The Philanthropic 50 by Washington Life Magazine

the PHILANTHROPIC Washington’s most influential

Washington’s most influential

WASHINGTON’S CHARITABLE WHO’S WHO Washington’s most influential

EXCLUSIVE: DWIGHT AND MARTHA SCHAR

ON THEIR $50 MILLION GIFT TO INOVA INside homes: Art Philanthropist TONY PODESTA’S CONTEMPORARY COLLECTION home life: THOS. MOSER RETURNS TO GEORGETOWN sports: THE D.C. DIVAS WOMEN’S FOOTBALL

plus: WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT’S DINNER HIGHLIGHTS 4 PAGES OF SUPERMODELS, ACTORS AND JOURNALISTS AT WASHINGTON’S BIGGEST BASH

special FEATURE | the philanthropic 50

the

philanthropic

The state of giving in our nation’s capital is

and construction moguls, hotel magnates and sports team owners.

strong. Everywhere you look in this great

Some are lifelong donors born into monied, philanthropic

city, and its surrounding communities, are the

families, while others are self-made millionaires and billionaires

philanthropic footprints of the benefactors who

who have committed to giving a significant portion of their

figure prominently on our annual list.  You’ll see

wealth to charitable causes.

their names on university buildings and hospitals; you’ll experience

Such generous donors set an example for us all, and are listed

the programs and upgrades they helped fund at institutions like

here because of the scope of their gifts, yet they do not hold

the Kennedy Center, National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian; a monopoly on charitable giving. A recent Charles Schwab and then there are the things that are not so visible – like the

survey found that despite 60 percent of respondents saying the

District schoolchildren who have seen improvements in education

Washington metropolitan area is one of the most expensive

and their communities as a result of funds earmarked for their

in the country when it comes to cost of living, a majority of

betterment through a number of private foundations.

Washingtonians still view charitable giving as an essential part of

The givers are current and former tech executives, real estate

their lives. >>

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ADRIENNE ARSHT An active and highly visible presence on the philanthropic scene in Washington, Miami and New York, Arsht’s main loves are the performing and visual arts. Last year, she was the executive producer and underwriter of “Michael Feinstein at the Rainbow Room,” the inaugural show in the newly restored landmark NewYork restaurant and nightclub. In Washington, she chaired the first gala for the Kevin Spacey Foundation, which helps emerging artists with scholarships, underwrites the creation of new works and designs “bespoke education opportunities.” She continues to be a major supporter of many well known arts institutions, including the Kennedy Center, National Gallery of Art, Metropolitan Opera, Metropolitan Museum of Art and New York City Ballet. YOUSEF AND ABEER AL OTAIBA Much of the ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the United States and his wife Abeer’s giving is through the UAE, but the couple also donates to causes on their own, supporting both smaller local charities, where they’ve hosted fund-raisers in their residence, and larger, more well-known organizations. In 2014, as co-chairmen with Bret and Amy Baier of the Children’s Ball they famously helped raise a record $10.8 million for Children’s National Medical Center. In years past, through the UAE, Ambassador Al Otaiba facilitated a $150 million gift to the hospital to create the Seikh Zeyad Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, and helped his country give other significant gifts to disaster relief groups aiding in efforts to help victims of Hurricane Sandy, the Joplin, Mo. tornadoes and other tragedies. Additionally, Abeer serves as the honorary chari of the Hope for Henry Foundation, which helps improve the day-today experience of children with cancer and life-threatening blood disease year-round at Children’s National and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. SALEM AND RIMA AL-SABAH They are a staple on the Washington social scene, and arguably give the most interesting parties in town, but Kuwaiti Ambassador Salem Al-Sabah, and his wife Rima, a former

