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Non-profit

Rockefeller Brothers Fund

Website:

www.rbf.org/
Location:

NEW YORK, NY
Tax ID:

13-1760106
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)-PF

Budget (2022):

Revenue: $57,831,657
Expenses: $98,818,511
Assets: $1,351,225,045
Type:

Private grantmaking foundation
Formation:

1940
President:

Stephen B. Heintz
Budget (2023):

Revenue: $88,417,302
Expenses: $88,775,875
Assets: $1,654,004,790 26

References

  1. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Rockefeller Brothers Fund. 2023. Parts I & II. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131760106/202413189349103611/full

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The Rockefeller Brothers Fund was created in 1940 as the charity for the five sons of John D. Rockefeller, Jr.:  John D., III; future U.S. Vice President Nelson; Laurance; Winthrop; and David. Two of these five men, Laurance and David, also established their own foundations, though David announced that the Rockefeller Brothers Fund would receive $225 million after his death, which occurred in 2017. 1

The Fund has contributed to numerous anti-Israel organizations including those that support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement that favors breaking off economic and social ties to the Jewish state. 4

Background

Origins

For the first 25 years of its existence, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund largely pursued the philanthropic interests of the brothers. Laurance was interested in conservation, so the fund bought land trusts in Wyoming that extended the basis of Grand Teton National Park. Nelson Rockefeller persuaded the fund to donate to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. John D. Rockefeller III was interested in population control, so the fund supported the Population Council. 17

Since 2018, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund also donated $580,000 to Education for Just Peace in the Middle East, which, according to the Washington Free Beacon, has been accused of using its charity status to donate to terror group Hamas as well as similar Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)-linked organizations. 4 The Rockefeller Brothers Fund has also donated $490,000 to Jewish Voice for Peace since 2019, an advocacy group that claimed the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 was due to “75 years of Israeli occupation and apartheid.”  18 4 The advocacy group arranged a protest on October 18, 2023 in which the Cannon Congressional Office Building in Washinton D.C was filled by a group of several hundred pro-Palestinian demonstrators demanding a cease-fire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas and led to the arrest of over 300 protesters. 17 A trustee for the Fund, Peter Beinart, voiced his support for the protest and the organization, claiming on X (formerly Twitter), “They just believe that Jewish safety depends on Palestinians being safe too.” 4 Roughly $2.2 million has been donated by the Fund towards several other organizations that have either justifying Hamas or blaming Israel for the terrorist attacks. 17

In 2023, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund awarded $50,000 grants to 7amleh-Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media, Jewish Voice for Peace, and Adalah-The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights In Israel; a $100,000 grant to Breaking the Silence, an Israel human rights group made up of ex-Israeli soldiers who allege the Israeli Defense Forces deliberately killed Palestinian civilians; $50,000 to the Common Defense Education Fund for anti-Israel activism; $75,000 for Education for Just Peace in the Middle East which is the parent organization of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights; $60,000 to the Foundation for Middle East Peace, an anti-Israel group that has given grants to groups that support the BDS campaign against Israel; $75,000 to Grassroots Jerusalem, a Palestinian group operating in Jerusalem; $200,000 to the Middle East Policy Network, a Palestinian advocacy group; $68,500 to the New Israel Fund, a left-of-center grant maker; $74,823 to 972-Advancement of Citizen Journalism which is a joint Israeli-Palestinian independent media outlet; $30,000 to Nonviolence International for its project Center for Jewish Nonviolence; $60,000 to Playgrounds for Palestine; $45,000 to Israeli Democratic Bloc Ltd; and $100,000 to the Project on Middle East Democracy. 25

