Big Givers

Bill Gates Gives Up "World's Richest Man" Status for Philanthropy

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Mar 8th 2011 at 7:01PM

On Wednesday, Forbes magazine will publish its annual list of the richest billionaires in the world. It's almost certain to include Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Carlos Slim in the top three, but while Gates has topped the list nearly every year since 1995 (losing out only once to Buffett by a margin of half a billion), this year we're not expecting to see the Microsoft co-founder in the top spot.

The reason for Gates' displacement? His overwhelming philanthropic activity. Although his personal fortune today is estimated around $49 billion, he and his wife Melinda have funneled some $28 billion into their non-profit foundation. As a result, Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim – who contributes far less than Gates or Buffett to charity - is expected to top the list.

[Source: Reuters]

Tags: bill gates, billionaire, billionaires, carlos slim, philanthropy, warren buffett, worlds richest man

Naples Winter Wine Festival Proves Big Giving Is Back

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jan 30th 2011 at 3:00PM

Big giving is back at one of the year's grandest wine events. The Naples Winter Wine Festival in Naples, Florida was held over the weekend. It raised $12 million for Collier County's underprivileged and at-risk children during the live auction of 70 one-of-a-kind auction lots. The total was healthily above last year's $8.1 million and over double the $5.1 million raised in economically gloomy 2009. The total nearly grazed the $12.2 million record set in 2006. The festival has brought in over $94.5 million since it began in 2001.

Approximately 580 festival guests were seated under a giant tent set on the grand lawn of The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples bidding on lots that ranged from $30,000 to $1 million. The million-dollar lot was an 8-foot-tall bronze sculpture, Reina Mariana, by artist Manolo Valdés. The 2,000-pound sculpture had traveled to the festival grounds from New York City's Columbus Circle, where it had been on display. The top wine lot, modestly called Perfection, was a total of 100 bottles of 100-point wine in a custom cabinet. It equaled the highest bid of a wine-only lot in the festival's history at $400,000. A 39-bottle collection of Sine Qua Non, many in large format and including 100-point wines, captured a winning bid of $160,000; a 25-year complete vertical of Shafer's Hillside Select and 24 bottles of the vintner's Silver Anniversary Sensation, when released in 2013, resulted in a high bid of $150,000; and four magnums of Colgin Cellars IX Estate Napa Valley Red Wine went for $130,000.

Tags: naples wine festival, naples winter wine festival, wine festival

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Texas Cancer Center Receives $150 Million Gift From United Arab Emirates

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jan 20th 2011 at 10:04PM

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates, is giving a huge donation to a U.S. hospital. The Houston Chronicle reports that the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center will receive $150 million. the largest donation ever given to an institution in the Texas Medical Center. The gift will fund a building and research for M.D. Anderson's Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy. Outgoing hospital President Dr. John Mendelsohn will co-lead the institute. He says that the gift was a response to M.D. Anderson's treatment of many patients from the United Arab Emirates.

The donation honors the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates for more than 30 years and the father of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The personalized cancer therapy institute building will be named after the late president and the institute itself after the current president. A pancreatic cancer research center will be be created with the gift after another son, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Tags: abu dhabi, philanthropy, united arab emirates

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Anonymous $300,000 Gift Helps Edith Wharton's Historic Home

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jan 18th 2011 at 9:02PM

We've been watching The Mount, the historic Massachusetts home of author Edith Wharton, for the last couple years as it has struggled to stay open amid deep debt. The historic home even faced foreclosure a few years back but it seems that each time the home ends up in trouble, donors and foundations step in to help out, a testament to the enduring fondness for both the writer and this beautiful home. The Mount recently received a $300,000 gift from an anonymous local donor recently after an article in the Berkshire Eagle mentioned that the Mount is facing a $1 million debt repayment deadline in May 2011. A blog post on The Mount website states that the donor regards The Mount as a national treasure and hopes others will also step up to help. The Mount's year-end appeal raised over $350,000.

