Rockefeller Foundation
Smart Power Initiative
_SECTOR: ENVIRONMENTThe Rockefeller Foundation (RF) has built a reputation as a trailblazer that convenes unlikely partnerships and sparks innovations for transformative change around health, clean energy, food, economic opportunity, and innovation.
Emergence has created a series of board presentations for RF’s Smart Power Initiative, Equality & Economic Opportunity, and Innovation teams. For each presentation, we developed a visual identity and logical, intuitive narrative to bring the team’s story to life. These teams secured large-scale funding for initiatives designed to bring power to the most remote areas of the world, reduce the poverty gap in the United States, and encourage innovation.
Copywriting | Graphic Design | Strategy | Video Editing _THE CHALLENGE
Across all three of the board presentations we have developed for Rockefeller, it was critical to frame not only the urgency of a particular challenge, but the potential impact of RF’s proposed interventions. As a large-scale funder, RF makes big investments with the intent of creating lasting, systemic change.
From energy poverty in rural India to economic inequality in the US, all of RF’s projects focus on worthy problems. Making the case for funding one project over another therefore requires a compelling story that goes beyond highlighting the problem to proposing clear, attainable solutions.
_SEARCHING FOR THE SIGNAL
We worked closely with the RF teams, as well as external consultants, to understand the work of each practice area. Linking existing efforts to the proposals was critical to making the case for significant investment in these key areas. We used case studies and elaborate data visualizations to show the impact each practice area had achieved, creating a clear narrative of progress.
_EMERGENCE
In each presentation, we sought to move beyond facts and figures to emphasize the human story. Discussions about large-scale investment in systems change can quickly veer into abstraction—our creative perspective helped initiatives tell stories that resonated.
_EVOLUTION
All three of the presentations we created were successful in unlocking more than $100 million in funding to support these agendas. Key leaders from RF leadership have praised our work, noting the impact of compelling visual storytelling in a context where budget tables and data-heavy presentations are the status quo.
With these funds unlocked, RF’s Smart Power, Economic Opportunity, and Innovation teams have continued implementing ambitious, dynamic programs around the world.