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journalist and career philanthropist who was recently appointed a goodwill ambassador for the United National Refugee Agency (UNHCR), are also a philanthropic force. Through the Kuwait-America Foundation, where Rima is founder and chairman of the annual gala, the couple has raised millions for UNICEF to build schools for girls in Afghanistan, Project HOPE to build a children’s hospital in Iraq, Malaria No More to support the fight against the disease in Africa and the USO Warrior and Family Center at Fort Belvoir, Va. Last fall, the gala raised significant funds for the Bob Woodruff Foundation. Proceeds from the 2015 event will assist UNHCR’s efforts to help Syrian refugees, a cause particularly dear to the new goodwill ambassador’s heart. “There are today over 51 million refugees and displaced persons worldwide,” Rima Al-Sabah says. “This is the highest number since the end of World War II. UNHCR is in need of continued and broad public support to provide lifesaving assistance to refugees.” The Al-Sabahs have also generously given to Georgetown University Hospital’s pediatrics department, Children’s National Medical Center and the Diplomacy Center Foundation at the State Department, among other causes. BRET AND AMY BAIER Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier and his wife Amy, whose son Paul was born with congenital heart disease, have been staunch supporters of Children’s Hospital for years. The Baiers teamed up with UAE Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba and his wife Abeer to chair the 2014 Children’s Ball and help raise an unprecedented $10.8 million for the medical center. Bret Baier returned this year to emcee the gala, which raised more than $4 million. His book, “Special Heart” released in 2014 outlines the couple’s and their son’s experience. The Baiers pledged that all proceeds from the book would go directly to organizations researching congenital heart disease. In January of last year, Children’s National awarded the couple with the inaugural Joseph E. Robert Jr. Prize in Philanthropy in recognition of their “generosity as parents,

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Patrice and Scott Brickman

Ann and Donald Brown

Martha and Dwight Schar

43 Ashley and Alan

Dabbierre

board members, donors, and advocates for children.” Additionally, Bret Baier sits on the board of First Tee, an organization that promotes life skills and leadership through the game of golf as well as No Greater Sacrifice, an organization providing money and scholarships to families of wounded and fallen service members. The Baier family was also the signature sponsor of this year’s Children’s Ball and Saving Tiny Hearts.

Michael Klein and Joan Fabry

Jeff Veatch

Patrice Bauman

May and Jim Lintott

David and Carrie Marriott

PATRICIA BAUMAN As president of the Bauman Foundation, founded by her late father, New York attorney and noted philanthropist Lionel R. Bauman, Patricia Bauman directs between $5 million to $6 million in annual grants to environmental advocacy and public health organizations as well as to groups working towards more open government and civic participation. The foundation’s endowment is between $90-$100 million and is intended to have perpetual life. Grantees include the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Voter Participation Center, the Urban Institute, the Working America Education Fund, the Brennan Center for Justice and dozens of other like-minded groups. Bauman is also vice chairman of the NRDC and co-chairman of the Brennan Center for Justice. The foundation, she says, “believes in advocacy for progressive change. This takes ‘patient capital’ and hope for a democratic future and healthy environment.” DAVID AND KATHERINE BRADLEY The founder and chairman of Atlantic Media—publisher of The Atlantic, National Journal and Defense One, among other publications—and his wife Kather ine Brittain Bradley, have centered their giving on helping the underprivileged, particularly children. Through their CityBr idge Foundation, which originally started as a best practices enterprise within The Advisory Board Company, their primary focus is on building a citywide system of high-performing schools in Washington, D.C. Katherine serves as president of the foundation, whose signature projects include

the Education Innovation Fellowship, a yearlong program for teachers, and Breakthrough Schools: D.C., a school design competition. Both initiatives launched in 2013 to help educators learn about the newest innovations in personalized learning and change the educational landscape in Washington. Additionally, the Bradleys are founding investors in Venture Philanthropy Partners, a philanthropic investment group that funds nonprofit organizations with a special focus on the educational needs of children from low-income families in the National Capital Region. According to Mrs. Bradley, “We believe that the school is the essential lever in ending poverty: Great schools can eliminate—not just lessen—inequity.” The Bradleys also contribute generously to KIPP and truly helped establish a presence for Teach For America in the national capital region; this year’s gala raised a record-breaking record $1.6 million and the Bradley’s personally donated $50,000. SCOTT AND PATRICE BRICKMAN Scott and Patr ice Br ickman are big benefactors who are just as well known for rolling up their sleeves and giving of their time as they are for their generous donations to Washington-area non-profits. Scott, the former chairman of the Brickman Group, one of the largest commercial landscaping companies in the United States, currently serves on the board of Catholic Charities and the Don Bosco Cristo Rey School. His wife, Patrice King Brickman, has been involved in numerous groups and projects aimed at alleviating poverty and homelessness and currently serves on the boards of Wolf Trap Foundation, Ascend and CharityWorks. As a couple, they serve on board of the Upward Bound Foundation, a Potomac-based group that provides funding for students to receive scholarships for college. Previous recipients for the Montgomery County Philanthropists of the Year award, the Brickmans make giving a family affair and along with their four children are regular volunteers at the National Center to Children and Families as well as local shelters and soup kitchens.

