RFF’s 75th Anniversary
Resources for the Future turns 75 on October 7, 2027. Join us as we celebrate.
75 Years of Impact
Resources for the Future (RFF) was founded on October 7, 1952, making our organization the oldest think tank dedicated to environmental and natural resource issues in the United States.
Through rigorous economic research, our experts have shaped many of the world’s most successful environmental policy decisions over the past 75 years. Click the images below to learn more about some of our legacy impacts over the decades.
Quantifying America’s Natural Resources (1950s)
Spurred by President Truman’s Materials Policy Commission, RFF was founded to survey natural resources and energy needs in the United States, to ensure whether the country could grow sustainably throughout the 20th century.
Inventing Economic Tools to Address Air and Water Pollution (1960s-1970s)
Influential RFF scholars such as Allen Kneese, Blair Bower, and others were among the first researchers dedicated to understanding the economic harms of pollution—and how economics might be a tool to clean up our water and air.
Tackling the Acid Rain Challenge (1990s)
In 1990, the US Environmental Protection Agency created the Acid Rain Program, based largely on RFF research. As of 2022, the program reduced wet sulfate deposition —an indicator of acid rain—by over 70 percent.
Turning Our Efforts to Greenhouse Gases and Climate Change (2000s-Today)
RFF research has been instrumental to the creation of carbon pricing programs across the country. While not implemented at the federal level, state-level carbon pricing is very much alive and well, contributing to large reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
RFF for the Future
Today, we’re applying our economic expertise to understand tradeoffs regarding the environmental impacts of climate change, development of affordable and abundant clean energy, and the management of our natural resources.
Over the next 75 years, RFF will build on our legacy and commitment to scientific evidence, while evolving to meet the needs of an ever more uncertain future. Science and truth are the backbone of good policy, without which we cannot achieve a healthy environment and thriving economy.
RFF is ready to help make that a reality, but we can’t do it without our supporters. Together, we can ensure that RFF continues to be the bridge our country needs—connecting facts to decisions and helping leaders across government, business, and communities find practical solutions for the future. To mark our 75th, we’ve set a goal of raising $7.5 million to support this vital work. Please help us meet the moment by planning your gift in honor of RFF’s 75th anniversary.
Make your gift today to build on this momentum and keep RFF’s essential work moving forward for another 75 years.
Celebrate With Us
In 2027, we will celebrate the past, present, and future of RFF. Watch this page for updates about upcoming anniversary events, publications, and more. To make sure you don’t miss a thing, sign up to receive email alerts at www.rff.org/subscribe.