Valerie Rockefeller – Walking the Walk on Climate Change and Mission Aligned Investing

Valerie Rockefeller – Walking the Walk on Climate Change and Mission Aligned Investing

Author: Tamer Institute for Social Enterprise and Climate Change March 22, 2022 Duration: 27:40

In this episode of Capital for Good we speak with Valerie Rockefeller, one of the country's most innovative leaders in the fight against climate change and in our transition to a low carbon economy. Rockefeller chairs numerous organizations including Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, and BankFWD, which have pioneered ways to channel philanthropy and the capital markets towards a more inclusive and sustainable future.

In this conversation, we discuss some of the philanthropic legacies of John D. Rockefeller, and how, and five, six and seven generations later, members of the Rockefeller family are stewarding and directing resources towards strengthening peace, democratic practices, and sustainable development in the United States and around the world.

Rockefeller describes her childhood in West Virginia, where, although not yet a fully formed environmentalist, she saw firsthand the pollution and health impacts of coal and coal mining. Today, she has helped lead the Rockefeller Brothers Fund move to align investing the $1.6 billion assets under management in the foundation with its grant making strategy. Over time, this has involved a process of divesting from fossil fuels and proactively investing in climate strategies while financially outperforming benchmarks by 35 percent. These returns, and a blueprint for process, have allowed other foundations, university endowments, and mainstream investors to follow suit. "The best way to grow a movement is to . . . walk the walk: to do it well, and then share the information about what you're doing," Rockefeller says. In 2020, she co-founded BankFWD to address the fact that, despite global concerns about the harm and risks of climate change, large banks still finance fossil fuels. Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors has responded to the growing demand for impact and sustainable investing guidance with various donor resources and commitments on the environment, and the diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility movement.

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Hosted by the Tamer Institute for Social Enterprise and Climate Change, Capital for Good is a conversation about the practical tools and shifting mindsets needed to finance a better world. This isn't about abstract ideals; it's a grounded look at how capital-from impact investing and philanthropic dollars to corporate and public funds-can be actively directed to solve our most pressing problems. Each episode features candid discussions with leaders who are on the front lines, reimagining the roles of business, nonprofit, and government in an era defined by intersecting crises. You’ll hear how they are building new models that address systemic inequality and the urgent threat of climate change, not as separate issues, but as interconnected challenges requiring innovative financial and managerial strategies. Tune in for a thoughtful, actionable dialogue that moves beyond theory to explore what works, what doesn’t, and how the flow of money can be harnessed for genuine, lasting progress. This podcast digs into the real-world decisions shaping a future where investment and social good are fundamentally aligned.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 49

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