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DONALD AND ANN BROWN Donald Brown, a real estate attorney and co-founder of JBG Real Estate Companies, and his wife Ann, a former chairman of the Consumer Products Safety Commission, have given generously to at least a dozen schools and educational causes over the years. Ditto the arts, including the Washington National Opera, Phillips Collection, National Symphony and Arena Stage. Most recently, their $2 million gift in 2011 helped to renovate Palm Beach Dramaworks, an acclaimed professional resident theater company in West Palm Beach, Fla. Their philanthropic priorities have now changed. “We want to focus on palpable social return in poor communities,” Ann Brown recently said, mentioning a current favorite: A Wider Circle [See related story on page 48], which has received their initial $100,000 donation to provide bedding and furnishings to families leaving shelters. CALVIN AND JANE CAFRITZ With close to a half-billion dollars in assets, the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation is one of the Washington area’s largest philanthropic entities and also one of the most prolific, loyal and creative. Since its creation in 1970, it has given away $428 million to more than 900 deserving non-profit organizations in five general areas (arts and humanities, community services, education, health and the environment) under the capable direction of Calvin Cafritz, the founders’ eldest son. With help from his wife Jane, the foundation continues to support many established causes (Washington National Opera, Iona Senior Services, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, etc.) but is also known for its willingness to get behind new and innovative groups such as DC Greens, which helps people from all backgrounds gain access to affordable healthy food. Last year the Cafritz Foundation distributed $17.5 million to 424 recipients. BUFFY CAFRITZ When Bill Cafritz died in August, he left generous and substantial bequests to four organizations that he, along with his wife Buffy, had been supporting for years: the

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National Gallery of Art, National Institutes of Health, Library of Congress and the Kennedy Center. The couple’s Buffy and William Cafritz Family Foundation, which Buffy Cafritz will continue to direct, supports numerous causes including the Washington Ballet, Sasha Bruce Youthwork, Signature Theater, the Wilson Center, the Lincoln Awards: A Concert for Veteran and Military Families, the Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies and many more. STEVE AND JEAN CASE Former America Online CEO Steve Case and his wife Jean, a marketing executive at the company, made their $1.3 billion fortune working for AOL, before shifting to philanthropy. They co-founded the Case Foundation in 1997 (Jean Case is CEO), which takes an entrepreneurial approach to giving by funding ideas and initiatives that will make meaningful change in communities. They say their work currently falls into three areas: revolutionizing philanthropy, unleashing entrepreneurship and igniting civil engagment. The foundation has given more than $100 million to charitable causes, including City Year, Americorps, Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure and America’s Promise. The Cases have also signed “The Giving Pledge” and have publically reaffirmed their commitment to give away the bulk of their wealth to philanthropic causes. BETTY BROWN CASEY Casey single-handedly oversees the Eugene B. Casey Foundation, established by her late husband, Gene, a Maryland construction magnate. Its reported assets are close to $200 million and it gives away tens of millions annually to schools, hospitals and the arts. The foundation established the Casey Health Institute, an integrative medicine center in Montgomery County, with $29.2 million and funded the Casey Trees Project to restore the tree canopy of Washington, D.C. to the tune of $35 million. Casey has given grants to the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Suburban Hospital and the Washington National Opera, where she was rewarded with the lifetime chairman title. In 2014, the foundation made a $1 million

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Alice Clark

Albert Small

Heather and Andy Florance

Micheline Klagsbrun and Ken Grossinger

Cindy and Evan Jones

donation to her alma mater,Washington College in Chestertown, Md., which has received her gifts for three decades, to enhance the campus swim center.“Quite simply, Betty Casey and her husband, Eugene, through the Eugene B. Casey Foundation, have transformed Washington College with their support,” noted college President Mitchell Reiss.

