Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Opens Chicago Office to Serve Donors Across Midwest
CHICAGO, September 17, 2009 — Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, the largest independent nonprofit advisory service of its kind, today announced the opening of an office in Chicago to serve donors across the Midwest. The move, which will significantly expand the scope of professional philanthropy services available to donors and their financial and legal advisors, builds on the firm’s longtime activities and growing client base in the region.
Mae Hong, currently program director with the Chicago-based Field Foundation and a well-known figure in the regional and national philanthropy community, joins the firm to lead its efforts. She brings to her new post 10 years’ experience with Field, including overseeing all of the foundation’s grantmaking.
The expansion comes as donors are increasingly interested in maximizing the impact of their giving, including exploring new models of giving and greater involvement in global issues.
“The recession has focused donors intently on the complex challenges we face nationally and globally, and on the innovative role that philanthropy can play through direct funding, mission investing and partnerships,” said Melissa A. Berman, President and CEO of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. “A dedicated office, led by the enormously talented Mae Hong and linked to our national team of advisors, allows us to partner with leading donors in the Midwest, which is such an important philanthropic community.”
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, which is headquartered in New York City, already has offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco to serve donors across the country’s western states. Ms. Berman cited several factors weighed in deciding to open a Chicago office, including:
• A deep tradition and legacy of giving and service among families, corporations and foundations throughout the Midwest
• Growing demand from donors and foundations in the greater Midwest for expert guidance on national and international giving matters
• The vibrant and innovative nonprofit community serving the region
• Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors’ growing client base in the Midwest; and
• Geographic diversity of overall client base, which is attracted to and values Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors’ increasingly global reach.
“The past year has been as difficult for many donors as for the nonprofit organizations they support, but it has also renewed donors’ interest in ensuring that their giving has maximum impact, which can lead to especially innovative grantmaking,” said Ms. Hong. “This is a pivotal time to join Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and I’m gratified at the prospect of bringing to bear my work knowledge of the field and the region to help Midwestern donors shape their giving.”
A current board member and immediate past Chair of the Chicago Foundation for Women, Ms. Hong is a vice chair of the Chicago-based Donors Forum. She also serves on the Council on Foundations’ Governance Committee and Diversity and Inclusiveness Committee. Prior to joining the Field Foundation, she worked for the Illinois Facilities Fund and the Youth Job Center of Evanston, Illinois. Ms. Hong, a native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University and a master’s in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago.
“Supporting and developing results-oriented, thoughtful giving is our sole purpose, and this new office enhances our abilities to address the changing interests and unmet needs among donors in this part of the country, with which our organization and the Rockefeller family have had long and deep ties,” said Michigan native and resident Kevin P.A. Broderick, chairperson of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. “We look forward to having Mae Hong, a widely respected and effective philanthropic practitioner, lead our efforts to help donors in the Midwest forge new paths with their giving.”
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors’ Chicago office, which will officially open Oct. 1, is located at 980 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 1120, Chicago, IL 60611/ (312) 324-0742/ www.rockpa.org / info@rockpa.org.
About Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA) is a nonprofit organization that currently advises on and manages more than $300 million in annual giving by individuals, families, corporations, and major foundations. Headquartered in New York City with offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco, it traces its antecedents to John D. Rockefeller, Sr., who in 1891 began to professionally manage his philanthropy “as if it were a business.” With thoughtful and effective philanthropy as its only mission, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors has grown into one of the world’s largest philanthropic service organizations and as a whole, has facilitated more than $3 billion in grantmaking to nearly 70 countries. RPA’s diverse staff of 40 is led by experienced grantmakers with significant depth of knowledge across multiple issue areas.
