Rockefeller Brothers Fund
At a glance
Key takeaways
- If your work falls within the Fund's themes of democratic practice, peacebuilding, climate change, biodiversity, food security, community development or arts and culture, and in one of its priority areas (the United States, China, Central America, the Western Balkans or the New York City region), it is worth considering.
- About 8 in 10 of its grants fall between $20,000 and $200,000, and half are about $66,000 or less, so a modest request in that range is typical, though its largest grant was $4,500,000, so that band is not a ceiling.
- The Fund reports that less than one per cent of unsolicited applications result in funding, and 82% of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had funded before, so a cold approach is a long shot and building a connection first is sensible.
- Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through its online portal, where you create an account and answer questions about your organisation and proposed work.
- The Fund does not fund support to individuals, meetings, publications or films, youth activities, capital expenses, lobbying, or gala tickets, and an organisation that is not tax-exempt and is not seeking support for an educational or charitable project should not apply.
Overview
Rockefeller Brothers Fund is a US private foundation based in New York, NY.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Fund organises its grantmaking into thematic programmes in democratic practice, sustainable development and peacebuilding, alongside arts and culture and place-based programmes in China, Central America and the Western Balkans. It supports civil-society partners to strengthen coalitions, convene people of diverse backgrounds, elevate new perspectives, generate ideas and advance systems change. Its approach backs movement building and policy development, solutions grounded in evidence and lived experience, and emerging and established thought leaders and community advocates. In New York City, the arts programme supports artists and cultural organisations that shape understanding of critical concerns and human experience. Applicants must be tax-exempt or seek support for a project qualifying as educational or charitable.
Themes
- Democratic practice
- Climate change
- Peacebuilding
- Arts & culture
- Biodiversity
- Food security
- Community development
Geographic Focus
Priority: United States; China; Central America; Western Balkans; New York City region.
What They Don't Fund
- Support to individuals for any purpose, including education, health care, travel, or attendance at conferences
- Meetings, publications, or films, including documentaries, unless directly related to a Fund-supported project
- Youth activities, including sports, afterschool, and exchange programs
- Capital expenses, including the construction and renovation of buildings
- Lobbying, as well as the planning or organizing of lobbying activities
- Tickets or tables at galas and other fundraising events
- Funds earmarked for lobbying in the United States or internationally
- Sustainable Development only: purchase interest in for-profit enterprises, including through program-related investments (PRI) or impact investments; capital expenses, including for sustainable energy or water projects; scholarship or fellowship programs; grants to individuals
How to apply
A prospective applicant submits a grant request online, creates an account in the portal and answers questions about the organisation and proposed work.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 82% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 1,829 grants to organisations were about $66,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Staff actively identify organisations well-positioned to meet programme goals.
- The Fund reports that less than one per cent of unsolicited applications result in funding.
- It prioritises bold ideas from the ground up, movement building and policy development to transform systems and create lasting solutions.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 5%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 40%
- The largest single recipient received 5% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 82% of grant dollars went to organisations Rockefeller Brothers Fund had funded in earlier filings.
- 35% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (China, United Kingdom, Serbia, Guatemala).
- 15% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 645 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $60,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors · For its trust for civic life project$4,500,0002024 tax year
- Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs · For general support$700,0002024 tax year
- China Environmental Protection Foundation · For its platform on environmental governance and biodiversity protection$600,0002024 tax year
- Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors · For its energy transition fund$600,0002024 tax year
- Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York · For the richard rockefeller fellowship at columbia global$500,0002024 tax year
- Community Foundation of Greater Johnstown · For its ohio river valley regional climate action project$500,0002024 tax year
- Beijing Chaoyang District Yongxu Global Environmental Institute · For general support$500,0002024 tax year
- Beijing Friends of Nature Charity Foundation · For general support$500,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Mark Adiedo — Culture / Chief Diversity Officer
- Nancy L Muirhead — Counsel & Corporate Secretary
- Geraldine F Watson — Evp, Finance, Operations & Pocantico
- Elizabeth C Campbell — Executive VP, Programs & Communications
- Stephen B Heintz — Trustee, President & CEO
- Randa Slim — Trustee (Effective October 23, 2024)
- Carlos Alvarado — Trustee (Effective February 12, 2024)
- Janai Nelson — Trustee (Effective February 12, 2024)
- Robin Strawbridge — Trustee
- Maria Teresa Kumar — Trustee
- Peter Beinart — Trustee
- Theodore Spencer — Trustee
- Federica Mogherini — Trustee
- Michael Quattrone — Trustee
- Wyatt Rockefeller — Trustee
- Heather Mcghee — Trustee
- Jennifer Nolan — Trustee
- William Lee — Trustee
- Joseph Pierson — Trustee, Chair
- Ayad Akhtar — Trustee
and 2 more
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $98,818,511 | $61,197,509 | $1,351,225,045 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $88,775,875 | $56,090,579 | $1,402,772,081 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $94,125,890 | $60,431,602 | $1,418,990,015 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to Rockefeller Brothers Fund?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (212) 812-4200
- New York, NY
- rbf.org
Applying to Rockefeller Brothers Fund?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (212) 812-4200
- New York, NY
- rbf.org