Alfred Moses

Marilyn and George Pederson

Pierre Chao When it comes to investing money, Pierre Chao brings three decades of experience to the table. Currently, he is the co-founder and managing partner of Enlightenment Capital, a private investment firm with $80 million of committed capital focused on providing debt and minority equity capital to middle market companies. Previously he co-founded Renaissance Strategic Advisors. Off the clock, Chao focuses his time on CharityWorks, where he serves as a member of the Advisory Board (whose members raise up to 85 percent of the funds donated to partners), and is often spotted at the annual 100 Point Vintage Wine Tasting Dinner. ALICE CLARK AND COURTNEY CLARK PASTRICK Billionaire investor and philanthropist A. James Clark, chairman and CEO of Clark Enterprises, the parent holding company of one of the largest privately-held general contractors in the United States, died in March of this year, but his family – including wife Alice – are continuing his tradition of grand giving through the Clark Family Foundation, which daughter Courtney Clark Pastrick serves as president. The foundation’s mission is to provide a better quality of life for people living in the region, with a special focus on medical research, health care and education. Additionally, Clark Enterprises and its affiliated companies made contributions totaling $16.4 million to charitable organizations in 2013 alone, $13.9 million of which directly benefited groups in the Washington metropolitan area. During his lifetime, A. James Clark gave tens of millions of dollars to the University of Maryland, where the A. James Clark School of Engineering bears his name (as does the A. James Clark Scholarship Endowment for

Pierre Chao

Susan Carmel Lehrman

Clark School undergraduates). According to the university, Clark gave $15 million before his death to support the design and construction of the A. James Clark Hall, a hub for human health innovation that is slated to open in 2017. BILL AND JOANNE CONWAY Along with his Carlyle Group co-founders Dan D’Aniello and David Rubenstein, Bill Conway has been dubbed by the Washington Post as one of the “go-to guys for public charity” in the region. In 2011, the Conways pledged to give away at least $1 billion, focusing on education and so far have given away at least $55 million in scholarships and tuition-assistance for nursing programs at five local universities, including $5.24 million through their Bedford Falls Foundation in April to the University of Maryland School of Nursing. It was the school’s largest donation ever and will be used to expand enrollment by providing full scholarships to 157 “Conway Scholars.” Past gifts include $5 million to to the Center for Employment Training at So Others Might Eat; $10 million to Catholic Charities; $10 million to the Archdiocese of Washington; $5 million to University of Virginia School of Nursing; $5 million to the Capital Area Food Bank; and more than $1 million to Children’s National Medical Center. ALAN AND ASHLEY DABBIERE   When Ashley Dabbiere was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2012, she and her husband, tech entrepreneur Alan Dabbiere, determined to make a difference. They have pledged or given $10 million to fund brain tumor research and in May, brought Sheryl Crow to play a concert in the backyard of their McLean home for a benefit they named the “Grey Soirée.” The event was a huge success, raising more than $1 million for the National Brain Tumor Society. “When I put my mind to something, I can move mountains,” Ashley Dabbiere said at the dinner, “and tonight I’m just getting started. We need to cure this disease.” The Dabbieres have also given $1 million to Inova Health System — where Alan is board chairman of the foundation — to support various medical priorities,

