Non-profit

David Rockefeller, Jr.

Nationality:

American

Born:

1941

Occupation:

Philanthropist

Political Party:

Democratic Party

Spouse:

Susan Cohn

Children:

Ariana, Camilla

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David Rockefeller Jr. is a great-grandson of John D. Rockefeller, Sr., the eldest son of David Rockefeller, Sr., and one of “the cousins” in the Rockefeller family. He has had major roles in the Rockefeller family’s organizations including the Rockefeller Foundation, Rockefeller Family Fund, Rockefeller Capital Management, David Rockefeller Fund, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. 1

David Rockefeller, Jr. has contributed thousands of dollars to Democratic Party candidates and institutions including President Barack Obama, 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, the Senate Majority PAC, the Democratic National Campaign Committee, and the DNC Services Corporation. 2

Early Life

David Rockefeller, Jr. (also known as David Jr.) is a great-grandson of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. and the eldest son of David Rockefeller, Sr., one of the co-founders of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, a left-of-center grantmaking foundation that mostly focuses on environmentalism and anti-Israel activities. David Rockefeller, Sr. also created his own foundation called the David Rockefeller Fund, a private foundation that gives grants to criminal justice reform and environmentalist groups. 3 4

David Jr. is a brother to Eileen Rockefeller Growald, the co-founder of the Growald Family Fund, a private foundation that gives grants to nonprofit organizations and policy institutions related to climate change. She has also been involved with many other left-of-center nonprofit organizations. 5

David Jr. attended the Phillips Exeter Academy before attending Harvard University and Harvard Law School. He became the chief executive officer of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in October 2012. 6

Philanthropy

David Jr. is a former trustee and chairman of the Rockefeller Foundation, a left-of-center foundation that is a major funder of liberal advocacy and public policy efforts, providing major support to New America, a left-of-center think tank; the Urban Institute, a left-of-center hybrid civil rights group and policy advocacy organization; and the Funders Committee on Civic Participation, a project coordinating left-of-center advocacy on Census and electoral issues, among others. 7 8

He is also a former president of the Rockefeller Family Fund, a nonprofit organization supporting the philanthropy of the great-grandchildren of John D. Rockefeller and the grandchildren of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. The “cousins,” as Rockefeller Jr.’s grandchildren came to be known, were major supporters of left-wing counterculture causes as early as the 1960s. David Jr. is a former chair of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund but is currently a trustee and chair of its nominating committee. 9 10

David Jr. was twice chairman of Rockefeller and Company, now known as Rockefeller Capital Management, and currently sits on its board of directors. Rockefeller Capital Management, a wealth and asset advisory firm, had around $15 billion in assets under management in 2016. 11 12

David Rockefeller, Jr. is also a trustee of the David Rockefeller Fund and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a United States think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs. Along with two of his sisters, David Jr. established the Peggy McGrath Rockefeller Foundation, which operates under the name “Stone House Grain.” 13

He established his own nonprofit organization in 2004 called Sailors of the Sea, a left-of-center organization that focuses on environmentalism. Sailors of the Sea became a program of the non-profit organization Oceana in 2018. David Jr. joined Oceana as a director. 14

David Jr. is a former vice-chair of the National Park Foundation, the official charity of the United States’ National Park Service and its 417 national park sites. He also served as a vice-chair for the Alaska Conservation Foundation, an environmentalist group in Alaska that campaigns against resource exploitation in the state and currently sits as an advisor to the group, founded the Alaska Fund for the Future, and was also a member of the Pew Oceans Commission. 15

David Jr. is a fellow at the Academy of Arts and Sciences, a trustee of the Asian Cultural Council, the Museum of Modern Art, and a former trustee of the Boston Foundation, a grantmaking group in the Boston area that focuses on education, health and wellness, jobs and economic development, neighborhoods and housing, and arts and culture. 16 17

