The Resilience Funders Network was initiated in 2016 by a small group of funders who were active in environmental, health, justice, educational, and related issues. Since then, we’ve held gatherings across the United States and Europe, growing to about 50 members in the process.
As we think about these issues and absorb the cumulative challenges we face, people often want to know what to do. Some want to prepare personally for future shocks; others want to build resilient local communities. Some want to change consciousness; others want to help build regional, state, national, or international institutions.
We believe these strands complement each other and aren’t promoting a specific response. Our goal is to draw attention to the global polycrisis. We seek a balanced approach to positive and negative trends. We’re “trigger agnostic” and don’t claim to know what combination of factors will initiate major future shocks—or when they will come. Our structure evolves as needs and interests become evident.
Our values
RFN is committed to core human and environmental values. These include social, racial, and gender equity, and diversity, democracy, human rights, transparency, and biodiversity. The Earth Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights address these values. At the same time, we value perspectives from across the political spectrum, age spectrum, and from around the world.
A learning community
RFN is an invitational learning community for funders, former funders, individual donors, and thought partners. There is no fee for joining. Though we welcome contributions, RFN will not try to influence your portfolio. We simply encourage partners to reflect on the global polycrisis and how they choose to respond.
We select thought partners with the goal of ensuring a diversity of informed opinions and perspectives. If you’re interested in joining RFN please reach out via our contact page.
RFN Advisory Board Members
The Resilience Funders Network was among the first initiatives of Omega. Today, RFN functions as an independent project with its own Advisory Board. RFN is distinct from classic funder affinity groups. RFN includes past as well as present foundation staff & board members as well as private donors. RFN also actively participates in direct dialogue with NGO and other partners. It is an experiment in all these regards.
Preeta D. Bansal
Board Member
Lincoln Community Foundation
Ann Blake
Executive Director
Jenifer Altman Foundation
David Bonbright
Past Program Officer
Ford Foundation & Aga Khan Foundation
Scott Cullen
Executive Director
Grace Communications Foundation
Howard Frumkin
Senior VP & Director
Land & People Lab at Trust for Public Land Professor Emeritus
University of Washington School of Public Health
Katherine Fulton
Co-chair
Sonoma Valley Catalyst Fund
Philanthropic Advisor
Peter Goldmark
Past President
Rockefeller Foundation
Erika Gregory
Managing Director
N Square & Horizon 2045
Judy Hatcher
Executive Director
Biodiversity Funders Group
Philip Johnson
Director Environment & Health Program
Heinz Endowments
Tom Kruse
Program Director
Rockefeller Brothers Fund
Michael Lerner
President
Jenifer Altman Foundation
Pete Myers
Board Member
Jenifer Altman Foundation
Angela Oh
Philanthropic advisor
Birju Pandya
Co-founder
Mobius
Vinit Rishi
Director of the India Programme
Special Advisor to the President at Oak Foundation
Richard Russell
Board Member
The Russell Family Foundation
Eleni Sotos
Director
Geneva Global
Chet Tchozewski Founder
Global Greengrants Fund Board Member
Clementine Fund, Chino Cienega Foundation & Voqal Fund