Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center

What Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center does

The Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center (Arsht-Rock) is a nonprofit climate resilience center founded in 2019 and co-founded by Adrienne Arsht and the Rockefeller Foundation. It operates as a specialized center within the Atlantic Council think tank, headquartered at 1030 15th Street NW, Washington, DC, with a staff of 11–50. The center's mission is to protect one billion people from climate impacts by 2030, with a primary focus on extreme heat—the deadliest and most economically damaging climate hazard.

The center's core offerings span four areas: policy frameworks (Resilience by Design, adaptation legislation guidance), financial instruments (Extreme Heat Income Insurance parametric product co-developed with SEWA and Blue Marble Micro, the Cool Capital Stack blended finance pipeline, the Kuali Fund), city-level deployments (the Chief Heat Officer network, now in 8 cities including Miami-Dade, Freetown, and Athens), and digital resources (the Heat Action Platform). Its underlying technology includes climate risk analytics built on CMIP6 Global Climate and Earth System models, the Simple Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (sWBGT) framework for heat stress modeling, the Physical Climate Risk Assessment Methodology (PCRAM) developed with IIGCC, and parametric insurance trigger architectures for informal-sector workers. The Scorching Divide report provides proprietary economic analysis quantifying the $120 billion annual cost of extreme heat to women's paid labor productivity across India, Nigeria, and the United States.

The center follows a coalition-driven, community-led go-to-market model with no commercial product sales. Revenue is generated through philanthropic grants and donations (Rockefeller Foundation as primary funder, supplemented by JPMorgan Chase, Verizon, and individual donations via Donorbox), and the center brokers blended finance structures that mobilize public, private, and philanthropic capital for adaptation projects. Distribution occurs through the Atlantic Council's global policy network, the COP Resilience Hub, the Heat Action Platform's open-access self-serve model, and implementation partnerships with local NGOs and city governments. Its customer segments are governments (primary), women in vulnerable communities (primary), private financial institutions (primary), and frontline urban communities (secondary).

Name

Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center

Legal name

Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center

Website

https://onebillionresilient.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center is a nonprofit climate resilience center within the Atlantic Council that develops policy frameworks, parametric insurance products, and Chief Heat Officer deployments to protect one billion people from climate impacts by 2030, primarily serving governments, women in vulnerable communities, and the private financial sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Resilience Research and Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disaster Risk Reduction & Climate Risk Management (BPADALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM), Adaptation & Resilience Planning Platforms (CAPEX Prioritization, Cost–Benefit, NBS) (EUABALAH), Climate Resilience & Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) (BPAGABAK)

Keywords

• Climate resilience research
• Climate adaptation policy
• Extreme heat resilience
• Parametric heat insurance
• Adaptation finance mobilization

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic grants and donations: The center operates as a philanthropic initiative within the Atlantic Council, funded primarily by the Rockefeller Foundation (co-founder) and other institutional donors. The homepage includes a donate button directing to donorbox.org/arshtrock, indicating individual and institutional donation pathways.
2. Blended finance mobilization: The center brokers blended finance structures (e.g., Cool Capital Stack, Kuali Fund) that combine public, private, and philanthropic capital for climate adaptation projects. While not a direct revenue stream, these structures generate deal flow, platform fees, and visibility that support the center's operating model.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Climate Resilience Center develops and delivers climate resilience solutions through research, policy frameworks, and on-the-ground programs focused primarily on extreme heat. Its core deliverables include the Heat Action Platform (a free digital resource hub for governments and communities), the Chief Heat Officer network deployed in cities globally, the Extreme Heat Income Insurance parametric micro-insurance pilot, and the Call for Collaboration coalition mobilizing private finance for adaptation. Outputs are funded by philanthropic donations and provided at no cost to beneficiary governments, NGOs, and vulnerable communities.