The Mount is located in the Berkshires area of Massachusetts which relies on summer tourism for its local museums and estates. The Mount is part of the "American Icons" admission program which lets visitors purchase special package deal tickets to four cultural institutions: Chesterwood and the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, The Mount and Hancock Shaker Village in Hancock. Chesterwood was the summer home of sculptor Daniel Chester French. The Berkshires area is also the home of Tanglewood, the summer venue for the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Gallery: Edith Wharton's The Mount

Tags: berkshires, edith wharton, historic homes, the mount

Metropolitan Museum of Art Gets Big Donation For Costume Institute

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jan 13th 2011 at 1:03AM

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City got a big boost this week in the form of a $10 million gift from Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch. The gift will support the creation of a major exhibition space within the Costume Institute, allowing the Museum to proceed with a total renovation of its costume-related exhibition galleries and conservation center starting next year.

The new 4,200-square-foot gallery will be named the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Gallery. The renovation will also add a new costume conservation center and an expanded and updated study/storage facility that will house, onsite, the combined holdings of the Met and the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection, which was transferred to the Metropolitan Museum in early 2009. Adjacent to the new Tisch Gallery, the Carl and Iris Barrel Apfel Gallery, will be refreshed and function as introductory space to The Costume Institute holdings.

In a statement Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch said, in part: "In today's world, fashion, art, and culture are becoming more intertwined, and the renovation of The Costume Institute will give this interrelationship the proper focus it deserves at the Museum. The new gallery will allow young designers and students to see and learn while advancing both art history and the art of fashion design." The Lizzie and Jonathan M. Tisch Foundation also supports a variety of organizations including Tufts University, New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 92nd Street Y, Citymeals-on-Wheels, and others that are active in education, the arts, and health care.

Tags: costume institute, lizzie and jonathan tisch, lizzie tisch, metropolitan museum of art, philanthropists, philanthropy

$13 Million Gift Means New Pavillion For Natural History Museum In Los Angeles

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jan 6th 2011 at 12:01AM

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County will have a dramatic new glass entrance pavilion thanks to a $13 million gift from the Otis Booth Foundation. The gift is the largest made to date by the Los Angeles-based private foundation and the largest private gift dedicated to the Natural History Museum in Exposition Park in its nearly century-long history. The foundation is a legacy of Franklin Otis Booth, Jr. (1923-2008), the great- grandson of General Harrison Gray Otis, founder of the Los Angeles Times.

The Otis Booth Pavilion will feature a 63-foot fin whale specimen that was first exhibited at the museum back in 1944. The 7,000-pound specimen was re-articulated to give the whale the appearance of a whale in the midst of a dive. The light-filled, three-story entrance will be connected to Exposition Boulevard by a pedestrian bridge. It was designed for the museum by CO Architects in association with Cordell Corporation. The Otis Booth Pavilion is scheduled for completion by November 2013, in time for the celebration of the Natural History Museum's 100th anniversary. The museum is in the middle of a six-year renovation that also includes the opening of the new Age of Mammals experience and exhibitions inside the Haaga Family Rotunda, the new Dinosaur Hall and a new exhibition exploring the natural and cultural history of Los Angeles and Southern California. The Museum's $135 million NHM Next Campaign has raised $84 million to date. The Otis Booth Foundation donation was made outside of the current campaign.

[via the LA Times]

Tags: los angeles, los angeles museums, natural history museum, natural history museum of los angeles county

Doris Buffett, Warren Buffett's Big Giving Big Sister

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Dec 21st 2010 at 12:02AM

Warren Buffett isn't the only philanthropist in his family. The oracle of Omaha has a big giver for a big sister too. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports on 82-year-old Doris Buffett and her Sunshine Lady Foundation. The article says that she has already given away about $120 million, about half way toward her goal of giving away all her assents in her life time. So far her foundation has helped a variety of charities offering scholarships, help for families in crisis and more on an individual hands-on basis.

