RBF’s Democratic Practice–U.S. program has long supported organizations working toward this goal by addressing money in politics and elections and voting rights. In 2018, the program added support to organizations using movement-building strategies for systemic reform of democratic institutions to advance economic and racial justice. During the busy week of events, panel discussions, and cultural tours in Virginia, Georgia, and Alabama, our trustees and staff were confronted with the shameful and enduring legacies of slavery and Jim Crow, which adversely impact and unfairly exclude communities of color to this day. The systemic oppression of Americans with black and brown skin persists through disproportionate mass incarceration, felon disenfranchisement, and cash bail; suppression of voting rights, prejudicial redistricting, and other electoral abuses—as well as restricted access to adequate housing, healthcare, living wages, public education, financial services, and the internet. It was a privilege for us to learn from the many dynamic leaders working to remedy these injustices though litigation, strategic advocacy, and movement building. For example, Tram Nguyen (New Virginia Majority) emphasized that the successful movement building she has achieved requires patient capital. Grassroots campaigns must adapt to changing circumstances as they grow, embrace unexpected allies along the way, and may take 12 years to bear fruit. Doran Schrantz (ISAIAH) noted that "relationships move at the speed of trust, and movements grow at the speed of relationships." She and Andrea Mercado (New Florida Majority), along with Art Reyes (We The People), modeled for us what it means to show up transparently to earn trust and build bridges, and to ensure that demanding work remains personally sustainable. The annual budgets of many of the organizers we encountered tend to double in election years, with the most of the funding from out of state. Although cash infusions are necessary, this “sandcastle” funding—resources that rush in for an election, but recede in odd numbered years—can inhibit the winning, long-term strategy of steadily deepening relationships. Election Day challenges persist. Nse Ufot (New Georgia Project) reminded us that, despite the growing plurality in her state, “demographics is not destiny” when those in power abuse their position to remain there. Her experiences registering new voters and monitoring polling locations underscored the need for eleventh-hour mobilization of legal advocacy, as well as comfort (including pizza, blankets, and Mariachi bands), to protect the rights and buoy the spirits of determined voters. Collectively, the insights of these leaders and others from groups including Blackbird, Black Futures Lab, Color of Change, Demos, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, and the Southern Partners Fund were a heartfelt and data-driven call to invest in a forty-year, strategic vision of a post-patriarchal, pluralistic democracy—one that includes empowered and engaged communities of color, who are especially well positioned to contribute to the goals of economic, racial, and environmental justice. The trip confirmed my belief that shared experiences are essential for their power to touch and move us in ways that aggregated data cannot. There is no replacement for hearing directly from Christopher, a formerly incarcerated man who is now a lead organizer at New Virginia Majority. Christopher credits that organization with transforming his life by offering him a sense of shared purpose and a job that provides the opportunity to contribute to others. Our party wept together at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta where an exhibit invites visitors to sit at a recreated lunch counter. There, through the power of immersive sound, we experienced a small piece of the violence and terror Freedom Riders endured. One trustee found a picture of his father among the photos of those brave activists. As we walked the streets of Montgomery, Alabama, we could witness the complex DNA of that place, where the inauguration of Jefferson Davis and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,’s freedom march from Selma are commemorated side by side, not far from the old riverside slave warehouses, where another sign acknowledges the pre-existence of an indigenous Muscogee settlement. We will never forget the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which embodies Bryan Stevenson’s research to count and remember the unacknowledged victims and overwhelming scale of post-reconstruction terrorism by lynching. The memorial and accompanying Legacy Museum demonstrate how art, research, and design unite to acknowledge the past, update the present, and help us embody a more just future. That was where we ended our journey, reflecting on the problematic nature of philanthropy as an institution that maintains wealth by tax benefit to the mostly-white few more than it disaggregates it. I was grateful to my colleagues at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund who were willing to ask the difficult questions. In an interdependent world, it matters how we show up. There were few easy answers on this trip, but I was inspired by the many partners who brought embodied joy to the cause of our collective liberation.
COVID-19 RESOURCES FOR GRANTEES AND NONPROFITS PUBLISHED ON MARCH 31, 2020 Train passengers wear masks on the subway in Mexico City.
