U.S. philanthropic organization.
It was endowed by John D. Rockefeller and chartered in 1913 to alleviate human suffering worldwide. Rockefeller was assisted in its management by his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Among its many activities, the foundation supports medical research and education. It also provides grant and fellowship programs in the social sciences, agricultural sciences, and global environmental studies, and in building democracy and international philanthropy.