According to The Rockefeller Foundation website, “John D. Rockefeller, Sr., established The Rockefeller Foundation in 1913 to promote the well-being of humanity around the world.” This was how the foundation’s mission began, and over 100 years later, this mission has only been expanded upon.
In order to achieve it goals of strengthening communities around the globe, The Rockefeller Foundation has four primary focus areas: revalue ecosystems, secure livelihoods, transform cities and advance health.

The Foundation’s website provides up to date blog posts, as well as information about its latest endeavors affecting climate change, food security, ecosystems and electricity issues worldwide.

One particular project, the Campaign for American Workers, was introduced in 2007 during a struggling time in the American economy. Unemployment was at an all-time high and workers were not being given the benefits they were accustomed to or deserved.

The project made great efforts to instill public-private partnerships and to give workers “greater access to health care, predictable savings and retirement income.”

Currently, The Rockefeller Foundation has many projects, one being the “100 Resilient Cities” campaign. The foundation is accepting applications from cities all over the world who are ready to build and improve themselves in order to prepare for socioeconomic changes.

The deadline to apply was September 10. The foundation already has 32 cities on the list and include the following: Bangkok, Thailand; Boulder, Colorado; Christchurch, New Zealand; Durban, South Africa; Melbourne, Australia and New Orleans, Louisiana.

Finalists of the challenge will receive not only a support system from the other cities, but also a grant to hire a Chief Resilience Officer. This officer will have access to various building tools as well as communication with experts in city planning and disaster prevention.

Among its many projects, on September 4, The Rockefeller Foundation was noted by the Digital Journal to have openly recognized and appreciated small businesses who are supporting the hiring of young adults.  John Irons, managing director at The Rockefeller Foundation, states, “The Rockefeller Foundation is focused on addressing the youth employment crisis at scale by engaging employers to support young workers’ entry into the workforce, and it is our hope that these noteworthy businesses will provide models for success that can be replicated throughout the country.”

Thus these young adults will have more opportunity and experience for later down the road when searching for a career. The foundation understands the importance of everyone’s role in stimulating the economy.

The Rockefeller Foundation has become a model organization over the past 100 years. Its core values of leadership, equity, effectiveness, innovation and integrity give it an unbreakable backbone. Its board of 12 trustees are constantly at work writing various grant proposals, investment strategies, budgets and the like in order to provide the world with whatever it can. The foundation is one we can trust and one we can look to as an example of advocacy and humanitarianism.