The Fund in 2023: Summoning Courage

Civil society efforts supported by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund secured notable victories in 2023. In Ecuador, Indigenous-led coalitions helped keep 700 million barrels of oil in the ground and began a process to restore the rights of nature. In Bosnia, children born as a result of wartime rape were for the first time recognized as civilian victims of war—and thus entitled to reparations—after years of advocacy and litigation. In the United States, the courts rejected measures to disenfranchise voters of color in an ongoing battle to secure fair and equitable access to the ballot.

But these and so many other victories of 2023 were earned in the face of increasing pressure on civil society across all of the RBF’s thematic and geographic areas. Amid high inflation, charitable giving continued to decline from its pandemic peak. U.S. Supreme Court decisions striking down decades-long precedents created an uncertain legal environment that paralyzed some organizations and forced others to assume significant risk. Global leaders persistently fell short in leading a much-needed transition away from fossil fuels. Deepening ideological retrenchment was illustrated by a new wave of book banning, SLAPP lawsuits, and other efforts to silence dissent and quash challenges to the status quo worldwide. And the unconscionable attacks on Israel on October 7 and the devastating war in Gaza have killed 30,000 people, further fracturing an already polarized global public.

Civil society organizations are a critical vehicle by which people imagine, plan for, and build a better world—work that is often complex and contested. Foundations that support these organizations aren’t immune from the pressures they face, but we are often insulated from the most painful impacts. With that privileged position comes a responsibility to remain steadfast in our support, even in the grimmest moments. 

As we look to more challenges on the horizon, the RBF remains committed to the principles of justice, peace, and sustainability, as well as to the organizations, communities, and leaders who are helping shape a brighter future.

Grantmaking

In 2023, the RBF commissioned the Center for Effective Philanthropy to conduct a Grantee Perception Report to gather feedback from our grantees about how the RBF can best support their efforts. The results showed that grantees consider the RBF a trustworthy ally and value our understanding of—and impact on—their work. In response to their feedback, the RBF is also exploring strategies to provide grantees greater access to nonmonetary resources, such as by facilitating connections to other organizations in their fields.

Pocantico

The Pocantico Center welcomed more guests than ever in 2023, largely thanks to the new capacity provided by the David Rockefeller Creative Arts Center. Building on years of performing arts residencies, public programs, and permanent exhibitions, Pocantico expanded its educational and community offerings. Conferences took advantage of venues across Pocantico’s campus, the longstanding collaboration with the Culpeper Arts & Culture program continued with the Pocantico Summer Series, and the DR Center performance space hosted film screenings and lectures related to other grantmaking programs. The family-focused Community Day brought visitors behind the scenes in our artists’ studio and introduced local audiences to our outstanding cultural partners from across the Hudson Valley.

Finance

In 2023, mission-focused investors like the RBF faced growing pressure from both sides of the political spectrum. Conservative officials proposed policies that threaten investors’ ability to consider environmental, social, and governance criteria in their investment decisions, while some progressive voices have decried the potential for corporate “greenwashing”—overstating the societal benefits of their products and offerings—to attract socially conscious investment and delay regulation. As the field of mission-aligned investing continues to grow and evolve, the RBF remains steadfast in our commitment to leverage our investments in service of our philanthropic vision and values.

For definitions of allocation categories and up-to-date information about the Fund’s divestment progress, impact investments, ESG investments, and Gender and Racial Equity Lens investments, please visit our website. Detailed financial information is available in the Fund’s annual 990PF forms and audited financial statement.

Staff & Trustees

As diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work at the RBF has evolved, belonging has emerged as a central tenet of our organizational culture. Recognizing that any experience of exclusion based on race, sexuality, disability, religion, or ethnicity creates lasting harm, our People and Culture team focused on microaggressions—identity-based verbal, nonverbal, and environmental insults communicated in daily interactions—as an area for specific action in 2023. The Fund introduced a process that empowers staff at all levels of the organization to recognize, disrupt, and correct microaggressions when they see them, aiming for prompt resolution and professional relationship restoration. This approach encourages continued learning and growth by emphasizing the “muscles” needed to address microaggressions and providing the tools for staff to strengthen those muscles.

Notes

1. Includes approved grants that subsequently lapsed. Grants awarded differs from grants spending because some grants are payable over more than one year. See the Finance section for total 2023 grants spending. Back to report →

2. Additional grantmaking supports distinct institutes and initiatives through universities and fiscal sponsors, operating as general support. Back to report→ 

3. Grants awarded differs from grants spending because some grants are payable over more than one year. Non program-related grants to support Philanthropic Stewardship, Pocantico conferences, employee matching gifts, president’s and vice presidents’ discretionary giving, the Staff Grantmaking Fund, the Racial Justice Initiative, and Our Common Purpose account for six percent of 2023 grantmaking. Back to report→ 

4. Not including investment fees. Back to report→ 

5. Includes consultancies and other expenses that advance the Fund’s mission but do not take the form of traditional grants. Grants paid differs from grants awarded because some grants are payable over more than one year. See the Grantmaking section for total 2023 grants awarded. Back to report→ 

6. Individuals employed may exceed the number of staff positions to account for both new hires and terminations for the same role. Staffing figures do not include short-term internship positions. Back to report→ 

7. Trustee demographic data collection processes were updated for 2023. In this report, any changes were also retroactively applied to 2022 and 2021. Back to report→