The Rockefeller Foundation’s current work focuses on issue areas such as Basic Survival Safeguards, Global Health, Climate & Environment, Urbanization and Social & Economic Security. Its initiatives include developing climate change resilience, strengthening food security, promoting sustainable transportation, linking global disease surveillance networks, transforming health systems, impact investment, innovation and others. It has geographical interest in Asia, Africa and North America.
To ensure that your organization qualifies to apply for funding from the Rockefeller Foundation, you can answer to yourself the following questions:
a) Does your project fit within one of the Foundation’s initiatives?
b) Does your request clearly address one or more of our core issue areas?
c) Does your work affect people in one or more of the geographic areas in which the Foundation works?
Each of the geographical area can have different issues for which the funding is made available, so it is best for the applicant to read through the priorities carefully.
Once you become thoroughly acquainted with the foundation’s grantmaking policies and feel that your project fits into its priorities, you can start contacting it for funding. It is open to receiving unsolicited Letter of Inquiry (LOI) through its online grant inquiry process. The online grant inquiry can be accessed at this link.
It is fairly easy to go through its format. Once you mention the area and geographical coverage of your project, you can then move ahead explaining about the project. The inquiry system also asks for an indication of the project budget. It can just be an estimate. The inquiry system runs up to two pages only.
