BEYOND CHARITY A Century of Philanthropic Innovation the rockefeller foundation centennial series beyond charity a century of philanthropic innovation By Eric John Abrahamson, Ph.D. Innovation for the Next 100 Years Rockefeller Foundation Centennial Series Preface from Dr. Judith Rodin 20 Foreword – President Bill Clinton 22 Introduction 26 1 Donors 30 11 Foundation 50 111 Mission 74 © 2013 by Rockefeller Foundation Foundation unless we were able to The Rockefeller Foundation Centennial Series determine otherwise. Specific permis- Foreword copyright William Jefferson Books published in the Rockefeller sion has been granted by the copyright 1v Board 86 Clinton, 2013 Foundation Centennial Series provide holder to use the following works: All rights reserved. case studies for people around the world who are working “to promote the Jonas Bendiksen: 4-5, 8-9, 10-11, 14-15, v Program 126 Cover: John D. Rockefeller, Sr. well-being of humankind.” Three books 16-17, 49, 54-55, 68, 78-79, 151, 169, 191, by Eastman Johnson. highlight lessons learned in the fields 210-211, 215, 224-225, 230-231, 250-251, Knowledge 154 Bottom: Getty images. of agriculture, health, and philanthropy. 276-277, 282, 296 v1 Three others explore the Foundation’s Rockefeller University: 7, 165, 166 Book design by Pentagram. work in Africa, Thailand, and the United Russell Williams Porter, CalTech v11 Grantees 178 States. For more information about Archives: 82 Beyond Charity: the Rockefeller Foundation Centennial Underwood Photo Archives: 103, 138-139 A Century of Philanthropic Innovation initiatives, visit www.centennial. Nancy Zupanc, Wagner International v111 Collaboration 206 rockfellerfoundation.org. Photos: 120 Printed in the United States of America. Suzie Fitzhugh: 123 Notes & Permissions 1x Social Investing 226 Steve McCurry: 130-131, 158-159, Published by The Foundation has taken all reasonable 182-183, 264, 270 The Rockefeller Foundation steps to ensure the accuracy of the Pach Brothers: 167 Culture 246 New York information provided in the book; any x TIME, Inc.: 188 United States of America errors or omissions are inadvertent. This book is published without footnotes or Ted Spiegel: 202 x1 Perpetuity 272 In association with endnotes. A manuscript version with Wellesley College Archives: 194 Vantage Point citations and references for all sources University of Chicago Archives: 200-201 Historical Services, Inc. used is available at www.centennial. Ted Spiegel, Corbis Images and Conclusion 308 South Dakota rockefellerfoundation.org. The Nobel Foundation: 204-205 United States of America Georgiana Silk: 240 Captions in this book provide informa- AP Images: 242-243 Acknowledgments 314 ISBN-13: 978-0-9796389-2-3 tion on the creator and the repository Patrick de Noirmont: 244 ISBN-10: 0-9796389-2-5 from which the images in this book were George S. Zimbel: 268 Index 316 obtained. The Foundation has made its Nik Kleinberg: 269 best efforts to determine the creator Alfred Eisenstaedt: 292 and copyright holder of all images used F.S. Lincoln. Colonial Williamsburg in this publication. Images held by the Foundation: 295 Rockefeller Archive Center have been Getty Images: 300-301 deemed to be owned by the Rockefeller 18 Chapter _: Beyond Charity 19 preface beyond charity By Dr. Judith Rodin President of the Rockefeller Foundation n 1913 the U.S. Congress was considering a bill to grant a federal fellowships, it helped bring people together whose combined knowledge, charter to establish the Rockefeller Foundation. After three years skills and resources had the power to cure disease, feed the hungry and of negotiations, the original plan had been modified substantially. give hope to the poor and vulnerable. To try and win passage, John D. Rockefeller’s advisors had agreed to As we celebrate the centennial of the Rockefeller Foundation, we Iamendments that would have given high public officials the right to veto realize how much the past has to offer the future. Today’s global issues appointments to the board of trustees and limited the life of the Founda- are rooted in history. The lessons learned—often by trial and error—by tion to one hundred years. Despite these amendments, Congress failed to those who came before us at the Rockefeller Foundation, help us to under- approve the bill. Instead, Rockefeller turned to the New York legislature to stand the deep patterns in our organization and, indeed, in the field incorporate the Foundation. With Governor William Sulzer’s signature on of philanthropy. May 14, 1913, the Rockefeller Foundation was established. In Lewis Carroll’s novel Through the Looking Glass, he wrote that “it is The history of the Rockefeller Foundation, and much of modern philan- a poor sort of memory that only works backwards.” With that thought in thropy, might have been very different if the bill before Congress had been mind, as we celebrate our centennial, we are determined to use memory to approved. It would have made the largest private foundation in the world help us see into the