The Sunshine Lady Foundation is a private family foundation founded in 1996 by Doris Buffett and each Sunshine Lady Foundation grant is considered an investment in the recipient. The Times-Dispatch article says that big projects have included construction of a Boys and Girls Club, housing for people with intellectual disabilities, college scholarships for abused women, and a college degree program for prisoners.

Warren Buffett has defined the difference between his version of philanthropy and his sister's, saying: "I'm wholesale. She's retail." He praised his sister for her method of changing individual lives saying he is very proud of her. The Sunshine Lady Foundation has volunteers who read about 100 letters a day, vetting them each individually. Check out a video with the inspiring Doris Buffett after the jump.

Tags: doris buffett, philanthropy, warren buffett

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Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Others Join Giving Pledge

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Dec 9th 2010 at 6:02PM

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg is the one of the latest billionaires to sign on to the Giving Pledge campaign started by Bill Gates and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett. The Giving Pledge calls for billionaires to pledge at least half their net worth to charity, in their lifetimes or at death.

The list of those signed on to the Giving Pledge now has 57 families. The recent batch of billionaires include AOL co-founder Steve Case, investor Carl Icahn and Michael Milken who join Larry Ellison, George Lucas and Michael Bloomberg in the ultimate big givers roll call.

"People wait until late in their career to give back. But why wait when there is so much to be done?" said Mark Zuckerberg in a press release. "With a generation of younger folks who have thrived on the success of their companies, there is a big opportunity for many of us to give back earlier in our lifetime and see the impact of our philanthropic efforts."

A full list of those taking the pledge and personal letters by many of these pledgers outlining their commitment to give is available online at www.givingpledge.org. Carl Icahn said that "until Bill, Melinda and Warren started this project, I never considered going public with my intentions. However, I certainly see the value of a project that encourages wealthy individuals to step forward and commit to use their wealth for the common good. I hope that by adding my voice with those who are supporting this project, we will all encourage others to participate."

Tags: bill and melinda gat..., bill and melinda gates foundation, bill gates, dustin moskovitz, facebook, giving pledge, mark zuckerberg, melinda gates, philanthropy, warren buffett

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Author Patricia Cornwell Auctions Off Ferrari For Charity

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Dec 8th 2010 at 3:01AM

Bestselling author Patrica Cornwell is auctioning off her Ferrari for a good cause. Cornwell's 2005 Ferrari Superamerica will be sold in a live auction on December 9 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern at Ferrari of New England in Norwood, MA, with live online bidding commencing at that time. Auction registration and pre-bidding are already available by visiting www.proxibid.com/menishauctions.

After watching a segment on the news show, "60 Minutes," about the assistance Veterans Village of San Diego provides to homeless veterans, Cornwell decided to take action. All proceeds from the sale of her 2005 Ferrari Superamerica will benefit the nonprofit. A recent appraisal shows that the car has just 5,800 miles on it and is worth $250,000.

"We have got to take care of our veterans," says Cornwell. "What struck me about Veterans Village of San Diego is that they are a model for how we can help service men and women re-enter society when they come home from war. They are taking care of people beautifully. I feel that raising awareness is priceless, and if this car becomes the vehicle for the message of 'let's take care of our veterans in need,' then that will be the greatest payoff of all." Watch video of Cornwell explaining why she is donating the car after the jump.

Tags: charity auction, ferrari superamerica, patricia cornwell, veterans village of san diego

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Steve Wynn Commissions Rosenquist Painting For The Cleveland Clinic's Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Nov 19th 2010 at 8:01PM

The striking image shown above is a new painting by the American Pop-artist James Rosenquist, commissioned by Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn for the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas. The painting is entitled "Cervello Spazio Cosmico," which means "brain space" in Italian. The painting combines images of a X-ray-like skull and brain with a sky filled with cosmic space and a background of lush flowers.

