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Rockefeller Family Fund Inc

Annual Giving
$25.0M
Grant Range
$10K - $0.1M

Rockefeller Family Fund Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $24,969,059 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $200,315,945
  • Grant Range: $10,000 - $150,000 (most grants); up to $500,000 in rare cases
  • Geographic Focus: National and state-level; primarily District of Columbia, New York, and California
  • Application Method: Invitation only (no unsolicited proposals accepted)

Contact Details

Website: https://rffund.org/
Email: info@rffund.org
Location: New York, NY
Grants Management Contact: Andy Fite, Senior Grants Management Associate (afite@rffund.org)

Overview

The Rockefeller Family Fund (RFF) is a U.S.-based, family-led public charity founded by members of the Rockefeller family. With assets exceeding $200 million and annual giving of approximately $25 million (199 awards in 2023), the Fund initiates, cultivates, and funds strategic efforts to promote a sustainable, just, free, and participatory society.

RFF distinguishes itself through its willingness to take risks and support controversial advocacy work that other funders avoid. Lee Wasserman, who has served as Director since 1999, describes the Fund's approach as one with significant "risk tolerance"—they "seed innovative efforts, take the heat off funders who don't want to be exposed" and support experimental projects others avoid. In 2016, RFF made headlines by divesting from all fossil fuel holdings and publicly criticizing ExxonMobil for "morally reprehensible conduct" in hiding evidence of climate change. The Fund has since become a leading voice in climate accountability efforts, including the #ExxonKnew campaign and support for climate superfund legislation.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

RFF operates three focused program areas, all emphasizing action-oriented advocacy that can lead to policy change or tangible impact in the public or private sector:

Climate Program
Fighting to slow the production of oil and gas and hold the industry accountable for climate damages. This includes:

  • Climate Accountability: Supporting organizations like the Center for Climate Integrity (which RFF created), Texas Campaign for the Environment, and Alliance for Affordable Energy
  • Oil and Gas Production Reduction: Funding groups such as Commission Shift, Air Alliance Houston, and Western Environmental Law Center

Democracy Program
Supporting efforts to research, develop, and test strategies to build and sustain a multiracial democracy in the United States. Recent grantees have included Democracy North Carolina, NAACP (for voter suppression fights), Detroit Action, and POWER Pennsylvania.

Economic Justice for Women Program
Making a family-friendly economic agenda a reality by supporting a diverse coalition of women-led organizations. Past successes include supporting the campaign that led to New York City's paid sick leave bill, providing workplace rights to over 1.1 million New Yorkers.

Priority Areas

  • State and national-level advocacy organizations
  • Policy development and implementation
  • Litigation and legal accountability efforts
  • Grassroots organizing with policy impact potential
  • Organizations working at the intersection of climate, democracy, and economic justice

What They Don't Fund

RFF focuses exclusively on their three program areas and does not support:

  • Organizations working outside climate, democracy, and women's economic justice
  • General operating support for organizations not aligned with specific RFF initiatives
  • Capital campaigns or endowments
  • Direct service organizations without advocacy components

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees (17 members)

  • Miranda Kaiser, President
  • Liam Drury-Wang, Vice President
  • Lucia Gill Case, Vice President
  • Peter Gill Case, Vice President
  • Neva Goodwin, Vice President
  • Tara Rockefeller, Vice President
  • Alejandro Foung, Trustee

The board includes multiple members of the Rockefeller family, maintaining the organization's identity as a family-led foundation.

Key Staff

  • Lee Wasserman, Director & Secretary (since 1999) - Oversees all programmatic and administrative operations; previously with Pew Charitable Trusts and Environmental Advocates of New York
  • Roxanne Stachowski, Deputy Director
  • Sarah Brennan, Associate Director for Oil and Gas
  • Julie Fernandes, Associate Director for Democracy
  • Lisa Guide, Associate Director
  • Robert Muñoz, Assistant Director for Democracy
  • Helen Song, Program Manager
  • Phoebe Unetic, Program Manager

The Environmental Grantmakers Association describes Wasserman as "an inspiring, innovative, and bold leader whose advocacy efforts have held the fossil fuel industry to account for their willful damage to the environment."

