- Foundation targets climate, health, food and finance to drive systemic change
- Shifts from traditional giving to data-driven, collaborative impact strategies
Rockefeller Foundation: Expanding programmes for global equity
The Rockefeller Foundation, founded in 1913, has long played a key role in tackling global challenges. It now focuses on four major areas: health, food, power and climate, and innovative finance. Its goal is to help ensure more equitable outcomes for communities that are often overlooked or underserved. Rather than just giving money, it works with governments, private partners, and local organisations to build systems that can create lasting change.
One example of this is the foundation’s work on energy access. It has invested in mini-grids and renewable energy in Africa and Asia, helping communities that still lack stable electricity. It also funds global health systems and supports responses to pandemics and other crises. In food, it looks at how to build fairer systems that support farmers while also addressing climate change and nutrition. The foundation also helps develop new financial tools to attract private investment to social causes.
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Rockefeller Foundation: Driving innovation for inclusive growth
Today’s biggest problems, like climate change and inequality, are too complex for any single group to solve. Foundations like Rockefeller are adapting by combining grants with data, tech, and partnerships. In recent years, Rockefeller has moved from traditional philanthropy to what it calls “impact through collaboration,” aiming to be more agile and responsive. It has also worked with governments and the private sector to drive broader change.
The foundation’s growing focus on data and digital tools shows how philanthropy is evolving. For example, it supports data systems that help public health officials respond faster to disease outbreaks. It also launched an AI for Climate and Health initiative to explore how technology can help address both human and environmental risks. While these approaches are promising, they come with challenges. Coordinating across sectors is hard, and many regions still lack strong infrastructure or political support.