future. Thus Beyond Charity is not a history of the Rock- a stepchild of the government from the outset. With this precedent, the efeller Foundation. Instead, it uses the history of the Foundation to explore philanthropic sector in the United States might have developed, if it had deep and abiding themes in the field of philanthropy. It looks at how the developed at all, with much less autonomy and freedom. evolution of our philanthropic practice has helped to shape the pattern of Instead, with its New York charter and under a system of laws that en- innovation over a hundred years. couraged private philanthropy, the Rockefeller Foundation developed as a We hope Beyond Charity sheds light that will help guide us and our remarkably flexible and innovative organization. Over one hundred years, partners as we move into our second century. We also hope that it offers it has learned by listening to the voices of those crying out for change and our colleagues and future colleagues, including budding philanthropists supporting visionaries with new ideas and profound insights into the and future foundation professionals, a fascinating window into the world nature of the world. Long before the birth of computers and the Internet, of philanthropy. the Foundation created an extraordinary global network. Using grants and 20 Preface Beyond Charity 21 foreword beyond charity By President Bill Clinton ike most people who hope to make our world a better place, The Foundation sought to align the actions of governments with those of I owe much to John D. Rockefeller. schools and industry, and they backed research into nutrition and agriculture, The chartering of the Rockefeller Foundation in 1913 mental illness, and health delivery systems. The academic study of public marked the dawn of modern American philanthropy. health owes its origins to Rockefeller, who financed the earliest programs at LAlthough America’s tradition of community service and generosity is older institutions like Johns Hopkins and Harvard. than the republic itself, Rockefeller envisioned philanthropy on a global The Foundation built networks, too. The Rockefeller Fellowships scale unlike anyone before him. He believed that the relentless focus on supported brilliant men and women in their research and linked them to innovation and efficiency, which had helped to make Standard Oil the others working in the same or different fields. They kept track of the activities largest company in the world, could also move giving beyond charity to of Rockefeller Fellows and others engaged in similar work, trying, before address the root causes of our shared challenges. anyone else was doing so, to understand the levers that turn intelligence and The Foundation’s trustees and staff, working with the Rockefeller good intentions into measurable progress. family, created systems of governance and grantmaking that they The Rockefeller Foundation’s mission was from the beginning hoped would achieve the founder’s dream “to promote the well-being international, working to advance Chinese medical education and universities of mankind throughout the world.” They also developed principles that in Ghana and Uganda, among others. All of us who work across borders today would prioritize their efforts, and they had to refine ways of working with do so in the Rockefeller Foundation’s footsteps. others—including governments—that would ensure their charitable Here at home, Rockefeller philanthropy has always aimed to support the dollars helped as many people as possible. poor and marginalized in our society and to enhance American pluralism. The Rockefeller team started with science, medicine, and health. The Foundation made several early investments in schools and model farms Foundation researchers identified a vaccine for yellow fever, battled in black communities in the American South. It bolstered the arts and helped malaria and other tropical diseases, and helped bring penicillin to the to found policy organizations that guide our leaders even today. wounded of World War II. They eliminated hookworm as a widespread Not many people can give what Rockefeller gave, but all of us can learn health problem in the American South, and made similar gains in Latin from his generosity. His extraordinary record of giving shattered the limits of America and the Caribbean. 22 Foreword Beyond Charity 23 foreword beyond charity what anyone thought philanthropy could accomplish, and it has inspired Rockefeller Foundation’s efforts to fight hookworm and yellow fever in the and guided others to give back in their own lives. early twentieth century. Like John D. Rockefeller, who created a remarkable second act in I’ve also had the privilege of working directly with the Rockefeller the “giving business” after a lifetime in the “getting business,” I knew Foundation and its president Dr. Judith Rodin through the Clinton Global that once my career in politics was over I wanted to spend my time and Initiative. Each September in New York around the opening of the U.N.