Photo by Eneas De Troya. Nonprofit organizations, as well as staff and their families, are under enormous pressure as the COVID-19 pandemic creates new urgent needs, upends fundraising, and leaves many working remotely, part-time, or not at all. Several organizations are gathering resources to assist nonprofits during this time. The CARES Act, passed March 27 by the federal government, also includes some relief for nonprofit organizations, as well as small businesses and individuals. Below is a collection of information and resources tailored specifically to nonprofits navigating the crisis. This list is not comprehensive, and should not be considered legal advice. We will aim to update it regularly, so please check back. We urge RBF grantees to reach out to your program director with questions. (Last updated April 16, 2020, 4:45pm) Federal Aid / CARES Act How nonprofits can apply for loans and other emergency benefits (Candid, reprinted from the Chronicle of Philanthropy, April 8) COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan Application (U.S. Small Business Administration) and CARES Act Title I Loan Calculator (Karen Kowgios at Withum) Paycheck Protection Program to help keep your workforce employed during COVD-19 (U.S. Small Business Administration) and Paycheck Protection Program Toolbox (Fiscal Management Associates, April 6) Comprehensive Coronavirus Legislation Guide for the Charitable Sector (Council on Foundations) Provisions in Federal COVID 19 Legislation Benefiting Nonprofit Organizations(Squire Patton Boggs, April 1) How to Obtain CARES Tax Act Relief, Loans, and Employment Asisstance [VIDEO](PKF O'Connor Davies, April 1) The CARES Act—Relief for Nonprofit Organizations (PKF O'Connor Davies, April 1) Federal Coronavirus Relief Bills: What Do They Mean for Nonprofits? [VIDEO](National Council of Nonprofits, March 31) CARES Act: How to Apply for Nonprofit Relief Funds (Independent Sector, March 30) Loans Available for Nonprofits in the CARES Act (National Council of Nonprofits, March 30) Cutting Through the Jargon: How the CARES Act Works for Nonprofits (Nonprofit Quarterly, March 30) Summary and Analysis of Key Provisions of the CARES Act (Cozen O'Connor, March 28) Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act): What's in the Bill for Nonprofits (National Council of Nonprofits, March 27) How Nonprofits Can Utilize the New Federal Laws Dealing with COVID-19 (Nonprofit Quarterly, March 26) Other Funding Global Response Funds and Funding Opportunities Related to COVID-19 Relief (Council on Foundations) Coronavirus and COVID-19 Funds (Giving Compass) Funding for Coronavirus, Response Funds by Geographic Areas Served (Candid) Resources in Response to COVID-19 (Worldwide Iniatives for Grantmaker Support) Where Can I find Emergency Financial Resources to Help with COVID-19 Hardships?(Candid) State-by-state Community Foundation Coronavirus Relief Efforts (Community Foundation Public Awareness Initiative) NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund (New York Community Trust) NYC Small Business Continuity Loan Program for interest-free loans up to $75K (City of New York) COVID-19 Resources for Non-Profits and Small Businesses in NJ, NY & CT (Gibson Dunn) COVID-19 Dance Relief Fund for Dance Making Organizations (Dancy/NYC) General How to Adapt Your Nonprofit’s Sick-Leave Policy During Covid-19 (Chronicle of Philanthropy, March 31) Virtual Forum: COVID-19, the Economy, and the Nonprofit World [VIDEO] (Chronicle of Philanthropy, March 26) Self-Insured Nonprofits and Unemployment Insurance (National Council of Nonprofits, March 23) Town Hall on Leading During a Pandemic [VIDEO] (Independent Sector, March 20) What the Families First Coronavirus Response Act Means to Nonprofits (National Council of Nonprofits, March 19) What Nonprofit Board Members Should Be Doing Right Now to Address the COVID-19 Situation (BoardSource, March 16) Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan Template (Nonprofit New York) Nonprofits and Coronavirus, COVID-19 (National Council of Nonprofits) Nonprofit Resources List: #NPCOVID19 (Crowdsourced)
ROCKEFELLER BROTHERS FUND INCREASES SPENDING TO SEIZE ‘HINGE MOMENT IN HISTORY’ PUBLISHED ON JUNE 29, 2020 The Rockefeller Brothers Fund announced today that it will increase its annual spending to allocate an additional $48 million over the next five years to address critical system failures that underlie both the COVID-19 pandemic and the enduring racial justice crisis. The funds, approved with unanimous support of the board, will work to advance racial justice, strengthen U.S. democracy, and generate new economic thinking to address global climate change and inequity, as well as to maintain current grants budgets during a period of expected market volatility. “This is a moment of global pandemic and civic tension that also contains extraordinary activism, authenticity, learning, and hope,” said Valerie Rockefeller, chair of the RBF Board of Trustees. “It’s a time for deeper commitment to the ideas, leaders, organizations, and networks that can disrupt racial and economic inequity for meaningful progress on our long-term efforts for social change. There has never been a better time to invest in our mission to make the world more just, sustainable, and peaceful. Despite the uncertainty of the markets, we are certain about the decision to increase our spending.” The increased spending plan includes a new racial justice initiative with an initial budget of $10 million over the next three years. The initiative will draw on the Fund’s previous experience with institutions of justice, governance, and civic culture to identify systemic advances, fundamental changes in policy, and other pathways to dismantle structural racism in America. Further details of the racial justice initiative will be announced later this summer. An additional $18 million will supplement the RBF’s grantmaking for Democratic Practice. These funds will support U.S. election protection, voter