Product overview

The Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center (Climate Resilience Center) is a climate policy and research organization that offers a portfolio of publications, frameworks, and initiatives rather than a unified technology product. The core offerings include the Heat Action Platform (a digital resource hub), the Call for Collaboration (a policy initiative for mobilizing private climate finance), parametric insurance products like the Extreme Heat Income Insurance, and extensive publications covering climate adaptation strategies, gender-responsive heat policies, gaming for climate action, and blended finance solutions. The center's work spans five action areas: land use policy, building codes, community resilience planning, post-disaster recovery, and community engagement. Publications include in-depth reports like Resilience by Design, The Scorching Divide, and the Gaming for Climate Action Strategy Guide, which serve as foundational resources for policymakers, community leaders, and climate practitioners worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Heat Action Platform: A platform for heat resilience solutions and action
• The Scorching Divide
• Call for Collaboration
• Cool Capital Stack
• Extreme Heat Income Insurance

Products and services

• Heat Action Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Extreme heat causes $120 billion in annual losses to women's paid labor productivity across India, Nigeria, and the United States, projected to increase without action.
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

27 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship / founding, major, core and minor.

• Atlantic Councilflagship / foundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Climate Resilience Center operates as a center within the Atlantic Council, a premier international policy think tank. The council provides institutional infrastructure, global policy access, and organizational credibility, while the center drives the council's climate resilience agenda.
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed among the center's implementation partners on the How We Work page. UNEP collaborates on climate resilience frameworks and policy, bringing the UN system's credibility and member state access to the center's initiatives.
• Insurance Development Forum (IDF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA coordinating partner of the COP28 Call for Collaboration. IDF mobilizes the insurance industry's capabilities for climate adaptation and resilience, working with the center on physical climate risk frameworks and insurance sector mobilization campaigns.
• Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinating partner of the COP28 Call for Collaboration. IIGCC develops the Physical Climate Risk Assessment Methodology (PCRAM) for asset-level climate risk measurement and is a key partner in establishing investment-grade standards for adaptation finance.
• UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinating partner of the COP28 Call for Collaboration. UNEP FI convenes banks, insurers, and investors to develop sustainable finance standards, collaborating with the center on adaptation finance taxonomies and physical climate risk disclosures.
• University of Oxford Environmental Change InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinating partner of the COP28 Call for Collaboration. The institute contributes climate science research, taxonomies databases, and policy analysis to the center's evidence base, including the Sharm el-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda workstream.
• University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability LeadershipmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinating partner of the COP28 Call for Collaboration. The institute brings private sector engagement expertise, executive education capabilities, and sustainability leadership frameworks to the center's adaptation finance initiatives.
• Marsh McLennancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA partner on the Insurance Sector Mobilization Campaign, collaborating with the center and UN High-Level Climate Champions to mobilize the insurance sector's risk management capabilities for climate adaptation. Marsh McLennan contributes Global Climate Resilience and Adaptation Hub resources.
• ETH ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner contributing climate science research and technical expertise to the center's adaptation frameworks and resilience planning tools.
• Jupiter IntelligencecoreTechnology or IntegrationClimate risk data and analytics provider offering physical climate risk assessment tools integrated into the center's research and policy frameworks for cities and financial institutions.
• CCRIF (Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility)coreTechnology or IntegrationSpecialized parametric insurance vehicle for Caribbean governments, providing climate risk financing expertise and serving as a model for the center's insurance sector mobilization efforts in vulnerable regions.
• American ForestscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on nature-based solutions and urban greening initiatives, contributing technical expertise on forest conservation and urban tree canopy projects that serve as natural climate resilience infrastructure.
• Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity-level climate coalition partner providing a network of city governments committed to climate action. The center collaborates with the covenant on urban heat resilience and adaptation planning frameworks.
• Resilient Cities NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of cities committed to urban resilience, collaborating with the center on Chief Heat Officer deployments and urban heat governance frameworks for member cities.
• Chennai Resilience CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional resilience hub in South Asia sharing knowledge and co-developing resilience solutions with the center's Indian programs, including the Ahmedabad heat resilience initiatives.
• Global Center on AdaptationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSignatory to the Call for Collaboration, the GCA works to accelerate adaptation action globally and is a key peer organization in the adaptation finance ecosystem.
• City of Miami-Dade CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome to the center's first Chief Heat Officer (Jane Gilbert). Miami-Dade is a flagship demonstration city for the center's urban heat resilience model, including the Heat Season campaign reaching millions of residents.
• City of New YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor US city partner in the center's urban resilience network, participating in Chief Heat Officer programs and climate adaptation planning initiatives.
• City of AthenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner city where the center developed the Hadrian Aqueduct Cooling District heat risk reduction guidelines, using Athens as a model for designing public spaces to reduce urban temperatures.
• Global Resilience PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSignatory to the Call for Collaboration, contributing to the center's adaptation finance coalition by sharing knowledge, best practices, and strategies for scaling adaptation investments.
• Adopt-a-Tree, Farm Share, Feeding South Florida, Food Rescue USminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Miami-area community partners supporting the center's nature-based solutions and community resilience programs in South Florida, addressing food security and urban greening alongside heat resilience.
• Climate Policy Initiative, Climate Resolve, Sweltering CitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolicy and advocacy partners contributing research, data, and community engagement expertise to the center's adaptation policy and finance work, particularly in urban heat governance.
• Rose City Games, Ubisoft, Unity, IGDC, IGDA Climate SIG, Strange Loop GamescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGaming industry partners collaborating on the center's Gaming for Climate Action program, developing climate action games, designing environmental game mechanics, and creating climate awareness content for the gaming community of 3 billion players worldwide.
• Asia Investor Group on Climate Change (AIGCC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinating partner of the COP28 Call for Collaboration. AIGCC represents Asian institutional investors on climate change and is a key partner in mobilizing private finance for adaptation across the Asia-Pacific region.
• Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the co-creation of the Extreme Heat Income Micro-Insurance pilot, providing access to 21,000 women in India's informal sector. SEWA's community organizing infrastructure enables grassroots delivery of the center's insurance and resilience programs.
• Blue Marble MicrocoreTechnology or IntegrationPrivate sector microinsurance firm that co-developed the Extreme Heat Income Insurance product with Arsht-Rock and SEWA, providing the insurance underwriting and parametric trigger expertise for the pilot.
• UN Climate Change High-Level ChampionsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe UN Climate Change High-Level Champions are key collaborators on the COP28 Call for Collaboration, the Sharm el-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda, and the Insurance Sector Mobilization Campaign, bridging government and private sector climate action.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project): Global disclosure system for environmental impact, including physical climate risk analytics. Comparable as an enabler of standardized climate risk frameworks used by financial institutions—a toolset that overlaps with Arsht-Rock's PCRAM-related work via IIGCC.
• World Resources Institute (WRI): Global research organization with major programs on climate, cities, and resilience. Operates the Ross Center for Sustainable Cities and produces comparable climate economic analyses (e.g., economic costs of inaction).
• RMI (Rocky Mountain Institute): Major clean energy and climate think tank with growing work on resilience and adaptation finance. Broader incumbent in the climate policy space, with deeper resources and a wider portfolio than Arsht-Rock.
• Bloomberg Philanthropies (Cities & Climate): Major philanthropic program funding city-level climate action through C40 and direct city grants, including heat and resilience initiatives. Comparable as a major funder and convening force for climate-resilient urban policy.

Direct peers

• Resilient Cities Network: Network of cities committed to urban resilience, collaborating with Arsht-Rock on Chief Heat Officer deployments. Direct peer in city-level resilience programming and policy frameworks.
• Global Center on Adaptation: Rotterdam-based international organization accelerating climate adaptation globally through policy, finance, and knowledge. Direct peer to Arsht-Rock—overlapping mission on adaptation finance mobilization and city-level resilience, and already a Call for Collaboration signatory.
• Climate Policy Initiative: Climate finance policy analysis organization producing widely cited research on adaptation and mitigation investment. Listed as an Arsht-Rock policy partner and operates adjacent on adaptation finance analytics.
• C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group: Network of global mayors addressing climate change, with active programs on urban heat, cooling, and resilience. Comparable to Arsht-Rock in convening city governments to adopt climate action, including heat resilience initiatives.
• Climate Resolve: Los Angeles-based nonprofit focused on urban climate resilience, particularly heat. Listed as a partner alongside Arsht-Rock's extreme heat work and serves as a regional peer on heat action advocacy.
• UN High-Level Champions for Climate Change: UN-appointed climate champions driving non-state actor mobilization at COPs. Direct collaborator with Arsht-Rock on the COP28 Call for Collaboration and Sharm el-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda, working the same COP and finance mobilization channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ArshtRock
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arsht-rock

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center