Program Areas

Archives Program

The Archives Program guides the Rockefeller Archive Center’s ethical, standards-based, and culturally competent stewardship of the archival collections in our custody. We do this work through three interconnected teams that reflect the lifecycle of the records: Collections Management (appraisal, accessioning, and preservation), Processing (arrangement and description), and Access (connecting users to the collections in our physical and online spaces). Additionally, the Digital Strategies team provides expertise to the entire RAC organization in the application and use of technology in all aspects of our work with an emphasis on accessibility, user-centered design, and capacity-building.

Research & Engagement Program

The Research and Engagement Program (R+E) is a collaborative effort involving historians, educators, designers, and archivists to explore and communicate philanthropy’s history using RAC collections. We aim to engage a variety of audiences through digital publishing, conferences, outreach, and a research stipend program. Our website, RE:source, delves into philanthropy’s impact on social, political, economic, and cultural spheres globally, aiming to bring to light stories from the archives that explain and inform our current world. R+E bridges practice and scholarship by providing historical perspectives to foundation staff, by organizing workshops and other field-building activities, and by supporting research in scholarly communities. We contribute our own research through diverse publications and conference presentations. Our competitive stipend program annually enables researchers worldwide to access RAC collections. We also partner with local public schools to develop curriculum materials to foster critical thinking, raise historical themes, and build media literacy skills. The internship program we run in partnership with City College of New York introduces undergraduates to the archival profession and empowers diverse voices in the field. Our Archival Educators Roundtable engages a network of archives professionals to share resources and workshop methods and materials used in archival outreach and educational activities.

Operations & Finance Programs

The Operations and Finance Programs provide strategic leadership, guidance, and support to the Rockefeller Archive Center’s staff and user communities. The Operations team is home to three core functions: Human Resources, Information Technology, and Facilities. Human Resources focuses on policies, programs, and services relating to the RAC staff to provide a safe, welcoming, supportive, and productive work environment; Information Technology manages the core technology infrastructure, ensures security, and guides innovation while fostering collaboration throughout the RAC; and Facilities focuses on maintaining, improving, and securing the RAC’s buildings and grounds.

The Finance Program exists independently from Operations to manage all aspects of the RAC’s finances, including all accounting matters related to financial statements, budget, audit, tax return, payroll, accounts payable, and accounts receivable. Both programs work collaboratively to support the RAC’s mission, vision, and values and to create and maintain an environment where staff and user communities are empowered to excel in their work.