The massive oil-on-canvas painting, which is 20 feet tall and 10 feet wide, will be displayed in the Keep Memory Alive Event Center. The center was designed by Frank Gehry in his usual gleaming, spirited style. The painting will be officially unveiled in its new home at an invitation-only evening event this weekend at the Center. Chef and restaurateur Joel Robuchon, together with Alex Stratta and Paul Bartolotta will prepare a special meal for guests. Rosenquist will be in attendance to share insight into his work, which was made possible by a generous gift from Steve Wynn. The Cleveland Clinic's impressive art collection totals more than 4,000 pieces.

"We're so proud that the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health calls Las Vegas home, and I'm thrilled to be able to support its mission with this gift," said Steve Wynn. "I believe in the wonderful work happening there and in my dear friend Larry Ruvo's vision for eradicating the disease that took his father, Lou."

Tags: cleveland clinic, james rosenquist, las vegas, steve wynn

Adam Sandler Gifts Maseratis to "Grown Ups" Co-Stars

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Nov 15th 2010 at 6:01PM

Men don't outgrow playing with toys. The toys just get bigger. And more expensive. Case in point the gifts given recently by Hollywood comedian Adam Sandler to his Grown Ups co-stars.

The blockbuster comedy netted some $270 million, and in return, Sandler reportedly bought a $200,000 Maserati for each of member of his supporting cast: Chris Rock, David Spade, Rob Schneider and Kevin James. No word on exactly which model Sandler ordered, but considering that both the Quattroporte and GranTurismo models start around $120,000 each, he must have gone for all the options and then some. That's quite a way of saying "thank you".

Tags: adam sandler, chris rock, david spade, grown ups, grown-ups, kevin james, maserati

Big Giver Gets A Monkey Named In His Honor

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Nov 5th 2010 at 2:01AM

Plenty of big givers get a building named after them but it's not every day that a philanthropist gets his own monkey. Philanthropy.com tells the story of Jon Stryker and Rhinopithecus strykeri, the newly discovered species of monkey that bears his name. Stryker, a philanthropist and founder of the Arcus Foundation, which protects great apes, was given the honor by the charity that identified the creatures in Myanmar this summer.

Stryker, who has a great interest in primates, was touched by the gesture. Sadly, Mr. Stryker's monkey is endangered. Fauna and Flora International says that just 330 of the monkeys are alive now and that increased hunting is putting the monkey at risk. In local dialects this animal is called mey nwoah, 'monkey with an upturned face.' Its snub nose collects water when it rains, causing the monkey to sneeze. It also has a relatively long tail, approximately 140 per cent of its body size. No photographs exist of the monkey, so the charity commissioned an artist's rendering. The Philanthropy.com article reports that Fauna and Flora International was worried what Stryker's reaction would be to the look of the unusual monkey. Happily, he calls them "the most beautiful monkeys I have ever seen."

Tags: arcus foundation, endangered species, flora and fauna international, jon stryker, monkey

Tibet House Announces Eighth Annual Benefit Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Nov 1st 2010 at 11:01PM

Tibet House US has announced its eighth annual benefit auction to be held December 6th, 2010 at Christie's in New York City. A portion of the proceeds will go towards supporting many of the important projects and programs spawned by the Tibet House in their mission of displaying and maintaining the ancient traditions of the Tibetan civilization. This year the Tibet House has pledged to give another portion of the proceeds to the Tibetan Children's Village, an educational community for Tibetan children in exile.