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including a major commitment to establish a new fetal medicine research fund. Both are involved in efforts to improve childhood education. Alan Dabbiere is a trustee of The Potomac School and his wife is on the board of the Lab School of Washington. JACK DAVIES AND KAY KENDALL Davies is the founder and former president of AOL International and a current partner at local sports powerhouse Monumental Sports and Entertainment. He and his wife Kay Kendall, like Steve and Jean Case, have used their assets and influence to make a substantial impact on the face of philanthropy in the nation’s capital. Davies is a founding investor and member of the board of Venture Philanthropy Partners, which looks to build high performing non-profits serving low-income youth in the area. He also serves on the board of Teach for America, the See Forever Foundation (which oversees the Maya Angelou public charter school) and CharityWorks, where he founded the annual 100 Point Vintage Wine Tasting that has raised over $3.7 million for children and families in the area. Kendall, the new chairman of the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, is a former board president of the Washington Ballet and a patron of CityDance. The couple also support the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC) in Ward 8, which helps underserved children and adults who reside east of the Anacostia River by providing dance classes, music instruction, fine arts, academics, mentoring, tutoring, recreation, medical care and other services at little or no cost. ALBERT AND CLARIE DWOSKIN Through their Albert and Claire Dwoskin Family Foundation and the Children’s Medical Safety Research Institute, the Dwoskins have worked tirelessly for years to protect children’s health. They have underwritten, supported and organized health conferences, including last month’s AutismOne Conference. Claire Dwoskin has served on the board of the National Vaccine Information Center since 2006 and received its Lifetime Contribution to Autoimmunity award last year. Research

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funded by the family foundation was featured in a documentary she helped produce called “The Age of Aluminum.” The couple have also been generous donors to the Teach for America galas over the years and serve as cochairmen of the Fairfax Library Foundation’s Endowment. RAUL AND JEAN-MARIE FERNANDEZ Raul and Jean-Marie Fernandez are highly visible philanthropists with a special interest in education reform. Raul Fernandez, chairman of ObjectVideo (which develops video analytics software for automated security surveillance) and vice chairman of Monumental Sports and Entertainment, is also a co-founder of Venture Philanthropy Partners, a group of executives who make investments in area non-profits. Since 2012, he’s served as chairman of Fight for Children’s Fight Night, a popular fall fundraising event that raised a record $4.7 million for the cause in 2014 and is on track to raise more than $5 million this year. The couple’s Fernandez Foundation supports programs to better the lives of underprivileged children in the Washington area. They are also big benefactors of Children’s National Health System and CharityWorks.

George and Trish Vradenburg

Scott and Christy Wallace

KEN AND BONNIE FELD It’s no surprise that a family that made a fortune performing shows for an audience would choose to support theatrically-oriented institutions. The Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus CEO may have shaken things up this year with his announcement to phase out the circus’ popular elephant act by 2018, but Ken Feld has remained consistent in his giving, including more than $1.2 million to Duke Ellington School of the Arts in the past six years alongside donations to alma mater Boston University (more than $10 million over the years), Signature Theatre, the Smithsonian, the New York’s Actor’s Fund, the Theatre Development Fund and the Ringling Museum.

Beatrice and Anthony Welters

ANDY AND HEATHER FLORANCE Andy Florance created the nation’s largest online resource for commercial real estate

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Annette and Ted Lerner

data in his dorm room at Princeton at 1986. Since then, he has directed CoStar Group’s expansion from start-up to its marketleading position today with 2,300 employees worldwide. Outside the fast-paced world of real estate, he and his wife Heather enjoy an active social life and have been spotted at numerous charitable functions, including the Children’s Ball most recently. The couple have committed to helping Children’s National Hospital raise the $5.53 million needed for a 7,200-square-foot rooftop healing garden dedicated to the first ladies of the U.S. So far, under the their leadership, $1.7 million has been donated or pledged. Andy Florance also serves as a trustee of the Shakespeare Theatre Company and served with Heather on the 2014 Gala Committee.

Bonnie and Ken Feld

Michelle Freeman

Robert and Arlene Kogod

Bob Hisaoka

MICHELLE FREEMAN Michelle Freeman is chairman and president of the Carl M. Freeman Foundation and the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation, the latter of which she founded after the tragic death of her husband Josh in a 2006 helicopter crash. The foundations both fund non-profit organizations that support communities where Freeman Companies employees “live and play.” Through the FACES (Freeman Assists Communities with Extra Support), the Carl M. Freeman Foundation gives generous annual grants to groups in both Montgomery County, Md. and Sussex Country, Del., where the Freeman Companies developed Sea Colony in the 1960s. The Joshua M. Freeman Foundation supports the Freeman Stage Series at Bayside, an open air performing arts venue located near Fenwick Island in honor of its namesake, who was passionate about the arts. Michelle Freeman also serves on the boards of the Washington National Opera, CharityWorks and YouthAIDS. KEN GROSSINGER AND MICHELINE KLAGSBRUN A former community activist and top labor movement strategist, Ken Grossinger is chairman and co-founder, along with wife Micheline Klagsbrun, of the CrossCurrents Foundation, which supports social and economic justice. The foundation’s work, according to Grossinger, is rooted in the idea that there are times when ordinary people

