The Rockefeller Foundation has launched a U.S. $50 million Build the Shared Future initiative, aimed at rethinking how countries and communities work together to confront shared global threats.
Announced alongside new public opinion data on international cooperation, the initiative seeks to reshape global health systems, strengthen food security, and rebuild confidence in collective action at a time of deepening crises.
To lead the work, the Foundation has enlisted three experts:
- Wally Adeyemo, former U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary, who will focus on building a new framework for international cooperation
- Dr. Mark Dybul, former U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and executive director of the Global Fund, who will spearhead efforts to restructure global health
- Dr. Simon Winter, Executive Director of SAFIA, who will guide efforts to reimagine humanitarian food systems.
Why Now
The launch comes against a backdrop of political division, climate shocks, and weakening financial support for development.
The OECD has warned that official development assistance could fall by up to 17% this year, raising further concerns about how countries will manage shared challenges.
“At a moment when the world is struggling to cooperate on addressing shared threats, The Rockefeller Foundation can once again help bring people together from across the world and across political divides to test new ideas and catalyze innovative solutions that will save lives,” said Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, President and CEO of the ONE Campaign and Foundation trustee.
Survey Shows Fragile Support for Cooperation
The announcement was accompanied by findings from a new global poll commissioned by the Foundation, conducted by FocalData between August and September 2025.
Covering more than 36,000 people across 34 countries, the survey revealed strong but conditional public support for international cooperation.
Three-quarters of respondents said they would support international cooperation if it proved effective in solving global challenges, while a similar share would back cooperation if it delivered solutions in their own countries.
However, only 42% felt that cooperation currently serves their personal interests.
“The data is clear: Even in a time of pessimism and polarization, people everywhere know that countries must cooperate if we are to confront the common threats facing humanity,” said Gordon Brown, former UK Prime Minister and Rockefeller Foundation trustee.
“People want a system that’s more compassionate, more just, and more capable of delivering results. The Build the Shared Future initiative seeks to answer that urgent call.”
Three Areas of Focus
The initiative’s design reflects both the weaknesses revealed by the survey and the areas where new models are most needed. Its three core workstreams are:
Building a framework for multilateral cooperation:
Adeyemo will guide efforts to rethink global systems in ways that strengthen democratic values and provide fairer solutions.
“Problems that seem local or national often demand coordinated, global solutions,” he said.
“In this moment of geopolitical crisis, we need to rethink the way the world works together, and I am excited to be working with Rockefeller and our international partners to engage in that project.”
Restructuring global health systems:
Dybul will focus on ensuring that country-led health models receive the recognition and investment they deserve.
“Right now, leaders across low- and middle-income countries have been leading a global health model that’s driven by the needs of countries, rather than by the priorities of external funders,” he said.
“The Build the Shared Future initiative will support this important work, partnering with leaders across Africa and beyond to promote sustainable investments in highly efficient and effective health systems that will inform a much-needed transformation in global health governance.”
Reimagining humanitarian food systems:
Winter will direct efforts to develop locally led, data-driven approaches that integrate short-term relief with long-term resilience.
These efforts aim to reduce reliance on reactive aid while strengthening food security against future shocks.
Africa’s Role in Shaping New Models
The Foundation emphasized that local leadership will be critical to the success of the initiative.
William Asiko, Vice President for Africa, said the project offers a chance to rebalance global cooperation in ways that reflect the continent’s priorities.
“This new data confirms what we’ve always known, that Africans want a system of international cooperation that is not only effective but also equitable,” Asiko said.
“Build the Shared Future provides a powerful opportunity to design and implement solutions that prioritize local leadership, leverage innovation, and build a more resilient and prosperous future for the continent.”
A Legacy of Global Action
The Rockefeller Foundation has a long history of shaping international systems during moments of upheaval.
In its first decades, it helped build the modern field of public health, nearly eradicating hookworm in the southern United States and supporting responses to the 1918 influenza pandemic.
Later, it influenced the creation of the World Health Organization and played a role in establishing the Children’s Vaccine Initiative, a precursor to Gavi, which has since helped vaccinate over a billion children.
Today, the Foundation works across food, health, energy, and finance to support vulnerable communities.
Its current projects include efforts to expand the lending capacity of multilateral development banks and deploy catalytic capital to advance science and technology.
“The institutions that worked to advance human progress in the 20th century are struggling to meet the challenges of the 21st,” said Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation.
“But we are already seeing the blueprints for a shared future in efforts underway around the world. This moment of transformation is an opportunity to build on what’s working, forging new partnerships and leveraging new technologies to deliver results for the world’s most vulnerable people.”
Looking Ahead
By bringing together leading voices from finance, health, and agriculture, and grounding its work in public opinion data, the Foundation hopes that Build the Shared Future can address both the practical and political barriers to cooperation.
The initiative aims not just to strengthen existing systems, but to demonstrate new ways of delivering results that win and sustain public trust.
As the world faces mounting challenges from conflicts to climate shocks, the $50 million effort signals a renewed attempt to make international cooperation both effective and equitable, ensuring that solutions are shaped by those most affected.
