The Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a private foundation headquartered at 420 Fifth Avenue in New York, NY. Established in 1913, it has operated for over a century supporting work that expands opportunity and strengthens resilience to social, economic, health, and environmental challenges. The foundation is designated as a 501(c)(3) organization and has maintained tax-exempt status since January 1955.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$6.4B
+2.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$233.2M
-15.3% YoY
Grant Count
381
-63.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$612K
+128.7% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Rockefeller Foundation reported a distributable amount of $298.2M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's pioneering philanthropic mission is to "promote the well-being" of humanity. Operating both within the United States and around the world, the Rockefeller Foundation supports work across multiple issue areas through grantmaking and program-related investments (PRIs).
The foundation operates several key initiatives and affiliated entities:
The Bellagio Center: A resource for fostering dialogue and collaborative problem-solving for participants around the world, operating since 1959. In 2024, the center hosted 62 convenings and 111 residents with approximately 1,448 total annual participants.
RF Catalytic Capital, Inc. (RFCC): An affiliated organization established to scale new and expanded partnerships focused on improving the lives of vulnerable people around the world, with activity aligned to the foundation's Power and Food portfolios.
Smart Power for Rural Development India Foundation (SPI): Formed to provide technical assistance to developers and help expand offgrid renewable energy to rural villages in India.
Program-Related Investments: The foundation makes PRIs in businesses aligned with its initiatives and overall strategy. PRIs have been made to programs in New York City and Louisiana for low-income housing development, to organizations working to raise incomes of Ugandan smallholder farmers, and to community investment funds providing growth capital to businesses in low- and moderate-income communities in California.
Grantmaking
In fiscal year 2024, the foundation awarded 381 grants with a median grant size of $171,000, ranging from $400 to $75 million.
Grant Range
of $171,000, ranging from $400 to $75 million.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (FY 2024)
- Total Assets: $6.4 billion
- Total Revenue: $415.5 million
- Total Expenses: $358.5 million
- Net Income: $57 million
- Net Assets: $5.58 billion
- Total Liabilities: $818 million
Revenue Sources (FY 2024)
- Interest Revenue: $19.4 million
- Dividends: $20.7 million
- Sales of Assets: Significant component of revenue
The foundation ranks in the top 1% of U.S. private foundations by total assets (ranked #26 of 160,501 foundations).
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $6,401,585,166 | $6,225,179,743 | $6,105,561,455 |
| Revenue | $415,515,666 | $238,147,048 | $335,723,448 |
| Expenses | $358,514,671 | $460,190,655 | $352,601,013 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $395,916,370 | $455,201,320 | $433,934,557 |
| Net Investment Income | $253,907,538 | $177,015,304 | $38,529,319 |
| Distributable Amount | $298,209,260 | $292,052,548 | $342,308,070 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from The Rockefeller Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include American Heart Association Inc ($11,800,000), American Online Giving Foundation Inc ($3,152,963), African Field Epidemiology Network ($2,000,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 4P FOODS INC PBC ELKWOOD, VA | RESEARCHING AND COORDINATING DELIVERY OF LOCALLY-GROWN FOOD TO LOW-INCOME FAMILIES IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION OF THE US | $300,000 |
| ABOUT FRESH BOSTON, MA | IN SUPPORT OF A LARGE-SCALE FOOD IS MEDICINE DEMONSTRATION PROJECT WITH THE VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION | $280,000 |
| ACCESS TO NUTRITION FOUNDATION | IN SUPPORT OF AN INITIATIVE TO INCENTIVIZE THE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION OF HEALTHIER FOOD AROUND THE WORLD, WITH A FOCUS ON INDIA, KENYA AND GHANA | $48,880 |
| ACTIVE VISTA CENTER INC | SUPPORT FOR FILMMAKERS WORKING ON PROJECTS RELATED TO CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT ON VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA | $76,000 |
| ADELANTE MUJERES FOREST GROVE, OR | EXPANDING FOOD PROGRAMS IN OREGON TO IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES OF VULNERABLE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES | $275,000 |
| AFRICA CATALYZING ACTION FOR NUTRITION | IN SUPPORT OF RAISING AWARENESS ON THE BENEFITS OF GOOD NUTRITION AMONG YOUTH IN CAMEROON, GAMBIA, AND GHANA | $99,775 |
| AFRICAN AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF CDFI CEOS INC ORLANDO, FL | TOWARD THE COSTS OF CREATING A FUND FOR MEMBER CDFIS TO ORIGINATE CREDIT ENHANCEMENT LOANS FOR DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESSES IN LOW-TO MODERATE INCOME COMMUNITIES IN BALTIMORE, MD, CHICAGO, IL, AND MIAMI, FL. | $1,000,000 |
| AFRICAN CLIMATE FOUNDATION TRUST | STRENGTHENING ENERGY SYSTEMS RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS ACROSS AFRICA | $750,000 |
