How the Initiative Came About

The Resilience Initiative was established in December 2017 as a project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors through a grant from the Packard Foundation. The Initiative was launched in response to the lessons gleaned from interviews in 2017 with a cross-section of organizations including grantees of the Packard Foundation’s Population and Reproductive Health and Conservation and Science programs. Interviewees shared how they have been impacted as they adapt to the volatility and uncertainty of the current political and media environment. 

What did we learn?

The message was clear: 

-- Many organizations are experiencing the stress of seeing hard-won policy gains disappear, combined with the pressure of dealing every day with urgency, change, uncertainty, and, in some cases, challenges to personal safety and security both at work and at home. This can take a toll on the health and wellbeing of staff at every level in the organization. 

-- At the same time, particularly for organizations whose mission, advocacy and policy goals are increasingly in the spotlight, addressing operational weaknesses has moved from the back burner to the front burner. 

The Initiative is offering a range of supports to a cohort of invited organizations to help jumpstart their work to address these issues.

Funding and Organizational Partners