Robertson Foundation for Government (RFG)
Project: Strategic Planning
About the Robertson Foundation for Government:
Founded in 1961, the Robertson Foundation for Government is a nonpartisan foundation dedicated to strengthening peace and freedom around the world by cultivating the next generation of globally engaged U.S. public service leaders. The Foundation provides graduate school education fellowships for students (known as Robertson Fellows) who are studying international affairs, public policy, and related fields. RFG also offers grants to organizations that provide experiential learning and career development for students and that champion global public service.
Why the Robertson Foundation for Government partnered with Lyons-Newman Consulting:
At the beginning of 2025, the changing political and international landscape — specifically new U.S. federal government leadership and massive reductions in the federal workforce (including at USAID), and a growing public hostility toward government and public service — created uncertainty about the United States’ role in global affairs and the future of public service. Robertson Fellows were being laid off from their jobs and future opportunities for federal government careers in global public service became uncertain. In this context, RFG recognized the need to clarify its unique value to add, role to play, and strategic priorities. RFG engaged our team as a partner to lead an inclusive, research-based strategic planning process to first help clarify RFG’s mission and values, and then develop a theory of change and a fresh strategy and goals to fit its core strengths and this changed external environment, charting a path forward for its impact.
The process:
RFG undertook an inclusive planning process that included engaging the Board of Directors and advisors, current fellows and alumni, Robertson family members, partners, expert informants, and other leaders in the field. Through interviews, surveys, secondary research, and facilitation of a Strategic Planning Committee that steered the planning process, we gathered valuable research and candid expert perspectives on how the Foundation could make its biggest impact. The process also included benchmarking other fellowship programs and assessment of RFG’s impact. Working closely with the Strategic Planning Committee, we facilitated the translation of these research findings into shared insights, clarity, and aligned decisions.
The results:
RFG’s strategic planning effort resulted in a 2026-2029 strategic plan that is grounded in an affirmation and a refreshed articulation of its mission, vision, and values while responding to a changed environment. RFG’s leaders recognized that so many of the world’s greatest challenges — such as climate change, public health crises, geopolitical conflict, global economic instability, the rise of authoritarianism, and declining mental health and social cohesion — are inherently global in nature and require coordinated, cross-border responses. Government roles that promote diplomacy, international cooperation, and peacebuilding will continue to play a critical role in navigating these global challenges.
RFG’s strategic plan affirms its focus on its fellowship program and supporting fellows and alumni as RFG’s highest priority, while broadening the foundation’s definition of public service beyond the federal government to include nonprofits, influential think tanks, pioneering academic institutions, and forward-thinking state and local governments that engage globally. The strategic plan also expands RFG’s grantmaking program, which will focus on investing in organizations that specialize in providing experiential professional learning and other career advancement opportunities to inspire interest in and bolster the professional advancement of globally engaged students and professionals.
Following completion of the strategic plan, our team has continued supporting RFG with strategic plan implementation, including designing the process for selecting graduate school fellowship partners, as well as supporting the launch of RFG’s grant opportunity for nonprofit organizations with a mission to support and promote public service.
Read the Robertson Foundation for Government 2026-2029 Strategic Plan.
What the Robertson Foundation for Government says:
“Belinda and Erica guided the Robertson Foundation for Government through an intensive year-long strategic planning process that was both thoughtful and highly productive. Belinda brings a calm presence and a real talent for managing complex group dynamics. The tools and frameworks they developed are now helping us successfully implement our strategy.”
— Julia Robertson, President, Robertson Foundation for Government