What Rockefeller Family Fund does

The Rockefeller Family Fund (RFF) is a U.S.-based, family-led public charity organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS tax code, founded in 1967 by Martha, John, Laurance, Nelson, and David Rockefeller. Headquartered at 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 900, New York, RFF operates as a hybrid of a traditional foundation and an advocacy organization, with a small team of 18 staff organized around three program areas: Climate, Democracy, and Economic Justice for Women. The organization is governed by 18 trustees that include multiple Rockefeller family members, with Miranda Kaiser serving as President of the board and Lee Wasserman as Director since 1999.

RFF's product set consists of programmatic initiatives rather than commercial offerings. Core programs include the Climate Accountability Initiative and the hosted Funder Collaborative on Oil and Gas (both focused on slowing fossil fuel production and holding polluters accountable for climate damages), the Democracy & Power Innovation Fund (a 2019-founded community of 800+ organizers, researchers, and funders), and the Child Care for Every Family Network (active in 8 states). The organization also originated the #ExxonKnew campaign, created the Center for Climate Integrity in 2017, and conceived the Climate Superfund legal framework that Vermont enacted in May 2024. RFF does not operate any technology platform, API, or software product; its work is entirely conducted through grantmaking, partnership development, and strategic advocacy.

RFF makes grants to national and state-based organizations but does not accept unsolicited proposals, instead identifying grantees from within its network. Its revenue is generated through grants, donations, and its endowment, which was seeded by a 1971 bequest from Martha Baird Rockefeller. RFF was the first U.S. organization to convert from a private foundation to a public charity in 1991, a structural change that expanded its latitude to engage in advocacy. RFF does not disclose financial statements publicly. The organization co-launched multi-funder collaboratives with the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Pew Charitable Trusts, Open Society Foundations, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Bloomberg Philanthropies, positioning itself as a convener rather than a sole funder.

Name

Rockefeller Family Fund

Legal name

Rockefeller Family Fund

Website

https://rffund.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Rockefeller Family Fund is a U.S.-based, family-led 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 1967 that funds and develops advocacy initiatives across three program areas—Climate, Democracy, and Economic Justice for Women—partnering with national and state-based organizations to drive policy outcomes rather than selling products or services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation / Advocacy Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Climate accountability advocacy
• Democracy program funding
• Women's economic justice
• Family foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Grants and Charitable Contributions: Rockefeller Family Fund operates as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charity that generates revenue through grants, donations, and its endowment. The organization makes grants in three key program areas: Climate, Democracy, and Economic Justice for Women.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Rockefeller Family Fund is a U.S.-based, family-led 501(c)(3) public charity that initiates, cultivates, and funds strategic efforts to promote a sustainable, just, free, and participatory society. RFF operates three program areas—Climate, Democracy, and Economic Justice for Women—through which it develops initiatives, makes grants, and partners with national and state-based organizations, leaders, experts, and other funders. Key initiatives include the Climate Accountability Initiative, the Funder Collaborative on Oil and Gas, the #ExxonKnew Campaign, the Democracy & Power Innovation Fund, the DPI Organizing Lab, the Child Care for Every Family Network, and the Center for Climate Integrity.

Product overview

Rockefeller Family Fund is a U.S.-based, family-led public charity (501(c)(3) organization) that functions as a hybrid of a traditional foundation and a nimble advocacy organization. Rather than selling commercial products or services, RFF operates three main program areas—Climate, Democracy, and Economic Justice for Women—that develop and implement initiatives and make grants in partnership with national and state-based organizations. Key initiatives include the Climate Accountability Initiative, the Funder Collaborative on Oil and Gas, the #ExxonKnew Campaign, the Democracy & Power Innovation Fund (DPI Fund), and the Child Care for Every Family Network. RFF does not offer a technology product; its work is entirely focused on social change philanthropy and advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Climate Program
• Democracy Program
• Economic Justice for Women Program
• Climate Accountability Initiative
• Funder Collaborative on Oil and Gas
• #ExxonKnew Campaign
• Democracy & Power Innovation Fund (DPI Fund)
• Child Care for Every Family Network
• Center for Climate Integrity
• DPI Organizing Lab

