The Rockefeller Foundation is a global private foundation founded in 1913 that funds and convenes cross-sector partners to advance human well-being, with current emphasis on health, food, power, innovation, and economic opportunity.
The Foundation’s mission is to promote the well-being of humanity around the world—has remained unchanged since 1913. Today, fulfilling this mission requires working with partners across sectors and political lines to achieve results for people in the United States and globally.
Established in 1913 by John D. Rockefeller, the Foundation was created to apply science and technology to solve major problems at their roots rather than provide only charitable relief. Over more than a century, it has built a reputation for “big bets” and for convening unlikely partners, while evolving its initiatives to respond to changing global needs
The Rockefeller Foundation uses grantmaking as one tool among others, alongside convening, partnerships, and other financing mechanisms, to pursue “big bets” intended to solve complex problems at scale. It emphasizes cross-sector collaboration and evidence-informed approaches. The Foundation states it does not accept unsolicited grant proposals, indicating most funding is initiated through staff-led strategy and partner selection rather than open calls.
The Foundation positions itself as a long-standing institution making “big bets” and convening partners to drive breakthroughs in science, policy, and practice. Its historical timeline highlights sustained global grantmaking since 1913 (including early support such as an American Red Cross grant) and major recent commitments and alliances focused on climate and energy access, food systems, and U.S. economic opportunity.
The Foundation emphasizes collaboration with cross-sector partners and “unlikely partners” as central to its operating model. Public examples in its timeline include multi-organization efforts connected to GEAPP and other global initiatives, as well as platforms like data.org that are explicitly framed as partnership-based.