Our Big Bets

In 1913, trustees of the then-new Rockefeller Foundation gathered for their first review of grant proposals. After a debate broke out over one request, John D. Rockefeller’s chief philanthropic advisor, Frederick Gates, spoke up. He said, “The Rockefeller Foundation should in general confine itself to projects of an important character, too large to be undertaken, or otherwise unlikely to be undertaken, by other agencies.”

Guided by that logic, Rockefeller, using the freedom afforded in the United States, dedicated his fortune to longer-term, more systemic work. He and Gates harbored a deep desire to use what they called “scientific philanthropy” to solve problems at the root rather than relieve their symptoms. This idea was novel, even revolutionary, at a time when both “science” and “philanthropy” were unproven paths to progress, let alone as a combined concept.

Over the last 112 years, the Foundation has continued that original mission and model — though today we call it big bets. The results in the United States and around the world have helped improve the well-being of poor and underprivileged people and established new ways to do charity and philanthropic work. The Atlantic for one has described our history as including “tens of thousands of bets… that the Foundation has placed on human progress.”

Here is a just a selection of the big bets the Foundation has made over 112 years — and is making today.

Eradicating a disease making life worse across the American South.

An estimated 40% of the region’s people, especially the most vulnerable, suffered from hookworm disease which made people prone to other illnesses and extreme fatigue.

Dispensary scene, Dr. Caldwell teaching by lecture and demonstration, Marengo County, Alabama.

A U.S. soldier receives the yellow fever vaccine, 1942.

Protecting American soldiers and half a billion others from disease.

Yellow fever was a death sentence until the Foundation’s scientists discovered the vaccine 17D after years of setbacks. The breakthrough allowed the Foundation to offer to vaccinate — free of charge — the millions of American servicemembers who were deploying to fight in World War II. In the decades since, hundreds of millions of people across world have received 17D, one of the safest, most impactful inoculations in history.

Powering the scientists and science that fueled the Manhattan Project and much more.

This work helped set the stage for the Manhattan project, which produced the world’s first atomic bomb, as well as decades of advances in nuclear medicine and more.

Cyclotron at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, 1942.

Computation Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1957.

Accelerating Revolutions in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence.

In 1956, the foundation supported a gathering that brought together a who’s who of scientists, engineers, and mathematicians where the term “artificial intelligence” was coined. In the years before and after that convening, the Foundation has supported the work and often the machines themselves that allowed computing to change how people, live, work, communicate and more.

Revolutionizing agriculture and responding to hunger Asia.

In the 1960s, The Foundation’s scientist Norman Borlaug and agriculture program helped further what became known as the Green Revolution in South Asia. Leveraging new seed varietals, new partners, and new techniques, farmers in India, Pakistan, and elsewhere were able to vastly increase crop yields. These advances helped save hundreds of millions of people in South Asia and Latin America from starvation.

Indian Agricultural Program, 1966.

young boys and girls lined up outside of school wearing backpacks and masks.

Group of kids return to school during the pandemic.

Getting Americans — particularly students — out of Covid lockdowns.

In April 2020, Americans, including K-12 school children, were locked down as Covid-19 surged. To help meet the moment, The Foundation worked with a wide range of public and private partners to try to unlock testing capacity and reopen schools, convening experts from, launched new reports and protocols, and leveraged financial resources to guarantee test purposes. The big bet, supported by individuals and institutions around the country, helped vastly increase the number of tests produced and helped get all American school kids back in the classroom.

Helping Americans improve their diets and their health.

Many Americans, particularly with lower incomes, do not have to affordable nutritious food that is crucial for good health, and the results are staggering rates of chronic health conditions like diabetes and a staggering $1.1 trillion per year in healthcare costs related diet. Through Food is Medicine programs, the Foundation and its partners are making a big bet to help provide high-need patients, including American veterans, with produce prescriptions, medically tailored meals, and healthy grocery programs that have been shown to improve health outcomes for those with hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Kenny Joyner, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran and EatWell Participant.

Woman benefitting from light from solar-powered mini-grid

Lighting from solar-powered mini-grids made streets safer for women at night in Bihar, India.

Connecting nearly a billion people to resilient, reliable, affordable electricity.

Electricity is the key to modern life — with so many opportunities in work, education, health, and nutrition powered through an electric outlet. Yet around the world more than 700 million still lack access to reliable, affordable, resilient electricity. Starting more than 15 years ago, the Foundation has sought to leverage new technological breakthroughs to empower people and communities left behind — and that big bet continues today.

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