participation, and other existing grantmaking priorities, as well as advance action over the next four years on the recommendations presented in Our Common Purpose, a new report of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, which RBF President Stephen Heintz co-chairs. “The combination of the pandemic and the racial justice crisis has made the flaws in our democracy more vivid and the need for structural change more urgent,” said Heintz. “As protests around the country have demonstrated, this is a hinge moment in history that we must seize to ensure our democracy swings forward, and not back. It is time for reforms in the institutions and processes of our democracy, as well as major investments in civil society and civic culture. We must reinvent our democracy to serve our common purpose in the 21st century.” The planned spending increase also includes $10 million to accelerate solutions to climate change, a strategic priority of the RBF for the last 15 years. The additional funds will support new economic thinking, experimentation, and advocacy toward a reimagined theory and practice of capitalism that reduces both reliance on fossil fuels and inequality. The final $10 million of new spending will help the Rockefeller Brothers Fund maintain current levels of grant funding to provide dependable support for partners and grantees in an uncertain market environment. Like most American foundations, the RBF typically pays out approximately five percent of its endowment each year to grants and operating costs, excluding investment expenses. The RBF has determined that recent events and current conditions merit an increase in the annual spending rate over the next five years to address entrenched, pervasive inequities. The spending plan approved this month will add a total of $7 million to the RBF 2020 grantmaking budget, which will swell from a projected $39.3 million to over $46 million.
ARTURO AGUILAR TO LEAD NEW ROCKEFELLER BROTHERS FUND GRANTMAKING PROGRAM IN CENTRAL AMERICA PUBLISHED ON OCTOBER 5, 2020 Arturo Aguilar. Photo courtesy of the Seattle International Foundation. The Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) announced today that Arturo Aguilar will design and direct its new grantmaking program for Central America. After years of research and planning, in 2019 the RBF selected the region encompassing El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras as the focus for a new “pivotal place” program. RBF pivotal place programs address sub-national areas, nation-states, or cross-border regions that have special importance with regard to the Fund's thematic interests in democratic practice, peacebuilding, and sustainable development, and whose future will have disproportionate significance for the future of a surrounding region, an ecosystem, or the world. The Fund currently operates two pivotal place programs, for China and the Western Balkans. The expansion to Central America is made possible by a generous bequest from David Rockefeller, the youngest of the foundation’s namesake brothers, who passed away in 2017. Aguilar is a lifelong human rights defender whose work to end corruption and impunity spans government, philanthropy, civil society, and international NGOs. He served as executive director of the Seattle International Foundation (SIF), a grantmaking institution dedicated to advancing good governance and equity in Central America, from 2018–2020. Under Aguilar’s leadership, SIF expanded its democratic governance work to encompass migration and migrant rights, independent media, and engagement with U.S. policymakers. Aguilar also helped SIF revamp its Central America and Mexico Youth Fund, a unique regional effort to support the rights of women and girls through grassroots organizations. A native of Guatemala, Aguilar began his career in the Human Rights Office of the Archbishop of Guatemala during the country’s brutal civil war. There, Aguilar was part of a team that documented war crimes and supported investigations that laid the groundwork for the first genocide trial ever held in a domestic court. He went on to serve with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Guatemala specializing in indigenous rights and as secretary for strategic affairs in the office of Guatemala’s first female Attorney General. From 2014–2018, Aguilar worked as a political officer with the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), established by the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs to investigate criminal networks operating with impunity to undermine Guatemala’s democratic systems. CICIG and Aguilar’s team are widely recognized for prosecuting high-profile cases in Guatemala and coordinating operational and political justice matters with Honduras and El Salvador that inspired anticorruption activism throughout the region. “We are looking forward to establishing a pivotal place program in Central America and to identifying the best ways for the Fund to support the people and institutions of the region. We hope perspectives and insights from the region will help deepen our own understanding, inform global debates, and encourage more philanthropic attention,” said Betsy Campbell, Executive Vice President for Programs and Communications. “We are so fortunate to work with Arturo Aguilar, whose vast experience in pursuit of peace and justice and sustained engagement with civil society in Central America will guide the program to respond to the region’s distinct and urgent needs.” Over the next several months, Aguilar will work with civil society organizations and other stakeholders to shape the RBF Central America pivotal place program to address the most pressing issues facing El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras and generate learning that can influence solutions to challenges in the region and around the world. The program is expected to begin grantmaking in earnest in mid-2021. Program guidelines will be available on the Fund’s website.
