Meet our members! AFN’s greatest asset is our members—a diverse network of national, regional, and community-based foundations, financial institutions, and grantmakers—investing in advancing equitable wealth building and economic mobility. Check back each month and meet your peers!
1: What’s your main interest/focus on asset building in 2021?
I’m passionate about investing in partners, projects, and policies that break down barriers to capital and credit access to Black and Latinx small businesses. The goal is to decrease the racial wealth gap while demonstrating successful models of stabilizing and growing Black and Latinx small businesses.
2: What’s the most “ah-ha” provoking new book or research that you’ve read in the past year?
Based on RSG analysis of Foundation Directory Online data — includes only US-based funders and US work. Excludes US federal funders. — only about 7 US funders focus squarely on economic opportunity.
3: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from a grantee or a colleague?
The most important lesson I’ve learned as a practitioner of philanthropy is to value, appreciate, and honor the expertise of grantees and partners who each day do the work of implementing effective programs and building sustainable movements.
4: What’s the first concert you ever attended?
Kanye West’s “The College Dropout” Tour at FedEx Forum in Memphis, TN. Fantasia was the opening act.
About Gregory Johnson, Managing Director, Equity and Economic Opportunity, The Rockefeller Foundation
I am managing director of place-based investments and grants at The Rockefeller Foundation. As a member of the Equity and Economic Opportunity team, I work to help low-wage workers achieve economic stability and build a path to economic mobility using the levers of public policy and private investments.
The Rockefeller Foundation’s mission—unchanged since 1913—is to promote the well-being of humanity throughout the world. Today the Foundation advances new frontiers of science, data, policy, and innovation to solve global challenges related to health, food, power, and economic mobility. As a science-driven philanthropy focused on building collaborative relationships with partners and grantees, The Rockefeller Foundation seeks to inspire and foster large-scale human impact that promotes the well-being of humanity by identifying and accelerating breakthrough solutions, ideas and conversations. In collaboration with our talented and passionate partners, our efforts are focused on achieving a set of ambitious yet achievable goals in these four areas: Equity and Economic Opportunity, Food, Health, and Power & Climate.
