Publications
Publications
- July 2024 (Revised January 2025)
- HBS Case Collection
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors: Bringing Systematic Investment to Philanthropy
By: Lauren Cohen, Hao Gao, Alexander Bischoff and Sophia Pan
Abstract
Melissa Berman, CEO of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), evaluated her client’s philanthropy project and its mediocre performance. RPA was a segment of the Rockefeller Family Office’s Philanthropy Department, becoming an independent charity in 2002. Consistently met with high-net-worth individuals, Berman recognized that philanthropy was not taken as seriously as it should be. If it was not reputation nor lip service that they cared about, it was contributing to a cause in a bespoke endeavor that would “change the world.” This, however, was not always effective nor efficient. At times, these misplannings led to huge costs that would even intensify the problems they were trying to solve. As with the case with the client, he had overestimated his ability to contribute and reconstruct an entire country. How should Berman emphasize that philanthropy initiatives should be treated with the same intention as business ventures? How should she deliver her analysis in a way that would refrain from deterring her client against philanthropy altogether?
Keywords
Philanthropy; Philanthropic Sector; Performance Evaluations; Social Network; Collaboration; Foundation; Due Diligence; Humanitarianism; Humanitarian Assistance; Grants; Expertise; HNW Products And Services; Donations; Impact; Advisor; Advice; Consulting; Funding; Consulting Services; Family Business; Cost vs Benefits; Developing Countries and Economies; Private Sector; Spending; Mission and Purpose; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Performance Evaluation; Nonprofit Organizations; Reputation; Social and Collaborative Networks; Social Issues; Wealth and Poverty; Consulting Industry; New York (city, NY); New York (state, US); United States
Citation
Cohen, Lauren, Hao Gao, Alexander Bischoff, and Sophia Pan. "Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors: Bringing Systematic Investment to Philanthropy." Harvard Business School Case 225-005, July 2024. (Revised January 2025.)