INCREASED 2020 GRANTMAKING BOOSTS DEMOCRATIC INTEGRITY, SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY, RACIAL JUSTICE PUBLISHED ON DECEMBER 7, 2020 In June 2020, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund announced $48 million in new grantmaking over the next five years to respond to the “hinge moment in history” presented by the global COVID-19 pandemic, rising momentum against persistent racial injustice, a growing climate crisis, and widening economic inequality and social division fueled by failures of our democratic and capitalist systems. Under the heading “Seizing the Opportunity,” the proposed spending includes $2 million to bolster U.S. election protection, $10 million for work on new economy and climate, and $2 million for international systems reform. It also includes $14 million for the implementation of the recommendations to reinvent U.S. democracy in Our Common Purpose, the final report of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences’ Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, co-chaired by RBF President and CEO Stephen Heintz. The spending commitment allowed the RBF to establish the Racial Justice Initiative (RJI), a $10-million, three-year effort to advance racial justice in America through our systems and institutions of justice, governance, economy, and civic culture. The final $10 million was approved to stabilize grants budgets across all portfolios during a period of expected market volatility. In 2020, the RBF has committed nearly $9 million of these funds to support 11 grantees, including both long-term RBF partners and new organizations, coalitions, and initiatives. Each reflects the RBF’s long view of social change and shares the conviction that lasting progress demands systemic transformation and reinvention driven by diverse coalitions of groups and individuals. You can read more about our 2020 Seizing the Opportunity and Racial Justice Initiative grantees below. 2020 ELECTION PROTECTION Dēmos
$450,000 Founded in 2000, Dēmos is a “think-and-do” tank that conducts policy research, cultivates grassroots relationships, and advances strategic litigation to support movement actors working to create a democracy and an economy that are rooted in racial equity. In the lead-up to the 2020 elections, its Inclusive Democracy Project provided legal support, technical assistance, thought leadership, and other increased capacity to support local partners in 15 states working to protect election integrity and expand access to the ballot, especially in Black and Latino communities targeted by disinformation and disenfranchisement schemes. Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
$300,000 (in addition to resources from other RBF budgets) The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law was founded by President John F. Kennedy to secure equal justice for all under the rule of law, with a focus on voting rights, economic justice, criminal justice reform, and education. Its national, nonpartisan, year-round Election Protection program convenes more than 200 partners, 100 law firms, and thousands of trained legal volunteers to assist over 100,000 voters each election year. Its signature 866-OUR-VOTE hotline allows voters around the country to identify and report obstacles that likely impact thousands and supports interventions to increase access to the ballot. State Infrastructure Fund
(a project of NEO Philanthropy)
$500,000 The State Infrastructure Fund (SIF) is a donor collaborative fund that makes grants to state-based nonpartisan organizations working to increase civic participation and advance voting rights among historically underrepresented populations, remove barriers to voting through education and litigation, and strengthen election protection networks. In 2020, SIF began the Election Protection Mapping Project to provide a roadmap for long-term election protection efforts, identify gaps in funding for election protection, and undergird the election protection infrastructure in 2020 and beyond. The Trusted Elections Fund
(a project of the New Venture Fund)
$1,750,000 The Trusted Elections Fund (TEF) is a rapid-response pooled fund that made grants for organizations to plan for, prevent, and respond to threats to the integrity of the 2020 U.S. general elections, including the possibility of foreign intervention, disputed results, election-related violence, or major emergencies that could affect polling places. In early 2020, TEF assisted election officials with reforms to accommodate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on voting. Later grants worked to identify vulnerabilities in law, policy, or procedures; to build partnerships that help inoculate communities from election-related violence; and to strategize about unprecedented election crises that have no established protocols. NEW ECONOMY & CLIMATE Green New Deal Network
(a project of the Tides Foundation)
$2,000,000 The Green New Deal Network is a broad coalition of 36 organizations that reflect the intersections of climate, economy, and race. In September, the Network launched its centerpiece effort, the THRIVE Agenda, to transform, heal, and renew American society by investing in a vibrant economy. The THRIVE Agenda provides a tool to mobilize actors at the state and federal levels to facilitate a socially and economically equitable transition to a cleaner future that enables greater access to clean energy, clean air, and clean drinking water for all. It has been endorsed by over 100 members of Congress and 300 organizations. OUR COMMON PURPOSE American Promise Education Fund