The event always attracts high profile supporters. This year's Honorary Chair Committee includes Christy Turlington Burns & Ed Burns, Donna Karan, Yoko Ono Lennon, Sandra & Eric Ripert, Martin Scorsese, Trudie Styler & Sting, Uma Thurman, and Arden Wohl. The auction features some tempting offerings such as a $10,000 shopping-spree at Donna Karan's Urban Zen store; a Precision Bass guitar autographed by Sting; two VIP tickets to see His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the 2010 Newark Peacemaking Summit; a cooking class personally conducted by Chef Eric Ripert for ten people at Le Bernardin or in the winner's home, and an opportunity to join the Chef behind the scenes on one of his TV appearances; a private jet to the destination of your choice; memorabilia from Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Jim Morrison, Martin Scorsese and others. You can also bid on exotic travel adventures, contemporary art and photography as well as jewelry and a large selection of Tibetan antique and ceremonial objects, rugs, tangka paintings, statues and more. Pre-bidding on select items starts November 19 on Charity Buzz http://www.charitybuzz.com/auctions/tibethouse. Tickets to the cocktail reception and auction start at $175 and can be ordered online.

Tags: christies, christies auction house, tibet, tibet house

Philanthropic New Owner Lets Gipsy Moth IV Yacht Stay With Sailing Academy

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Nov 1st 2010 at 8:01PM

The yacht in which Sir Francis Chichester made history in 1967 by sailing around the world singlehandedly has new owners that will enable it to remain in the U.K. We mentioned in September that the Gipsy Moth IV has been listed for sale for £250,000. The yacht is a 54ft Honduras Mahogany ketch that has been restored to the way she was at the time of the record with modern electronics are hidden behind the original control panel.

The United Kingdom Sailing Academy was selling the boat but the new owners have made a deal that will enable the charity to continue to use the boat to help train young sailors. BBC News reports that the ketch will stay at the Sailing Academy headquarters in Cowes. The charity had bought the vessel in 2004 and raised funds for its restoration. In 2007, a group of young people on board to made a second round the world voyage in 2007, sailing back to Plymouth 40 years to the day after its first 30,000-mile (48,300km) adventure. The new owners have chosen to remain anonymous.

Tags: gipsy moth iv, Ketchikan, SailingYacht, yacht for sale

RSVIP: Hugh Jackman and Wife Launch 1.4 Billion Reasons DVD

by Jeffrey Slonim (RSS feed) — Oct 22nd 2010 at 8:01PM

Decorating an event meant to combat world poverty presents issues that only a seasoned expert such as Yale educated party planner Bronson Van Wyck, who volunteered his time, would be prepared to tackle. Fabulous hors d'oeuvres and expensive lighting wouldn't have been the right message for Wednesday's event at the Museum of Modern Art in New York to benefit the Global Poverty Project, Aussie Hugh Evans' fast-track plan to end extreme poverty.

"I met Hugh Evans at the Australia 2020 Summit, which was a conference about ideas that the Prime Minister held," Hugh Jackman, far right, who hosted the fete with his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, told RSVIP.

"He was so young I thought he was one of the waiters," continued Jackman, who said he had waved Evans over, hoping to get a drink. "Two hours later, he was still telling me all of these ideas. This young guy was so switched on. . . ."

"The look tonight," explained Van Wyck, while scruffy actor Gerard Butler wandered in wearing frayed jeans and a biker jacket, "is pared-down chic."

"It's really about the message," says Van Wyck, who hails from Arkansas. "It's about the cause. Everything went toward getting the people here. I'm donating my time and even the red carpet. I believe in what they're doing."

Several of Jackman's famous friends pitched in unique auction items, including a lunch with Rupert Murdoch, which was already going for $7,000 on http://www.charitybuzz.com/gpp. And it wasn't just a friendly lunch; the winner of this lot is invited to pitch the billionaire media mogul business ideas at the table. Murdoch's wife, Wendi, explained that not even she has full access to her husband's hectic lunch agenda.

"He's always busy," she said. In fact, the couple rarely meet for lunch, "as I also have no time," she indicated with a laugh.

Tags: Deborra-Lee Furness, gerard butler, global poverty project, hugh jackman, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, rsvip, rupert murdoch

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