| AFRICAN FIELD EPIDEMIOLOGY NETWORK | FOR USE BY THE AFRICA CENTRES FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION TOWARD THE COSTS OF STRENGTHENING ITS INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK, CORE PREPAREDNESS, AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAPACITIES | $2,000,000 |
| ALLIANCE FOR A GREEN REVOLUTION IN AFRICA | TOWARDS THE COST OF SUPPORTING SMALLHOLDER FARMERS TO PRODUCE BIOFORTIFIED CROPS IN AFRICA TO INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF NUTRITIOUS AND SAFE FOOD FOR KEY INSTITUTIONAL MARKETS PARTICULARLY SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMS. | $500,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board Members & Key Officers (as of 2024 filings)
- James G. Stavridis: Board Chair, Executive Committee Chair
- Afsaneh Beschloss: Investment Committee Chair
- Paul Polman: Audit Committee Chair
- Patricia Stonesifer: Budget Talent & Impact Committee Chair
- Agnes Binagwaho: Trustee
- Gordon Brown: Trustee (as of March 2024)
- Laura Cha: Trustee
- Mellody Hobson: Trustee (through June 2024)
- Donald Kaberuka: Trustee
- Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli: Trustee
- Sharon Percy Rockefeller: Trustee
- Juan Manuel Santos Calderon: Trustee
- Adam Silver: Trustee
The foundation maintains a staff of 256 employees as of 2024.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFSANEH BESCHLOSS | INVESTMENT COMMITTEE CHAIR | 2.5 | $9,000 |
| AGNES BINAGWAHO | TRUSTEE | 2 | $11,000 |
| GORDON BROWN AS OF 032024 | TRUSTEE | 2 | $11,000 |
| LAURA CHA | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| MELLODY HOBSON THRU 062024 | TRUSTEE | 2 | $7,000 |
| DONALD KABERUKA | TRUSTEE | 2 | $11,000 |
| NDIDI OKONKWO NWUNELI | TRUSTEE | 2 | $11,000 |
| PAUL POLMAN | AUDIT COMMITTEE CHAIR | 2.5 | $11,000 |
| SHARON PERCY ROCKEFELLER | TRUSTEE | 2 | $9,000 |
| JUAN MANUEL SANTOS CALDERON | TRUSTEE | 2 | $9,000 |
| ADAM SILVER | TRUSTEE | 2 | $9,000 |
| JAMES G STAVRIDIS | BOARD CHAIR, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR | 2.5 | $11,000 |
| PATRICIA STONESIFER | BUDGET TALENT & IMPACT COMMITTEE CHAIR | 2.5 | $11,000 |
| RAVI VENKATESAN | TRUSTEESHIP COMMITTEE CHAIR | 2.5 | $11,000 |
| RAJEEV J SHAH | PRESIDENT | 35 | $1,714,646 |
| CHUN LAI | CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER | 35 | $1,105,495 |
| NATALYE PAQUIN | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER | 35 | $887,246 |
| ERICA GUYER | SVP/CHIEF-LEGAL, ETHICS & GOVERNANCE | 35 | $547,612 |
| KEITH OLSON - AS OF 032024 | TREASURER & CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 35 | $508,713 |
| IRENA DIMARIO - 012024-022024 | INTERIM TREASURER & CFO | 35 | $291,145 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has announced recent grants and initiatives including:
Support for Bangkok Climate Action Week through a $300,000 grant
Rockefeller Foundation Awards JUTI Grant to Deliver Bangkok ...Investment of $3.5 million to support American farmers, improve nutrition, and address chronic disease
Rockefeller Foundation Invests $3.5 Million To Support American Farmers, Improve Nutrition & Address Chronic Disease | RFSupport for BRAC to empower smallholder farmers across Asia and Africa
Rockefeller Foundation Invests $3.5 Million To Support American Farmers, Improve Nutrition & Address Chronic Disease | RFOver $11 million announced towards climate solutions
The Rockefeller Foundation Announces Over USD 11 Million Towards Climate Solutions | RFFrequently Asked Questions
What does The Rockefeller Foundation fund?
The foundation's pioneering philanthropic mission is to "promote the well-being" of humanity. Operating both within the United States and around the world, the Rockefeller Foundation supports work across multiple issue areas through grantmaking and program-related investments (PRIs). The foundation operates several key initiatives and affiliated entities: • **The Bellagio Center**: A resource for fostering dialogue and collaborative problem-solving for participants around the world, operating s…
How do I apply for a grant from The Rockefeller Foundation?
**Grant Activity & Scale** In fiscal year 2024, the foundation awarded 381 grants with a median grant size of $171,000, ranging from $400 to $75 million. **Recent Major Grants (FY 2024)** • RF Catalytic Capital Inc: $106 million • American Heart Association Inc: $14.3 million • Co-impact Philanthropic Funds Inc: $13.5 million • Global Fund To Fight Aids Tuberculosis & Malaria: $6.5 million • Atlantic Council Of The United States Inc: $6 million • New Venture Fund: $5.9 million • NREL Foundation…
What size grants does The Rockefeller Foundation award?
In 2024, The Rockefeller Foundation awarded 381 grants totaling $233.2M — an average of about $612K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Rockefeller Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Rockefeller Foundation reported a distributable amount of $298.2M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Rockefeller Foundation's EIN?
The Rockefeller Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-1659629. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Rockefeller Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated June 2026.
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