Political Donations

David Rockefeller, Jr. has contributed thousands of dollars to political candidates and institutions including $11,950 to the DNC Services Corporation in 2008, $10,000 to the Democratic National Campaign Committee in 2000, and $25,000.00 to the Senate Majority PAC in 2019. He has also contributed multiple thousands to Democratic Party candidates during election campaigns including those of President Barack Obama and 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. 18

References

  1. “David Rockefeller, Jr.” Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Accessed February 23, 2022. www.rbf.org/people/david-rockefeller-jr.
  2. “OpenSecrets.” Accessed February 23, 2022. www.opensecrets.org/search/davidrockefellerjr
  3. Goldenberg, Suzanne. “Rockefeller Brothers Fund: it is our moral duty to divest from fossil fuels.” The Guardian. March 27, 2015. Accessed February 23, 2022. www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/27/rockefeller-fund-chairman-moral-duty-divest-fossil-fuels.
  4. Cooper, Sean. “Rockefeller Brothers Fund President Explains BDS to His Trustees: It’s About ‘Justice, Dignity, and Security.’” Tablet Magazine. June 28, 2017. Accessed February 23, 2022. www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/rockefeller-brothers-fund-president-explains-bds-to-his-trustees-its-about-justice-dignity-and-security
  5. Teltsch, Kathleen. “The Cousins.” The New York Times. December 30, 1984. Accessed March 10, 2022. www.nytimes.com/1984/12/30/magazine/the-cousins.html.
  6. “David Rockefeller Jr.” LinkedIn Accessed February 23, 2022. www.linkedin.com/in/david-rockefeller-jr-7151911a4/.
  7. “David Rockefeller, Jr.” Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Accessed February 23, 2022. www.rbf.org/people/david-rockefeller-jr.
  8. MacDonald, Kirk. “The Rockefeller Foundation at the Century Mark.” Capital Research Center. December 3, 2012. Accessed February 23, 2022. capitalresearch.org/article/the-rockefeller-foundation-at-the-century-mark-betraying-donor-intent-and-harming-america/.
  9. “David Rockefeller, Jr.” Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Accessed February 23, 2022. www.rbf.org/people/david-rockefeller-jr.
  10. Wooster, Martin Morse. “Foundation Watch.” Capital Research Center. Accessed February 23, 2022. http://www.capitalresearch.org/app/uploads/pubs/pdf/FW0105.pdf.
  11. “David Rockefeller, Jr.” Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Accessed February 23, 2022. www.rbf.org/people/david-rockefeller-jr.
  12. “Rockefeller & Co. Appoints David Rockefeller, Jr. as Chairman of the Board of Directors.” Business Wire. October 31, 2016. Accessed February 23, 2022. www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161031005616/en/Rockefeller-Co.-Appoints-David-Rockefeller-Jr.-as-Chairman-of-the-Board-of-Directors
  13.  “David Rockefeller, Jr.” Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Accessed February 23, 2022. www.rbf.org/people/david-rockefeller-jr.
  14. “David Rockefeller, Jr.” Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Accessed February 23, 2022. www.rbf.org/people/david-rockefeller-jr.
  15. “Susan and David Rockefeller, Jr.” We Are Family Foundation. March 23, 2022. Accessed February 23, 2022. www.wearefamilyfoundation.org/susan-and-david-rockefeller-jr.
  16. [1] “Susan and David Rockefeller, Jr.” We Are Family Foundation. March 23, 2022. Accessed February 23, 2022. www.wearefamilyfoundation.org/susan-and-david-rockefeller-jr.
  17. Ochs, Alyssa. “Boston Foundation: Grants for Boston.” Inside Philanthropy. May 22, 2020. Accessed February 23, 2022. www.insidephilanthropy.com/grants-in-boston-fundraising/boston-foundation-boston-area-grants.html.
  18. “OpenSecrets.” Accessed February 23, 2022. www.opensecrets.org/search/davidrockefellerjr
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