Quantifiable outcome

• 7 states and 31 cities have passed paid sick leave laws covering more than 14 million Americans
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chesapeake Climate NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate program collaborator working on environmental advocacy and climate accountability initiatives
• Climate Integrity ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on the Climate Accountability Initiative focused on holding polluters accountable
• U.S. PIRGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironment program collaborator working on public interest advocacy
• Environmental Integrity ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer RFF project (2004) now independent nonprofit protecting citizens from environmental pollutants
• Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer RFF Power Plant Finance Project (2013) now independent organization providing financial analysis of fossil fuels
• Florida Rising TogethercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDemocracy program collaborator focused on building civic engagement in Florida
• Empower ArizonacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDemocracy program collaborator working on civic empowerment in Arizona
• Democracy FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunder partner supporting democratic practice research and innovation
• Harvard Civic Power LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaborator on understanding and measuring power in democracy work
• Care In ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconomic Justice for Women collaborator focused on care economy policies
• Child Care for Every Family NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRFF-supported initiative working to advance state and federal child care investments across 8 states
• Family Friendly EconomycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner advocating for family-friendly economic policies
• Women Effect Action FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded by RFF in 2015, promotes donor collaboration on intersectional women's equality
• Columbia University School of JournalismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with RFF on Campaign Desk (2003) and Exxon investigation (2014-2015)
• CNA Military Advisory BoardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublished National Security and the Threat of Climate Change report with RFF in 2007
• Horizon Climate InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member Sarah Brennan serves on this climate initiative

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rockefeller Brothers Fund: Sibling Rockefeller-family foundation and long-time RFF collaborator; co-founded the Environmental Grantmakers Association with RFF in 1987 and operates overlapping programs in climate, democratic practice, and economic inclusion with a similar hybrid grantmaking-plus-advocacy posture.
• Open Society Foundations: Large progressive foundation that has co-launched initiatives with RFF (e.g., the Local Solutions Support Center in 2017) and shares the model of high-engagement, advocacy-tolerating grantmaking across democracy and economic justice themes.
• Arcadia Fund: Family-led environmental and open-knowledge philanthropy with a comparable hybrid grantmaking-plus-strategic-advocacy model and significant funding of climate accountability and fossil fuel divestment work.
• Climate Imperative Foundation: Climate-focused grantmaker whose former Global Initiative Director is now an RFF Senior Advisor; comparable focus on slowing oil and gas expansion and funding climate accountability and energy-transition work.
• Democracy Fund: Named RFF partner in democracy programming; a public charity focused on inclusive, multiracial democracy with a similar funder-collaborative model and high-engagement grantmaking on voting rights and civic participation.
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation: Named RFF funder partner in democracy and civic engagement work; shares RFF's focus on multiracial democracy, child care and family economic security, and community-led advocacy grantmaking.
• Pew Charitable Trusts: Co-founded the Environmental Grantmakers Association with RFF in 1987 and is a direct funder collaborator; operates comparable nonpartisan research, advocacy, and grantmaking programs in environmental and civic policy.

Broad incumbents

• Ford Foundation: One of the largest U.S. foundations, with significant grantmaking in democracy, climate, and economic equity — directly comparable program areas to RFF's three focus areas and a similar public-charity posture that funds advocacy-adjacent work.
• Bloomberg Philanthropies: Major philanthropic funder whose Beyond Carbon campaign (2019-2022) was run by RFF's current Associate Director Sarah Brennan; overlapping climate/energy focus and a similarly high-engagement, campaign-style grantmaking approach.

Emerging players

• New Venture Fund: Fiscal sponsor and pass-through funder for many progressive advocacy organizations in climate, democracy, and economic justice; comparable ecosystem role in providing operational and grantmaking infrastructure to movement organizations similar to those RFF funds.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rockefeller-family-fund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rockefeller Family Fund