Key Quote from Leadership: In their 2016 divestment statement, RFF stated: "While the global community works to eliminate the use of fossil fuels, it makes little sense—financially or ethically—to continue holding investments in these companies. There is no sane rationale for companies to continue to explore for new sources of hydrocarbons."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not accept unsolicited proposals or letters of inquiry.

RFF proactively identifies and solicits proposals from organizations within their existing networks of partners and allies. According to their website: "We believe in preserving organizations' time by soliciting proposals only after we conclude that an organization has a reasonable opportunity of receiving a grant."

Organizations interested in RFF's work are invited to send a brief email to info@rffund.org describing their organization and programs if aligned with RFF's programmatic goals. However, this does not constitute a formal application and will not automatically result in a grant opportunity.

For questions about RFF's grantmaking programs, contact Andy Fite, Senior Grants Management Associate at afite@rffund.org.

Getting on Their Radar

Engage within their networks: RFF identifies new grantees from within their "larger networks of partners and allies" in the climate, democracy, and economic justice spaces. Building relationships with current RFF grantees and partners in these fields increases visibility.

Introductory email: While not accepting formal proposals, RFF welcomes brief emails to info@rffund.org from organizations doing aligned work. Keep communications concise and focused on demonstrating alignment with RFF's specific program goals.

Focus on bold advocacy: RFF explicitly seeks organizations willing to take controversial positions and pursue aggressive advocacy strategies that other funders might avoid. Their support for the #ExxonKnew campaign and climate litigation demonstrates their appetite for confrontational approaches to systemic change.

Decision Timeline

Specific decision timelines are not publicly available, as the Fund operates on an invitation-only basis rather than fixed application cycles.

Success Rates

With 199 awards made in 2023 from an invitation-only pool, success rate data for external applicants is not applicable. Organizations invited to submit proposals likely have significantly higher success rates than typical competitive grant programs.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as RFF does not accept unsolicited applications. Organizations within RFF's network may receive multiple invitations to apply over time if their work continues to align with program priorities.

Application Success Factors

Since RFF operates on an invitation-only model, the following factors appear to influence their grantmaking decisions based on their funded portfolio and stated priorities:

Bold, action-oriented advocacy: RFF explicitly seeks organizations pursuing policy change and concrete impact. They supported Vermont Public Interest Group's successful legislative campaign for the Climate Superfund Act and Democracy North Carolina's fight against voter suppression—both representing direct confrontation with powerful opposition.

Willingness to take controversial positions: RFF describes itself as having high "risk tolerance" and taking "the heat off funders who don't want to be exposed." Organizations willing to name and challenge corporate malfeasance (like fossil fuel companies) or tackle politically divisive issues (like voting rights) align with RFF's approach.

Strategic leverage potential: The Fund values "creative and leveraged grantmaking"—investing in efforts that can create outsized impact. Creating the Center for Climate Integrity, which led to "dozens of public interest actions filed by states and municipalities against" fossil fuel companies, exemplifies this approach.

National or state-level impact: RFF funds "large and medium-sized organizations operating at the national or state levels," not primarily local grassroots groups unless they have clear policy impact pathways.

Alignment with specific RFF initiatives: Rather than funding general work in their program areas, RFF often develops specific initiatives and seeks partners to execute them. Organizations that can serve as strategic partners in Fund-initiated efforts may have better access.

Demonstrated track record: Recent grantees featured in media coverage (Detroit Action, POWER Pennsylvania, Democracy North Carolina) all had established histories of successful advocacy campaigns before receiving RFF support.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Do not submit unsolicited proposals—RFF only solicits applications from organizations they have identified as strategic partners
  • Build relationships within RFF's existing grantee network to increase visibility and potential for invitation to apply
  • Focus on bold, confrontational advocacy rather than consensus-building approaches—RFF explicitly supports controversial work
  • Demonstrate capacity for national or state-level policy impact, not just community-level change
  • Consider sending a brief introductory email to info@rffund.org if your work directly aligns with their climate, democracy, or women's economic justice programs
  • Emphasize willingness to challenge powerful interests (corporations, government entities, industry groups) as RFF seeks grantees who will "take risks"
  • Most grants range from $10,000-$150,000, with exceptional cases up to $500,000, so budget requests should typically fall within this range

References

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