David Rockefeller Fund

Arts

“Art is important because it expands how we look at and understand the world. It can make us think beyond our own experience, and often, in our appreciation, we find things that link us in a common humanity.”

—David Rockefeller

 

Priority

Cultivating, showcasing and disseminating the stories of innovative art for social change.

Description

The DR Fund’s Arts program supports arts and culture organizations that are using the arts to amplify social justice movements and/or progressive power-building efforts on a national level. We seek to fund exemplary and inspiring efforts that demonstrate how artistic practice can move beyond a single person or institution, affect much broader communities than a single audience, and advance social, economic, and ecological justice.

We are particularly interested in work that inspires civic engagement; ensures that political and social movements incorporate arts and culture into their strategy; and places the priorities and needs of those historically marginalized at the center of healing processes of communities impacted by environmental/climate injustice, mass incarceration, over-policing, and other forms of racial injustice.

Geographic Focus

National

2023 Grant Partners

Brave New Films Culver City, CA $30,000
Center for Artistic Activism New York, NY $200,000 over 3 years
Center for Cultural Power Oakland, CA $55,000
Grantmakers in the Arts Bronx, NY $10,000
Hi-ARTS New York, NY $55,000
Hip Hop Caucus Education Fund Washington, DC $50,000
New Venture Fund (for IllumiNative) Washington, DC $205,000 over 2 years

2022 Grant Partners

Brave New Films Action Fund Culver City, CA $25,000
Brooklyn Arts Exchange Brooklyn, NY $100,000 over 2 years
Center for Artistic Activism New York, NY $70,000
Grantmakers in the Arts Bronx, NY $5,000
New York Foundation (for Youth Organizing & Culture Change Fund New York, NY $150,000 over 2 years
Urban Bush Women Brooklyn, NY $100,000 over 2 years

2021 Grant Partners

Americans for the Arts Action Fund   Washington, DC $25,000
Amplifier Seattle, WA $50,000
Brooklyn Arts Exchange Brooklyn, NY $50,000
Center for Cultural Power Oakland, CA $100,000 over 2 years
Hi-ARTS New York, NY $100,000 over 2 years
Hip Hop Caucus Action Fund Washington, DC $150,000 over 2 years
New Venture Fund (for IllumiNative) Washington, DC $200,000 over 2 years
Urban Bush Women Brooklyn, NY $50,000

2020 Grant Partners

A Blade of Grass   Brooklyn, NY $25,000
Americans for the Arts Action Fund Washington, DC $75,000
Amplifier Seattle, WA $50,000
Brave New Films Action Fund   Culver City, CA $50,000 over 2 years
Community Funds (for Mosaic Network & Fund) New York, NY $50,000
Cultural Engagement Lab Oakland, CA $100,000
Cultural Shed  New York, NY $50,000
Fractured Atlas (for Scene City project) New York, NY $50,000
Gibney Dance New York, NY $120,000
Girl Be Heard Brooklyn, NY $50,000
Grantmakers In the Arts Bronx, NY $5,000
Hi-ARTS New York, NY $75,000
Hip Hop Caucus Action Fund Washington, DC $100,000
Laundromat Project Brooklyn, NY $75,000
National Black Theatre Harlem, NY $75,000
New Venture Fund (for IllumiNative) Washington, DC $100,000
The Public Theater New York, NY $100,000
Swiss Institute  New York, NY $50,000
Theatre of the Oppressed NYC New York, NY $50,000
YEARS Project New York, NY $50,000

2019 Grant Partners

Americans for the Arts Action Fund   Washington, DC $38,000
Amplifier   Seattle, WA $15,000
Brave New Films Culver City, CA $25,000
Cultural Shed  New York, NY $50,000
Fountain House  New York, NY $50,000 over 2 years
Fractured Atlas (for Climate Chores project) New York, NY $25,000
Girl Be Heard  Brooklyn, NY $20,000
Grantmakers In the Arts  Bronx, NY $27,000
Hip Hop Caucus Washington, DC $20,000
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (for Upstart Co-Lab)  New York, NY $75,000 over 3 years
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey (for Rikers Public Memory Project)  Newark, NJ $15,000
Sheherazade Initiatives  New York, NY $50,000 over 2 years
Tribeca Film Institute  New York, NY $25,000
Victory Gardens Theater  Chicago, IL $40,000
YEARS Project New York, NY $25,000

2018 Grant Partners

A Blade of Grass   Brooklyn, NY $25,000
Amplifier   Seattle, WA $25,000
Brave New Films Culver City, CA $25,000
Chashama New York, NY  $50,000 over 2 years
Gibney Dance New York, NY $50,000 over 2 years
Grantmakers In the Arts  Bronx, NY $1,000
Hip Hop Caucus  Washington, DC $20,000
Just Detention International Los Angeles, CA $25,000
The Public Theater  New York, NY $20,000
Theatre of the Oppressed NYC  New York, NY $20,000
Tides Foundation (for YEARS Project) San Francisco, CA  $25,000
United Workers Association  Baltimore, MD $20,000
Victory Gardens Theater  Chicago, IL $40,000

