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The Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF), (Philanthropy for an Interdependent World), is the principal philanthropic organisation created and run by members of the Rockefeller family. It was set up in New York City in 1940 by the five Rockefeller brothers: John D. Rockefeller 3rd, Nelson, Laurance, Winthrop and David. The Fund manages four major programs: Democratic Practice, Sustainable Development, Peace and Security, and Human Advancement. Its four principal operational locations are New York City, Serbia and Montenegro, South Africa, and Southern China. It also acts as an incubator for in-house projects that later evolve into free-standing institutions - a case in point being The Climate Group, launched in London in 2004. Its central mission is to promote social change that contributes to a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world; through its grantmaking, the Fund supports efforts to expand knowledge and shape public policy; and its programs are intended to develop leaders, engage citizens and strengthen institutions through durable social partnerships. A major affiliate foundation is the Asian Cultural Council, formed by John D. 3rd in 1963, which supports cultural exchange in the arts between America and Asia; as well as providing fellowship grants to primarily Asians artists, scholars and students. The current president of the Fund is Stephen B Heintz and its chair is Richard Rockefeller, the fifth child of David Rockefeller. In April 1957, the trustees of the Fund established the Ramon Magsaysay Award - named after the former Philippines President - with the concurrence of the then Philippine government. A nonprofit Foundation was set up to administer the awards, the RMAF, and seven prominent Filipinos were elected to the inaugural board of trustees (it now has nine). Awards are issued in six categories to all Asians for achieving distinction in their policy area and for selfless public service. The Ford Foundation supported this Award programme with a grant to establish the most recent award, Emergent Leadership, in 2000. The Fund was initially set up by a gift from John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in 1951; then, in 1960, it received a major bequest from his estate. In 1952, the five brothers began to include on the board of the Fund trustees who were not members of the Rockefeller family. In 1954 they included their sister Abby Rockefeller Mauzé. In 1958, the first of a number of daughters and sons of the founders joined, and the first of their children became trustees in 1992. Since the establishment of the Fund, three generations of family members have served as trustees. On July 1, 1999, the Charles E. Culpeper Foundation of Stamford, Connecticut, merged with the RBF, substantially increasing its assets. The Fund’s total assets at the end of 2004 were $742,176,000. Its headquarters are located on the 37th Floor, 437 Madison Ave, New York.
The Pocantico Conference Center The Conference Center of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund is located in the central Park area at the heart of the Rockefeller estate in Westchester County, north of New York City (see Kykuit). The Center was created when the Fund leased the area from the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1991. Since its opening in 1994, the Center has hosted 482 meetings with 13,223 attendees, on subjects directly related to the RBF's program objectives, including dialogues held by outside organizations. Some recent (2005) Conference subjects have included: Presidents Trustees Advisory Trustees Further reading See also | ||||||||
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