The Pritzker Innovation Fund is a left-of-center grantmaking organization that makes grants to think tanks, academic organizations, and advocacy organizations that work in the areas of energy and the environment. ¹

It is funded by the fortune of members the Democratic-aligned Pritzker political family, who are heirs to Hyatt Hotels. ^{2 3}

Overview

The Pritzker Innovation Fund’s primary focus is in climate and energy policy, especially nuclear power, carbon removal, energy poverty, and sunlight reflection. ⁴ The fund tries to increase public interest and awareness in these fields by using its website to provide news and other information regarding the climate, energy, and environmental conservation. The fund also makes large monetary donations via grants to organizations that provide programs and services in these fields. ⁵

Grantmaking and Partnerships

The Fund is a principal funder of the Energy for Growth Hub alongside the Rockefeller Foundation and the Spitzer Charitable Trust. ⁶ The Energy for Growth Hub is a global network of researchers, policymakers, and advocates that work in issues related to energy access and consumption. ⁷ The fund also partners with various organizations such as the Third Way and the Breakthrough Institute. ⁸

Third Way is a left-of-center think tank and advocacy organization that works toward achieving its political agenda through advocacy campaigns and research. ⁹ The Breakthrough Institute is a pro-nuclear-energy environmentalist organization that promotes an alternate environmentalist program it calls “ecomodernism” and seeks to help the environment by making low-carbon energy cheap. ¹⁰

People

Rachel Pritzker Hunter is member of the Pritzker family, a clan of billionaires ¹¹ that founded and operates Hyatt Hotels. ¹² She is the daughter of Linda Pritzker, a former member of the Forbes 400 richest Americans list ¹³ and a major Democratic donor. ¹⁴

Rachel Pritzker Hunter is the president and founder of the Pritzker Innovation Fund ¹⁵ and has been involved with other left-of-center organizations such as the Democracy Alliance, Media Matters for America and Third Way. ¹⁶ She is also a major Democratic donor in her own right. ¹⁷

Roland Pritzker is the chairman of the Pritzker Innovation Fund. He studied aeronautical engineering at the University of Colorado and sustainable business at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute. ¹⁸ He is the brother of Rachel Pritzker. ¹⁹

Mike Berkowitz is a senior advisor of the Pritzker Innovation Fund. He is the co-founder and principal at Third Plateau Social Impact Strategies, a social impact strategy firm. Berkowitz formerly served as a lead consultant to the Democracy Alliance. ²⁰

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