Lynn an dTed Leonsis

can make social change if they have sufficient resources and opportunities to give voice to their concerns. CrossCurrents focuses on areas where private funding can make a strategic difference to community organizing and public education campaigns about critical issues. It also funds socially relevant public art. Grantees include the National Domestic Workers Alliance; Casa de Maryland; Alliance for Justice; The Center for Health, Environment and Justice; Rock the Vote and the Brennan Center for Justice. “The more philanthropic dollars we dedicate to social change, the more social justice we are likely to achieve, “ says Grossinger, who serves as chairman of the Alliance for Justice and as a board member of the Environmental Grantmakers Association and Grantmakers in the Arts. Klagbrun serves on the boards of the Phillips Collection, Transformer and the New School’s Vera List Center for Art and Politics. ROBERT HISAOKA Hisaoka is the true embodiment of making lemonade from some serious lemons. After the loss of his sister Joan to cancer, he created the Joan Hisaoka Make a Difference Gala, which has raised more than $7 million in seven years, with last year’s gala drawing in $1.43 million; $1.2 million was distributed to the event’s three beneficiaries: Life with Cancer, The Smith Center for Healing and the Arts and The Brem Foundation to Defeat Breast Cancer. For the third year in a row, Hisaoka was the lead sponsor of the Teach for America Gala (he donated $100,000) and in October he was honored at the Sack Cancer Gala by the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation and the American Cancer Society. He also became an investor in the New School Venture Fund, focusing on charter schools and reforming public education for low income students in the District. For much of 2014, Hisaoka, a former Olympic hopeful in judo, was actively involved with the failed attempt to bring the 2024 summer Olympics to Washington, D.C. EVAN AND CINDY JONES It can be quite difficult to keep up with the Joneses, particularly when talking about Cindy and Evan Jones, who have given generously

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both of their time and resources to the local community over the years. Longtime supporters and volunteers at Children’s National Medical Center, they have given well over $1 million to the hospital (the couple plan to extend that gift shortly and give another $500,000) in addition to endowing the Cindy and Evan Jones Professorship in Pediatric Clinical Pharmacology, the first in the country that tests how medicine reacts in children as opposed to adults. Cindy Jones also sits on CNMC’s foundation board, while her husband serves on the medical center’s main board and is a former chairman of the Children’s Research Institute Board.Though she is an engineer and he a scientist by training, they support other causes as well, including the Washington Ballet, and have endowments established at numerous educational institutions. MICHAEL R. KLEIN AND JOAN FABRY A successful lawyer/entrepreneur who serves as chairman of CoStar Group, a leading provider of commercial real estate information, analytics and online marketplaces, Klein is a prolific and generous donor to public interest causes. In 2006 he founded the Sunlight Foundation to make government and politics more transparent and accountable using the “tools of civic technology, open date, policy analysis and journalism.” His initial grant of $3.5 million in 2005 has been supplemented by at least $6 million in subsequent gifts. He and his wife, Joan Fabry, provide major support to local theater groups, including the Shakespeare Theatre Company, which received significant “financial guarantees” to complete the addition of its Sidney Harman Hall facility. Last year they also made a challenge grant to jumpstart the theater’s Artistic Leadership Fund to provide annual program support. Klein is also a donor to Harvard University, the American Himalayan Foundation, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Aspen Institute and the University of Miami. ROBERT AND ARLENE KOGOD, CLARICE SMITH Real estate mogul Robert Kogod and his wife Arlene have been notably generous benefactors of many local institutions for

