The Rockefeller Foundation

#Mission300 Update! This week, the Rural Electrification Agency of Nigeria signed grant agreements with nine renewable energy companies to provide electricity access to 17.5 million Nigerians. This development under the World Bank-funded Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up project will also contribute to The World Bank and African Development Bank Group's Mission 300 initiative of bringing affordable, reliable electricity to 300 million people in sub-Saharan Africa. These solutions will help unlock jobs and opportunity for millions across the country. #PoweringAfrica Read about it here: https://lnkd.in/g_vR56vJ

Genetic data from plants is used to make blockbuster medicines and household products. How can the Indigenous peoples and local communities who steward these plants also receive the benefits? In #BellagioBreakthroughs, The Rockefeller Foundation’s John de la Parra & Meridian Institute’s Julian Portilla discuss how an unlikely partnership helped shift international policy and unlock sustainable funding for conservation while supporting Indigenous communities.

I’m thrilled to announce Brett Hart, President of United Airlines, has joined The Rockefeller Foundation’s Board of Trustees in a voluntary capacity.  At a moment when changes in the United States and around the world are presenting new threats and opportunities for human well-being, Brett and the rest of the Foundation’s Board will help ensure we continue to deliver results for people—especially the most vulnerable—here and abroad.  He has joined us as the Foundation approaches our 112th anniversary—we’ve been pursuing the same mission, to “promote the well-being of humanity,” since 1913.

This month's #AfricaXchangeLLD was not just a conference. It was a call to action. With Africa's potential to tackle pressing issues like climate change, health, and education, now is the time to strengthen local leadership to deliver results and improve the well-being of people all over the continent. In his perspectives blog, The Rockefeller Foundation's Vice President of Africa, William Asiko, shared how AfricaXchange shaped a unified vision of an “Africa for Africans,” aimed at creating more jobs, promoting transparency, and prioritizing investments in food security, education and healthcare. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dMZnrmJJ

This week, during the World Bank Spring Meetings, The Rockefeller Foundation convened global leaders and supporters of reform to energize our efforts, refine proposals, and build a strong coalition to call for changes to our global finance systems to meet the moment. We heard from leaders who shared their perspectives on how we can: 🟢 Use financing tools like sin taxes and debt swaps to increase investments in nutritious school meals that feed approximately 418 million children around the world 🟢 Implement innovative technologies like #AI and crypto to bring affordable electricity to 300 million Africans through the World Bank and African Development Bank Group's #Mission300 initiative 🟢 Increase jobs for the 1.2 billion youth entering the workforce in the next decade Even as the Spring Meetings come to an end, we must continue to advance reforms to international finance structures that ensure the security and well-being of people around the world. #WBGMeetings To learn more about the World Bank meetings, click here: https://lnkd.in/eZre6emx Photo courtesy: Office of the UN Under-Secretary General

In partnership with ODI Global, we’re proud to support the launch of the Mission 300 Fellowship—a new opportunity for talented early-career professionals to help drive energy access and electrification across Africa. Fellows will spend two years embedded in 14 African governments, providing critical policy, technical, and coordination support to accelerate implementation of national energy compacts. With 600 million Africans still lacking access to reliable electricity, investing in the next generation of African leaders is essential to powering economic opportunity and human development. #Mission300 #PoweringAfrica Apply by May 7, 2025. Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/eruxFmAK

School meals feed an estimated 418 million children worldwide, yet funding these programs remains a major challenge. At the #WBGMeetings, the Sustainable Financing Initiative for School Health and Nutrition, an initiative of the School Meals Coalition, with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, launched a new report laying out innovative solutions for financing school meals. The report finds that countries are using financing tools such as sin taxes, debt swaps, and blended finance deals to fund school meals. This report is part of our larger commitment to improving nutrition in the U.S. and around the world. Read the report: https://lnkd.in/ehVmQbgE

Last week at #AfricaXChangeLLD, one thing became clear: this wasn’t just a convening — it was a space for real dialogue, real connection, and real collaboration with local leaders across sectors. Throughout the week, we shared bold ideas and spotlighted local solutions that rise to meet the moment. We closed with a powerful, shared understanding: ✅ Funders, governments, and implementers must co-create strategies rooted in transparency, mutual accountability, and trust. ✅ Collaboration is how we unlock scale, efficiency, and true return on investment. Shared infrastructure and aligned goals are key. ✅ We need political will to prioritize the most vulnerable and a strong partnership with philanthropy and the private sector to make real, lasting change possible. Let's keep the momentum going and translate these powerful discussions into concrete actions, empowering African communities.

What were we doing in the Amazon? A team of Rockefeller Foundation staff from our United States and Latin America teams recently journeyed into the heart of the Amazon rainforest to see in-person how our programs are affecting communities. We asked questions, listened to partners and community members, and saw the impact of our work up close. Want to learn more? Read more about our journey into the Amazon and what we learned from the experience: https://lnkd.in/e58Zc_GT

In January, wildfires tore through Los Angeles, California. The power grid failed. Compton went dark. But Jacquelyn Badejo didn’t.  A longtime environmental advocate in Watts and Compton, she knew exactly what that meant for her neighbors - and she stepped up. Jacquelyn helped guide people to safe, powered spaces when they needed it most. Now, with support from RE-volv, Calvary Baptist Church is preparing to go solar. With battery storage, it will be able to stay open during the next blackout, serving not just as a place of worship, but as a resilience hub for the entire neighborhood. This isn’t an isolated effort.  Across the country, RE-volv has completed nearly 80 solar projects in 18 states, saving nonprofits $35 million and helping communities prepare for the worst and power through it. This isn’t just about electricity. It’s about resilience. And it’s growing one roof, one leader, one community at a time. See what real community power looks like: https://lnkd.in/g9m5-NJw