Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors

At Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, we partner with established and aspiring philanthropists; manage innovative, early-stage nonprofits; and share insight and learning with our clients, our community, and the sector. Our staff draws on its unmatched global expertise, experience and vast international network to provide tailored services that meet the most unique circumstances and needs. By continuing to build on lessons learned over more than a century, our goal is to help define the next ...read more

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Who We Are

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA) is a nonprofit that partners with individuals, families and institutions to help make philanthropy more thoughtful and effective. Since 2002, we have facilitated more than $3 billion in grantmaking worldwide, establishing ourselves as one of the world’s largest and most trusted philanthropic service organizations. Drawing on our diverse and unmatched expertise, we provide tailored advisory, management and fiscal sponsorship services, translating the motivations of innovative leaders into action.

What We Do

We advise established and aspiring philanthropists, foundations and corporations; manage innovative, early-stage nonprofits; and share insight and learning with our clients, our community, and the sector. Our diverse staff draws on its unmatched global expertise, experience and vast international network to provide tailored services that meet your unique circumstances and needs. By continuing to build on lessons learned over more than a century, our goal is to help define the next generation of philanthropy and to foster a worldwide culture of giving.

For wealth and other family advisors looking to deepen their relationship to families through increased philanthropic knowledge and engagement, RPA acts as a trusted thought partner and service provider, offering tools, insights and training for wealth advisors and their clients, as well as outsourced philanthropic consulting and management capabilities. Our services are based on deep relationships, unmatched industry expertise and a proven approach developed through more than a century of work with one of the world’s leading philanthropic families.

Who Needs Us?

Giving together not only affords your family the chance to work on issues that inspire collective passion, but also provides an opportunity to learn more about, appreciate, and engage with each other’s vision for a better world. If you’re a parent or grandparent in particular, family philanthropy creates an attractive combination of present and future: your family can share a meaningful experience in the here-and-now while building a tradition of giving for future generations.

When we engage with families, our goal is to help individual voices be heard while encouraging unity around shared values that inspire giving. Your family can draw from the insights we have acquired, our experience with a diversity of styles, goals and programs, and our ability to work seamlessly with and across multiple generations. By helping build consensus and guiding your family toward a giving plan that truly reflects your identity, we can help your family to nurture long-term effectiveness and create a powerful philanthropic legacy.

See the Glossary for definitions of these metrics.

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What core services do you provide for your average client profile?:

Strategic planning for philanthropic programs

•Develop mission, goals, and strategies that turn your vision into action

•Involve extended family and multiple generations in philanthropy

•Develop the systems needed for day-to-day foundation management

Comprehensive foundation management

•Research and develop grantmaking program goals and guidelines

•Review, evaluate, recommend proposals from prospective grantees; manage all grantee communications

•Coordinate with legal, tax, and financial advisors

Comprehensive fiscal sponsorship

•Provide immediate 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and access to operational infrastructure and grantmaking capabilities

•Support operational, HR and financial management

•Handle all aspects of grants management and administration

Global research and donor education

•Produce educational and research-based materials for donors and practitioners

•Engage with emerging topics in philanthropy to strengthen sector

What are your firm's mission,vision and values?:

At Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, our mission is to help donors create thoughtful, effective philanthropy throughout the world.

Our Values

Integrity

Our reason for being — guiding philanthropy that shifts the world forward — is impossible without the highest levels of professional and ethical standards. This is reflected in every relationship we create, just as it shapes the way we work. As our client, you’ll receive the same deep respect that we show our partners, vendors and other stakeholders. Our processes and management are transparent, and we always disclose any potential conflicts of interest. Our team operates within a work environment that helps them thrive personally and professionally.

Trust

Building on our foundation of integrity, we work continuously to create and sustain trusting relationships with our clients and community. You can rely on us to maintain confidentiality, provide objective counsel and pursue your goals with the utmost care.

Quality

Alongside our commitment to fostering trust, we make good on our promises by emphasizing quality in everything we do. As the world evolves, so does our sector; when you partner with us, we tap into our understanding of these shifts to keep your work at the forefront of philanthropy. We innovate and adapt as we work with you to realize your objectives, building and sharing knowledge along the way.

Diversity

At Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, we welcome the diversity that you bring to the table. Through our work with a broad range of clients, we advocate for a variety of voices; we celebrate differing views, experiences and ideas as we help bring your philanthropic vision to light. Our commitment to diversity is reflected in our staff and board members, who represent the communities in which we live, work and serve.

How are your client teams structured to deliver services to their clients?:

We specialize in special, providing individuals and teams as needed based on the scope and nature of client work. RPA develops customized processes built around the needs and goals of our clients while also drawing on a broad base of diverse experiences to bring the best tools and ideas to each engagement.

Because Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors recognizes that any development and planning process must incorporate a Foundation’s history and culture while being responsive to the needs of the communities it supports, our clients and their team are critical partners throughout the process. RPA’s recommendations emerge through a process informed by our findings, but ultimately bear the client’s own imprint.

Project teams are led by one or more Vice Presidents, staffed with senior advisors or advisors, and supported by a project associate. The project teams have the support of all of RPA’s resources.

How would you describe your ideal client?:

Our ideal client is a family or organization that is looking to get involved in or take their philanthropy to the next level. Typically, our clients seek to donate a minimum of US$1M annually.

What are the top three characteristics that distinguish your firm the most from your competitors?:

Tailored Services
When you come to us for guidance, you can rest assured that we recognize and honor your uniqueness. We take pride in developing highly personalized processes built around your specific needs, cultivating a deep understanding of your history, traditions, goals, values and culture. At the same time, you’ll benefit from our broad base of diverse experiences as we bring our best tools and ideas to the engagement.

Unmatched Expertise
Whether you’re giving as an individual, family, business or institution, you’ll leverage our team’s extensive experience across issue areas and geographies. We operate at the cutting edge of philanthropy: our experts manage complex grantmaking initiatives, develop new funding models and evaluate impact for leading foundations across the nation. Should your goals require functional support, we can help build your program through fiscal sponsorship and other services.

Enduring Relationships
Your connection with us doesn’t end when our engagement concludes. We’re invested in creating mutually beneficial relationships, bringing people and organizations together around a shared vision. Our worldwide network of clients, grantees and professional experts helps us to stay abreast of needs and opportunities throughout the philanthropic world. When you join us, you become an enduring part of a committed community of donors; we’ll do everything we can to further your impact.

What formal and informal client education programs does your company provide?:

As a leading philanthropic advisory, we take our role as a thought leader seriously and produce educational and research-based materials on an ongoing basis. We believe that knowledge sharing advances the philanthropic sector and we engage with emerging topics in order to drive innovation. From The Philanthropy Roadmap series of guides on strategic philanthropy, to our monographs on Impact Investing and our emerging body of work on the Theory of the Foundation, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors is a trusted resource for philanthropic best practices and insights on issues of strategic importance to the sector.

We host and participate in webinars, convenings, conferences on a regular basis, and make available all of our publications on our website.

What are the credentials and qualifications of your firm management and staff?:

Our work and reputation is substantial and includes partnerships in the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia. Since becoming an independent philanthropic advisory service in 2002, RPA has grown to a staff of 50+ across offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and London. Senior staff offer an average of fifteen years each in grantmaking experience with major foundations, including the Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Levi-Strauss Foundation. Donors seek out RPA for the quality of its philanthropic research, planning, advisory and management services, as well as the trusted relationships we’ve developed with individuals and families, and institutional and corporate donors. Staff are versed in working closely with our clients’ other trusted advisors, and maintaining confidentiality when required.

See the Glossary for definitions of these metrics.

This information provided by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors