Rockefeller Brothers Fund & Pocantico Center

Rockefeller Brothers Fund & Pocantico Center Our grantmaking is organized into seven programs. The Culpeper Arts & Culture program, created through the 2008 merger with the Charles E.

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) is a charitable foundation with a mission to advance social change that contributes to a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) is a philanthropic foundation with a mission to advance social change that contributes to a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. Through our grantmaking, mission-aligned investing, and conveni

ngs at The Pocantico Center, the RBF supports the people and organizations building lasting solutions to the challenges facing today’s increasingly interdependent world. Three thematic programs—Democratic Practice, Sustainable Development, and Peacebuilding—address the interrelated challenges of democratic decline, climate change, and violent conflict. Culpeper Foundation, supports arts organizations and artists in the New York City region that shape understanding of these critical concerns and the human experience. Pivotal Place programs in China, Central America, and the Western Balkans focus on one or more RBF themes in a specific geographic context that we believe has disproportionate significance for the future of the surrounding regions, an ecosystem, or the world. Recognizing that the problems the RBF aims to address are profound and our resources are modest, our grantmaking programs share common approaches to achieve enduring impact: Nurture bold ideas from the ground up; Support solutions grounded in evidence and lived experience; Advance equity and inclusion; and Respond to changing contexts. The Pocantico Center is the community facing extension of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund’s
philanthropic mission. Through a robust slate of programming— including conferences for nonprofit and policy leaders, artist residencies, tours, performances, and educational programs for the community—Pocantico continues to bring together people from near and far to learn, share, and imagine a better future. Community Guidelines: https://www.rbf.org/community-guidelines

06/01/2026

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund Board of Trustees has named Stephen Heintz President Emeritus—a distinction that has never before been granted in the organization's history. The title will take effect when Stephen retires from his position as RBF president and CEO later this year. Over his quarter-century tenure, he helped establish the RBF as a philanthropic leader in international engagement, mission-aligned investing, and democracy.

Learn more about Stephen’s impact on the RBF and the wider philanthropic sector. https://www.rbf.org/news/stephen-heintz-named-president-emeritus

“Woven Wonders: Kykuit’s Picasso Tapestries” reimagines Pablo Picasso’s vivid paintings in silk and wool. This exhibitio...
05/07/2026

“Woven Wonders: Kykuit’s Picasso Tapestries” reimagines Pablo Picasso’s vivid paintings in silk and wool. This exhibition of monumental tapestries, handwoven by Jacqueline de la Baume Dürrbach through a 20-year artistic collaboration, will delight artists, scholars, and families alike.

Opens May 29, 2026, at the at Pocantico. Guided tours are available the first Saturday of each month at 2 p.m. Always free with advance registration at the link in our bio.

Pair your visit with a stroll through the new outdoor Sculpture Walk, featuring six pieces on loan from @‌themuseumofmodernart in an unparalleled natural landscape.

Although Kykuit is closed for the 2026 season, you can still experience Nelson Rockefeller’s incredible collection and the Rockefeller family’s deep history with modern art.



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Photos:
1. Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate at Pocantico, photo by Cyruss Clark IV.

2. Jacqueline de la Baume Dürrbach, The Joy of Life (after Pablo Picasso), wool tapestry, woven 1971. © 2026 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

3. Jacqueline de la Baume Dürrbach, Night Fishing at Antibes (after Pablo Picasso), wool tapestry, woven 1967. © 2026 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Building on a belief in multilateral cooperation, RBF and its Peacebuilding program grantees work to strengthen and leve...
04/28/2026

Building on a belief in multilateral cooperation, RBF and its Peacebuilding program grantees work to strengthen and leverage international legal and governance mechanisms to pursue transparency and justice on behalf victims and survivors of violent conflict.

The Syria Campaign, Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization-AHRDO, and The Afghanistan Justice Archive exemplify how victim-centered storytelling and documentation is critical to global accountability. Their advocacy contributed to the establishment of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria and the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Afghanistan at the U.N.

By elevating the voices of people directly affected by conflict, their work reminds us that justice does not begin in courtrooms, political offices, or international institutions—it begins with memory, courage, and organizing.

https://www.rbf.org/news/victims-push-global-accountability
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Photo 1: Through facilitated workshops, family members constructed metal and wooden boxes with technical assistance of AHRDO to collect personal objects and stories of war victims. This box memorializes Sakhidad Hedayat, who was killed in Kabul City on November 22, 1999. Photo courtesy of Nagis and AHRDO.
Photo 2: UN Photo by Loey Felipe.

04/17/2026

Stephen Heintz, one of Dēmos’ founding presidents, reminds us why the work of building a multiracial democracy and inclusive economy remains as urgent—and as possible—as ever.

Your last chance to experience Shen Wei: Still/Moving at @‌pocanticocenter is this Saturday, April 18 — don’t miss it!Ce...
04/15/2026

Your last chance to experience Shen Wei: Still/Moving at @‌pocanticocenter is this Saturday, April 18 — don’t miss it!

Celebrating three decades of Shen Wei’s boundary-transcending practice as a dancer, choreographer, painter, and filmmaker, the exhibition features an extensive collection of paintings, works on paper, choreographic compositions, and short films — including pieces never before exhibited in the United States.

Free admission; registration required. Tickets at the link in our bio.

Catch the exhibition at @‌pocanticocenter through April 18, and at @‌katonahmuseum through April 19.
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Photos:
1-3. Shen Wei: Still/Moving on view at The Pocantico Center. (Photo credit: Susan Nagib)
Shen Wei. UNTITLED NUMBER 31, 2014-2020,(Photo courtesy of the artist. © Shen Wei
Shen Wei, Untitled Number 1, 2013. (Photo by Inès Leroy, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston)

In a time of rising polarization and declining community bonds, creative encounters have the power to bridge cultures, p...
04/14/2026

In a time of rising polarization and declining community bonds, creative encounters have the power to bridge cultures, preserve history, and foster connection.

The Pocantico Center brought that credo to life in 2025.

Learn how in the Rockefeller Brothers Fund annual review, The Fund in 2025: Shoulder to Shoulder.

Serbian students and other protesters calling out corruption take part in a blockade of Serbia’s public broadcaster Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) in Belgrade, April 16, 2025.

Can you align capital with purpose—without sacrificing returns? A decade of evidence says yes.What began with just a few...
04/09/2026

Can you align capital with purpose—without sacrificing returns? A decade of evidence says yes.

What began with just a few fund managers offering fossil fuel-free options has grown into a global movement with more than $40 trillion in divested assets under management. The Fund has demonstrated that aligning capital with purpose is not a concession but a strategy for long-term resilience and collective impact.

Read more about how a strong financial performance has allowed us to maximize our charitable impact in The Fund in 2025: Shoulder To Shoulder.

Serbian students and other protesters calling out corruption take part in a blockade of Serbia’s public broadcaster Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) in Belgrade, April 16, 2025.

The Fund in 2025: Shoulder To Shoulder reflects on a year in which millions of Americans in all 50 states took to the st...
04/06/2026

The Fund in 2025: Shoulder To Shoulder reflects on a year in which millions of Americans in all 50 states took to the streets to defend constitutional rights and civil society worldwide forged new cross-sector coalitions to fill gaps left by war, corruption, and shifting global alliances

In 2025, the RBF worked to afford the charitable organizations we support greater stability amid uncertainty by, for example, inviting renewal applications earlier and expediting grant payments.

Read more about how our grantee organizations met the moment in The Fund in 2025: Shoulder to Shoulder.

Serbian students and other protesters calling out corruption take part in a blockade of Serbia’s public broadcaster Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) in Belgrade, April 16, 2025.

"Democratic culture and the civil society that sustains it are not luxuries reserved for the few; they are essential to ...
04/02/2026

"Democratic culture and the civil society that sustains it are not luxuries reserved for the few; they are essential to a vibrant and healthy democracy that promises life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all." —Stephen Heintz

2025 tested the resilience of civil society like never before, as charitable organizations around the world faced intimidation, litigation, and funding cuts that threatened their very existence. But the year also revealed the power in civil society’s horizontal bonds through the community of funders, organizations, leaders, and committed individuals that lit a path toward a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world.

Read more about the RBF’s work to support and defend civil society over the past year in The Fund in 2025: Shoulder to Shoulder.

Serbian students and other protesters calling out corruption take part in a blockade of Serbia’s public broadcaster Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) in Belgrade, April 16, 2025.

Persistent and expanding economic inequality and rising climate vulnerability have degraded individual and community exp...
03/10/2026

Persistent and expanding economic inequality and rising climate vulnerability have degraded individual and community expressions of political power. Several RBF grantees are working to restore power to the people—and succeeding. Demos and the Public Policy and Education Fund of New York (PPEFNY) are two.

Dēmos means “people.” It utilizes research, legal advocacy, and narrative strategy to mobilize public support for policy solutions that benefit all Americans. Its Power Scorecard assesses U.S. economic, civic, and political conditions state-by-state, providing research-backed entry points into policy discussions.

PPEFNY helps amplify the voices of everyday New Yorkers in local, state, and federal governance and policy. It provides training to help voters, leaders, and the media understand the laws, technologies, and narratives that shape democracy and navigate public resources like the New York State Healthcare Marketplace.

Visit https://www.rbf.org/programs/democratic-practice-united-states to learn more about the work of the RBF’s Democratic Practice program.

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200 Lake Rd
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