Rachel Isacoff is a Director on the Equity and Economic Opportunity initiative at The Rockefeller Foundation, driving the Foundation’s domestic energy justice work and serving as the relationship and grant manager for a portfolio of state coalitions, economic policy institutions, and grassroots organizations. She is also on the executive committee of RF’s DEI Advisory Committee.
Previously, she collaborated with private, nonprofit, and public partners across sectors to develop tools and equity initiatives that support communities on the frontlines of climate change. Most notably she worked on key climate justice and equitable relocation projects at the White House Council on Environmental Quality under President Obama’s administration, energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions at HUD, and 100 Resilient Cities and climate adaptation strategies at HR&A Advisors.
Rachel received a BS in architecture from the University of Michigan and a MS in preservation planning from the University of Pennsylvania, focusing on the intersection of cultural heritage and climate adaptation. Outside of RF, she is part of the network council for the Climigration Network and is a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Pratt Institute’s Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment.
Authored Content
Mar 08 2024 Perspective Unlocking Clean Energy Incentives for Underserved Communities A look at three grantees exploring innovative projects and methods to increase uptake of the Inflation Reduction Act tax credits.
Dec 07 2022 Perspective The Fight for $15: How Increasing the Minimum Wage Can Close the Racial Wealth Gap In November 2012, New York City fast-food workers walked off their jobs, demanding a $15 minimum wage and union rights. Since then, the struggle for higher wages has become one of the most successful workers’ movements in recent memory, impacting 86 states, cities, and counties, pressuring some of the world’s largest corporations to raise their […]
Mar 15 2022 Perspective Unconditional Cash and Good Working Conditions – Do We Have to Choose? The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is considered one of the most effective programs for reducing child poverty and promoting economic stability among low-wage families. But there is a suite of benefits that is needed to support workers in their daily lives, like paid leave and minimum wage, that rely on a progressive tax system. […]
Mar 04 2021 Perspective Texas Crisis Highlights U.S. Energy Justice Issues Texas, facing record-low temperatures this February, lost control of the power supply, leaving millions without access to electricity. But the crisis was not equally felt, exposing inequities in the energy system that disproportionately impact low-income Texans of color. Black and Latinx communities were the first to face power outages and could be the last to […]