Rockefeller Foundation Commits $10 Million to Support IRC Innovation

Funding will help develop and scale new AI-powered solutions for people living in conflict and crisis

Apr. 15, 2026 at 7:38pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A high-end, photorealistic studio still-life photograph featuring a polished metal sphere, a smooth glass cylinder, and a sleek black cube arranged elegantly on a clean, monochromatic background, conveying a sense of innovation, technology, and humanitarian aid.Innovative technology and humanitarian aid converge in a conceptual still life, signaling the potential for new solutions to address global crises.Washington Today

The Rockefeller Foundation and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) have announced a new $10 million, multi-year effort to support the IRC's Airbel Impact Lab and catalyze innovation across the organization. The funding will help develop and scale new cost-effective and AI-powered solutions designed for tens of millions of people and communities gripped by conflict and crisis, where existing systems have consistently failed to serve.

Why it matters

Nearly 90% of people in humanitarian need globally live in just 20 countries where weak or fragmented systems limit access to essential services. This challenge is being compounded by a sharp decline in global development funding. This collaboration aims to close that gap by aligning breakthrough innovation, systems change, and new financing models to deliver impact at scale for the world's most vulnerable people.

The details

The funding will enable the IRC to expand a portfolio of innovations designed for scale in fragile and conflict-affected settings, including AI-powered tools to expand immunization coverage, next-generation diagnostics for frontline health workers, maternal health innovations, and anticipatory action models to predict and respond to weather crises. The initiative will also work to connect innovation with systems change efforts and mobilize new public and private financing to enable solutions to be adopted on a national and global scale.

  • The Rockefeller Foundation and IRC announced the new $10 million, multi-year effort on April 15, 2026.

The players

The Rockefeller Foundation

A pioneering philanthropy that has invested $30 billion over the last 113 years to promote the well-being of humanity through innovative partnerships and solutions.

International Rescue Committee (IRC)

A humanitarian organization that responds to the world's worst crises and helps people to survive, recover, and rebuild their lives.

David Miliband

President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee.

Dr. Rajiv J. Shah

President of The Rockefeller Foundation.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Too many people living through conflict and crisis are excluded from the systems and innovations that have driven progress elsewhere. This support from The Rockefeller Foundation will help us change that, bringing together cutting-edge technology, rigorous evidence, and practical delivery to reach those most often left behind.”

— David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee

“At a time of both profound human suffering and incredible technological possibility to alleviate that suffering, the International Rescue Committee has been a critical source of moral clarity and innovative thinking to help those most in need. As we work to rebuild the world's commitment to humanitarian and development cooperation, this new collaboration will prove that by harnessing new technology, we can deliver clear, measurable results, bring hope, and lift up the world's most vulnerable people.”

— Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation

What’s next

The Rockefeller Foundation and IRC will work together to develop and scale new AI-powered solutions for people living in conflict and crisis, with a focus on expanding immunization coverage, improving disease diagnostics, enhancing maternal health interventions, and anticipating and responding to weather-related crises.

The takeaway

This collaboration between The Rockefeller Foundation and the IRC demonstrates a new model for humanitarian and development action that connects innovation, evidence, and financing to build more effective systems for the world's most vulnerable people, at a time when global aid is declining and the need is greater than ever.