How Rockefeller Foundation President Judith Rodin Created a New Model for Philanthropic Funding

In June 2016, Rockefeller Foundation president Judith Rodin announced that she’d be stepping down after more than a decade of leadership. She's planning on staying until a successor is named, but finding someone with the right résumé might be tricky: The philanthropic agency she leaves behind barely resembles the one she once took over—or how traditional philanthropic funders act.

Over the last century, the Rockefeller Foundation, originally founded by Standard Oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, has given money toward groups and institutions advancing public health, disease control and eradication, agricultural advancements, and even better urban planning. The stated mission: "promoting the well-being of humanity throughout the world."