$100,000 The American Promise Education Fund (APEF) works to mitigate the influence of money in politics and secure political equality. APEF coordinates state and local Citizen Empowerment Chapters that offer training, support cross-partisan relationship-building, and develop curricula to educate Americans about campaign finance law and a possible 28th amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would allow for Congressional regulation of campaign finance. Its National Citizen Leadership Conferences bring together civic leaders and organizations from all 50 states to develop effective advocacy efforts. Citizen University
$100,000 Citizen University was founded in 2011 to catalyze a civic revival in the United States in which Americans are educated in the tools of civic power and able to contribute to a self-governing community. Over the coming years, it seeks to strengthen civic faith and build a culture of powerful and responsive citizenship by bringing together Americans—including local communities, students, and catalytic leaders—to nurture a sense of shared purpose, engage around ideas of civic power, support one another though commitment of mutual aid, and amplify stories that speak to what it means to be an active citizen. iCivics
$100,000 iCivics was founded in 2009 by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor with the goal to transform civic education using innovative games and resources. Today, nearly 200,000 teachers use iCivics to provide a meaningful civic education to more than five million students in all 50 states. However, only nine states and the District of Columbia currently require a full year of U.S. government or civics. CivXNow, a project of iCivics, will build a national coalition, support state and federal efforts, and launch a media campaign to restore U.S. civic health by making civic education a priority in all K-12 schools. The Great Reset
(an initiative of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors’ project Unite)
$200,000 The Great Reset works to reinvent American democracy by advancing targeted reforms that focus on three key pillars: civic education, national service, and political reform. The initiative will support collaboration among the diffuse and disparate organizations already working on these pillars and unite multiple movements to coordinate on strategy and messaging, serve as a hub for fundraising and regranting, and build a powerful constituency in support of change. The Great Reset will officially launch in January 2021. RACIAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE Democracy Frontlines Fund
(a project of Amalgamated Charitable Foundation)
$3,092,784 (over three years) The Democracy Frontlines Fund is a collective giving consortium that will resource Black-led movement groups to fight vote suppression and shift resources from the carceral system to instead dismantle systemic racism and create alternatives to incarceration that reflect the vision of this generation’s civil rights movement. Funder members also commit to disrupting harmful philanthropic practices that marginalize Black organizations and communities by providing multi-year general operating support, eliminating burdensome applications requirements, and participating in an ongoing learning community on issues of racial justice and equity. Advancing Black Strategists Initiative
(a project of the Jobs with Justice Education Fund)
$250,000 The Advancing Black Strategists Initiative (ABSI) is a joint project of Jobs with Justice, the Black Worker Initiative at the Institute for Policy Studies, and Morehouse College that aims to change the face of economic justice in the American South. ABSI will teach, develop, place, and collaborate with a new generation of black lawyers, economists, government officials, researchers, policy advocates, professors, and journalists who have been historically excluded from leadership in today’s economic justice movement. Through internships, apprenticeships, and fellowships, ABSI will build a pipeline of Black leaders committed to advancing policies that support collective power-building by working people.
REJECTING BIGOTRY AT EVERY INTERSECTION PUBLISHED ON MARCH 19, 2021 Asian Americans are today and have been for centuries integral to social, cultural, and economic life in the United States. The murders of eight people—six of them Asian American women—in Georgia this week are a disgusting and devastating display of the white supremacist patriarchal culture still pervasive in our country. No matter how you look at it, a crime of this magnitude reveals deep-seated hatred, bred of a long history of racism against Asian Americans and persistent efforts to dominate and diminish women, particularly women of color. Achieving racial and gender justice requires us all to stand together and reject bigotry at every intersection. The Rockefeller Brothers Fund is committed to becoming an anti-racist and anti-sexist institution. We stand in solidarity with our Asian American colleagues, partners, and neighbors in the struggle against racism and misogyny.
