Giving Back

I popped into the MOMA to see the Ruth Asawa exhibit.  It is a very fitting time to do a retrospective on her sixty years of work. She is a survivor of the Japanese internment camps, which is an ugly scar of American history, and it appears as if we are creating another one today.

I took the time to read the donor information at each exhibit. These donors have been incredibly generous in the arts, benefiting artists and the public. It’s a true gift to the city and the public.

Our family supports both the Highline and the Shed, and I have continued serving on the HL board. We also contributed to the building of the Perelman Performing Arts Center.

Philanthropy used to be something that generally began later in life. That has changed as many more people (mostly men) have made significant sums of cash, yet few have been as devoted to doing good as they are to their businesses. Perhaps it is their age, their bandwidth, but few (except of course, the women) have been thoughtful about where they want to make impact.

Philanthropy is similar to investing. You can pick an area you care about and continue to support those in that space. Like investing, it’s tough to be a crypto investor and a CPG investor at the same time, and I find the same thing with philanthropy.  

We have always chosen to invest in underserved communities by giving people access to opportunities through programs that make an impact on their lives.

The Fund has figured out how to operate with NYCHA and deliver results more quickly and more cost-effectively, with a greater impact, by capturing data and engaging the community (which is our priority) outside the state government.

Countless NYCHA residents have gone on to have successful careers and lives and many will point to programs that made a difference in their lives. I hope art donors can also see the value in funding art programs for the youth and seniors including museums because who knows the next break out artist could come from within the community of NYCHA. That is the impact we want to make.