2017 Grant Partners

Amplifier Foundation  Seattle, WA $25,000
Center for Artistic Activism  Beacon, NY $25,000
Fountain House  New York, NY $50,000 over 2 years
Girl Be Heard  Brooklyn, NY $60,000 over 2 years
Grantmakers In the Arts  New York, NY $1,000
John Howard Society (for Pros and Cons) Kingston, ON $50,000 over 2 years
The Listen Charity USA Los Angeles, CA $50,000 over 2 years
The Public Theater  New York, NY $20,000
Theatre of the Oppressed NYC  New York, NY $50,000
United Workers Association  Baltimore, MD $30,000
Victory Gardens Theater  Chicago, IL $30,000

2016 Grant Partners

A Blade of Grass New York, NY $150,000 over 3 years
chashama  New York, NY $25,000
Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) Brooklyn, NY $25,000
Fortune Society Queens, NY $20,000
Girl Be Heard Brooklyn, NY $25,000
Issue One  Washington, DC  $12,500
John Howard Society (for Pros and Cons) Kingston, ON $25,000
MAPP International Productions New York, NY $25,000
Theatre of the Oppressed Brooklyn, NY $25,000
United Workers Association  Baltimore, MD $30,000
The Watershed Center (for People's Collective Arts) Millerton, NY $17,500

2015 Grant Partners

A Blade of Grass New York, NY $50,000
Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) Brooklyn, NY $25,000
Fortune Society  Queens, NY  $20,000
Gibney Dance New York, NY $50,000 over 2 years
Groundswell Brooklyn, NY $20,000
Laundromat Project New York, NY $20,000
Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City New York, NY $25,000
MOCADA Brooklyn, NY $25,000
New York City Cultural Agenda Fund New York, NY $25,000
The Public Theater New York, NY $20,000
Socrates Sculpture Park  Queens, NY $50,000
Schomburg Center New York, NY $25,000

2014 Grant Partners

A Blade of Grass New York, NY $30,000
Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) Brooklyn, NY $25,000
Gibney Dance New York, NY $25,000
Groundswell Brooklyn, NY $25,000
Hive Digital Media Learning Fund New York, NY $25,000
Laundromat Project New York, NY $20,000
MOCADA Brooklyn, NY $25,000
New York City Cultural Agenda Fund New York, NY $25,000
The Public Theater New York, NY $25,000
Queens Museum of Art Queens, NY $25,000
Schomburg Center New York, NY $25,000

2013 Grant Partners

Bronx Museum
Education Programs
Bronx, NY $25,000
Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) Brooklyn, NY $25,000
Fund for Public Schools
Summer Arts Institute
New York, NY $15,000
Laundromat Project New York, NY $15,000
Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City
New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Youth Chorus
New York, NY $15,000
New York Community Trust
Hive Digital Media Learning Fund
New York, NY $25,000
New York Public Library Schomburg
Center for Research in Black Culture
New York, NY $25,000
The Public Theater New York, NY $25,000
Queens Museum of Art Queens, NY $25,000

2012 Grant Partners

Apple Arts New York NY $15,000
Artists Striving to End Poverty (ASTEP) New York, NY $15,000
Bronx Museum of the Arts Bronx  NY $25,000
Brooklyn Academy of Music Brooklyn, NY $50,000 over 2 years
Carter Burden Center for the Aging New York, NY $10,000
Fund for Public Schools 
Summer Arts Institute
New York, NY $20,000
Groove With Me New York, NY $15,000
Groundswell Community Mural Project Brooklyn, NY $40,000 over 2 years
Hive Digital Media Learning Fund New York, NY $25,000
Laundromat Project New York, NY $15,000
Metropolis Ensemble Brooklyn, NY $20,000 over 2 years
New York City Housing Authority Youth Chorus New York, NY $20,000
Queens Museum of Art Queens, NY $30,000

2011 Grant Partners

Apple Arts New York NY  $15,000
Artists Striving to End Poverty (ASTEP) New York, NY $15,000
Bronx Museum of the Arts Bronx, NY $25,000
Brooklyn Academy of Music Brooklyn, NY $25,000
Fund for Public Schools 
Summer Arts Institute
New York, NY $20,000
Groove With Me New York,  NY $20,000
Groundswell   Brooklyn, NY $40,000
Laundromat Project New York, NY $10,000
New York University Tisch School of the Arts Talent Identification Program New York NY  $15,000
Queens Museum of Art Queens, NY $40,000
Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City 
Spaceworks
New York, NY $80,000 over 2 years
Studio Museum in Harlem Bronx, NY $25,000

2010 Grant Partners

Apple Arts NYC New York, NY $10,000
El Barrio's Artspace (PS109) New York, NY $25,000
Casita Maria Bronx, NY $15,000
Fund for Public Schools 
Summer Arts Institute
New York, NY $20,000
Groove With Me East Harlem, NY $15,000
Groundswell Community Mural Project New York, NY $20,000
Hip Hop Theater Festival New York, NY $15,000
Joyce Theater New York, NY $15,000
Queens Museum of Art Queens, NY $40,000
Studio Museum in Harlem New York, NY $20,000
Tisch School of the Arts 
Talent Identification Program
New York, NY $15,000