References

  1. “David Rockefeller Awards $225 Million Bequest To Rockefeller Brothers Fund,” Philanthropy News Digest, November 22, 2006 http://www.philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/david-rockefeller-awards-225-million-beuwest-to-the-rockefeller-brothers-fund/  
  2. Armin Rosen, “The Rockefeller Brothers Fund and BDS,” Tablet Magazine, May 24, 2017 http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/235453/rockefeller-brothers-fund-gets-behind-bds
  3. Harkov, Lahav. “Rockefeller Bros Fund Gives to Groups Funding Palestinian Terrorism.” The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. June 06, 2018. Accessed June 11, 2018. https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Rockefeller-Bros-Fund-gives-to-groups-funding-Palestinian-terrorism-559258.
  4. Kerr, Andrew. “Meet the Major US Philanthropy Financing an Israeli-Designated Terror Group.” The Washington Free Beacon, October 23, 2023. https://freebeacon.com/democrats/meet-the-major-u-s-philanthropy-financing-an-israeli-designated-terror-group/
  5. Martin Morse Wooster, “The Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Rockefeller Family Fund,” Foundation Watch, January 2005 https://www.capitalresearch.org/article/the-rockefeller-brothers-fund-and-rockefeller-family-fund-how-a-great-capitalists-fortune-came-to-fund-anti-capitalist-causes/
  6. Martin Morse Wooster, “The Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Rockefeller Family Fund,” Foundation Watch, January 2005 https://www.capitalresearch.org/article/the-rockefeller-brothers-fund-and-rockefeller-family-fund-how-a-great-capitalists-fortune-came-to-fund-anti-capitalist-causes/
  7. Suzanne Goldenberg, “Rockefeller Brothers Fund:  It Is Our Moral Duty To Divest From Fossil Fuels,” The Guardian, March 27, 2015 http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/27/rockefeller-fund-chairman-moral-duty-divest-fossil-fuels
  8. Vivian Krause, “The Cash Pipeline Opposing Canadian Oil Pipelines,” Financial Post, December 2, 2016 http://www.business.financialpost.com/opinion/vivian-krause-the-cash-pipeline-opposing-canadian-oil-pipelines 
  9. Vivian Krause, “Following the (Primarily U.S.) Money Funding Canada’s Anti-Oil Movement,” Alberta Oil, July 2014 https://www.albertaoilmagazine.com/2014/07/vivian-krause-great-green-trade-barrier 
  10. Fred Lucas,  “Campaign Finance ‘Reform’ Exposed Once Again,” Foundation Watch, August 2013, https://capitalresearch.org/article/campaign-finance-reform-exposed-once-again/
  11.  Ferrechio, Susan. “They’s Cooking with…Anything but Gas: Green Groups Align to Push All-Electric Stoves.” The Washington Times, January 29, 2023. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/jan/29/theys-cooking-anything-gas-green-groups-align-push/.
  12. “Rockefeller Brothers Fund Inc, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131760106/202413189349103611/full.
  13. “Climate Funders Justice Pledge Signatories Surpass Baseline Goals.” Philanthropy News Digest, September 21, 2023. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/climate-funders-justice-pledge-signatories-surpass-baseline-goals.
  14. Armin Rosen, “The Rockefeller Brothers Fund and BDS,” Tablet Magazine, May 24, 2017 http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/235453/rockefeller-brothers-fund-gets-behind-bds
  15. Armin Rosen, “Rockefeller Brothers Fund President Explains BDS To Its Trustees:  It’s About ‘Justice, Dignity, and Security,” Tablet Magazine, June 22, 2017 http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/239264/Rockefeller-brothers-fund-president-explains-bds-to-his-trustees-its-about-justice-dignity-and-security
  16. Harkov, Lahav. “Rockefeller Bros Fund Gives to Groups Funding Palestinian Terrorism.” The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. June 06, 2018. Accessed June 11, 2018. https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Rockefeller-Bros-Fund-gives-to-groups-funding-Palestinian-terrorism-559258.
  17. Kerr, Andrew. “Meet the Major US Philanthropy Financing an Israeli-Designated Terror Group.” Washington Free Beacon, October 23, 2023. https://freebeacon.com/democrats/meet-the-major-u-s-philanthropy-financing-an-israeli-designated-terror-group/
  18. “Jewish Voice for Peace calls on all people of conscience to stop imminent genocide.” Jewish Voice for Peace, October 11, 2023. https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/2023/10/11/statement23-10-11/
  19. “Stephen Heintz, Expert at Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.” Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://quincyinst.org/author/stephen-heintz/.
  20. Goodman, Alana. “Meet the Iranian Donor Bankrolling Anti-Israel Jewish Groups.” Washington Free Beacon, May 20, 2024. https://freebeacon.com/israel/meet-the-iranian-donor-bankrolling-anti-israel-jewish-groups/.
  21. Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Return of a Private Foundation, 2019, Part XV Line 3 https://www.rbf.org/sites/default/files/2019_rbf_990pf.pdf
  22. Thayer, Parker. “How Charities Secretly Help Win Elections.” Capital Research Center, August 15, 2023. https://capitalresearch.org/app/uploads/CRC-Voter-Registration-Report.pdf.
  23. Walter, Scott. “The Left-Wing Megadonors Pushing for Ranked Choice Voting.” Capital Research Center, January 24, 2024. https://capitalresearch.org/article/the-left-wing-megadonors-pushing-for-ranked-choice-voting/.
  24. “Rockefeller Brothers Fund Launches Effort to Address U.S. Polarization.” Philanthropy News Digest, June 11, 2024. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/rockefeller-brothers-fund-launches-effort-to-address-u.s.-polarization.
  25. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Rockefeller Brothers Fund. 2021. Parts I & II. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131760106/202243189349102299/full
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: November 1, 1997

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2022 Dec Form PF $57,831,657 $98,818,511 $1,351,225,045 $38,362,885 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2021 Dec Form PF $94,665,303 $90,363,116 $1,654,004,790 $47,734,925 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2020 Dec Form PF $46,026,041 $80,478,299 $1,460,297,611 $40,131,339 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2019 Dec Form PF $26,314,802 $64,387,452 $1,296,117,807 $32,618,199 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2015 Dec Form PF $14,599,535 $54,704,441 $859,466,256 $24,065,076 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2014 Dec Form PF $103,303,579 $50,057,913 $885,380,360 $21,929,270 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2013 Dec Form PF $145,085,287 $49,743,372 $870,572,218 $21,202,174 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2012 Dec Form PF $19,934,262 $50,370,995 $800,956,943 $22,283,589 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2011 Dec Form PF $9,598,720 $49,511,280 $751,804,582 $19,076,834 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Rockefeller Brothers Fund

    475 RIVERSIDE DR RM 900
    NEW YORK, NY 10115-0066