NEW GRANTMAKING STRATEGY ADDRESSES POLITICAL INFLUENCE BEYOND CAMPAIGN DONATIONS PUBLISHED ON JUNE 13, 2022 The goal of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund’s (RBF) Democratic Practice–United Statesprogram is to advance a vital and inclusive democracy. Since 2008, the program has been uniquely committed to addressing the corruptive power of money in politics, granting over $19 million toward these efforts. Work funded under the program’s Money in Politics strategy operated to reveal and address disproportionate policy capture and democratic disruption by wealthy campaign donors by increasing understanding of the relationship between money and representative democracy, mounting educational efforts to advance legislation on public financing and donor spending limits, and coordinating direct action to reduce the influence of corporate power in our political system. Over time, RBF staff found the focus on money as a proxy for political and economic elites’ asymmetric influence, which drives policy development and constrains accountability, to be insufficient. After engaging with grantees, elected officials, and the funding community, DP–U.S. staff arrived at the conclusion that “money in politics” is too narrow a scope to address the breadth of structural challenges that undermine U.S. representative democracy. By shaping both the definition of the problem and the source of the solutions around money, the Money in Politics strategy limited RBF’s ability to fund the full scope of activities that bolster the networks and power building necessary to address these challenges. As a result, the program has not adequately addressed the multiple vectors of power beyond campaign donations that can be leveraged by citizens and residents. In light of the evolving political and economic context in the United States; developments in research, organizing, and advocacy; feedback from grantees; and the Fund’s institutional learning and engagement, we have revised the Money in Politics strategy to focus on Equality of Representation. This new strategy will support innovations in systems and practices to strengthen equality of representation and disrupt corruptive influences, including money and privileged relationships. The Equality of Representation strategy more closely reflects the scope and breadth of work needed to dismantle systems, rules, and intellectual frameworks that support political dominance for a limited class of private actors. Its framing addresses the interrelated factors that influence the allocation of resources and shape the rules, practices, and structures— including structural racism, sexism, and ableism—and practices that control U.S. political and economic institutions and systems. The focus on innovation is designed to advance creative policy and practice ideation from the field in partnership with community organizations. This shift in strategy also helps to advance RBF commitments to anti-racism and anti-sexism by focusing on transformative changes in both the form and operation of democratic and economic systems and institutions to better align with demographic changes. It allows us to support technological innovations that enhance the standing of voters and communities to leverage democratic processes and contend for power. Activities funded under the reframed strategy will include limiting money in elections; advocating for structural changes that shift political incentives away from monetary donations; and advancing innovation to address concerns about the relationship between money, power, and U.S. representative democracy. We anticipate increasing support for new thinking to address structures, power, and race within the context of U.S. representative democracy and experiments to test the ideas it generates. Across all its strategies, the Democratic Practice–U.S. program prioritizes efforts to dismantle structural sexism, racism, and ableism in U.S. democratic systems when considering grant requests. Changing our strategic grantmaking focus from Money in Politics to Equality of Representation provides an opportunity for the Fund to help the field reframe its work and shore up opportunities for collaboration with other funders. The broader scope will allow us to support a more comprehensive range of grantee work to combat policy and legislative capture by shifting power from the few to the many, expand the space for democratic engagement, and improve prospects for governance policies and practices that further the interests of broad majorities of people. Read the full Democratic Practice–United States program guidelines here.
RBF PRESIDENT STEPHEN HEINTZ JOINS ABA TASK FORCE FOR AMERICAN DEMOCRACY PUBLISHED ON AUGUST 14, 2023 RBF President Stephen Heintz has joined the American Bar Association (ABA) Task Force for American Democracy. ABA President Mary Smith announced the new task force, co-chaired by former Federal Judge J. Michael Luttig and former Secretary of Homeland Secretary Jeh Charles Johnson, on August 8, 2023. It is a politically diverse blue-ribbon group of recognized national leaders with expertise in American government, democracy, and the rule of law. The Task Force will focus on depoliticizing the administration of elections, educating the public on the principles of our democracy and driving ownership of those principles into the American culture, and identifying and advancing improvements and innovations in our systems of elections that will address the root causes of the current politicization and lack of trust in our elections and in our democracy. To accomplish its mission, the Task Force will host listening tours and public conversations, as well as one-on-one and smaller discussions, with a broad spectrum of Americans to hear their concerns, experiences, and suggestions for restoring and preserving our democracy. Read more on the American Bar Association website.
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