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years, and buildings named after them reflect their giving: The Kogod School of Business at American University, the Arlene and Robert Kogod Center for the Arts at Sidwell Friends School, the Arlene and Kogod Theater at the University Maryland, the Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian American Art Musuem and the Kogod Lobby at Signature Theatre. Robert Kogod and his sister-in-law Clarice’s husband, Robert E. Smith, who died in 2009, ran the Charles E. Smith real estate empire which developed Crystal City. The Robert H. Smith School of Business and the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland and the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Gallery at Monticello in Charlottesville, Va. were all made possible through contributions of the Smiths, whose children have continued the tradition of giving. Michelle Smith is the president of the Robert H. Smith Foundation. Her brother, David Bruce Smith, is a publisher of high-end books and also the founder of the Grateful American Foundation, an interactive education project aimed at restor ing enthusiasm in American history. Through the Kogod Family Foundation and the Robert H. Smith Foundation, both families continue to give generously to educational institutions, the arts as well as Jewish causes. SUSAN CARMEL LEHRMAN A real estate investor with offices in New York and Chevy Chase, Lehrman has focused much of her philanthropy on Russianrelated causes. As the founder and chief funder ($5 million) of the Carmel Institute of Russian Culture and History at American University (AU), she works to promote greater understanding of Russia’s cultural diversity through film screenings, musical performances and other events. She endowed a chair in Russian History and Culture at AU and generously supports the AmericanRussian Cultural Cooperation Foundation and the Mariinsky Foundation of America. Lehrman has also given millions to the Washington National Opera (whose ball she chaired for four years) and various medical causes, including a chair in Algesiology for the study of pain at Rutgers University, the

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Betty Brown Casey

Bill Conway

Jack Davies and Kay Kendall

Clarie and Albert Dwoskin

49 Jean-Marie and

Raul Fernandez

A WIDER CIRCLE

Philanthropist Don Brown tells of his discovery of a remarkable man who has made a real difference in the fight against poverty.

1. From left, Mark Bergel, A Wider Circle client, Ann Brown, Don Brown, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett. Photo by Rick Reinhard.

can’t stop thinking about poverty, and it’s all because of Mark Bergel – one of our region’s great leaders who, in the long tradition of trailblazers such as Alice Paul, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the protesters at Stonewall, is creating a movement to address a disgraceful injustice. Mark is founder and executive director of A Wider Circle, a nonprofit best known for collecting and donating furniture to families in need. Its mission is simple: ending poverty. It’s a lofty goal, one that raises many questions – and some eyebrows. Ending poverty for whom? People in our region? The U.S.? The world? Who actually thinks we can do that? Mark does. Skeptical? I know I was. Then I saw Mark in action, experienced his passion (some might call it obsession) and his 24/7 commitment. Over time, I learned his story. In 2001, as a volunteer delivering food to low-income families in the Washington, D.C. area, Mark observed parents raising children in unfurnished homes – without beds, without a secure food supply, without access to information about health and wellness. That is when A Wider Circle was born in his apartment. Mark’s original goal was to provide area residents with essential items and help families lift themselves out of poverty. Thirteen years later, A Wider Circle not only collects and distributes new and used beds and other furniture to those in need, it provides them comprehensive job training. When the organization sees a need, it responds, always in a way that honors the dignity of the people it serves. Last month it launched a new job preparedness program it hopes will become a model for other nonprofits and cities. Mark is the real deal. In solidarity with adults and children struggling to rise out of poverty and living without a bed, he gave up his own bed (donating it to A Wider Circle), pledging to sleep on the couch or the floor until every last person has a bed. Every. Last. Person. (He had me at “every.”) In 2013 alone, A Wider Circle received 12,000 requests for beds from individuals and families transitioning out of homeless shelters, escaping domestic violence, or simply living in poverty. By year-end, the organization had provided beds to 5,000 individuals; many others remained on the waiting list. Impressed by Mark’s leadership and optimism, my wife Ann and I have made multiple donations to A Wider Circle so they could buy thousands of beds and get families off that waiting list. For Ann, this is personal. Her father, who grew up in poverty, shared one bed and blanket with three brothers. “If you don’t have a proper bed, how can you get a good night’s sleep, go to work, go to school?” Ann asks. “Without a bed, a child starts out with a terrible disadvantage. Can you imagine how it feels as a parent not to be able to provide your children with a place to sleep?” With my background in business, I want to know I’m giving to organizations that provide the most bang for my buck. I want to support leaders who are both innovative and efficient. I take philanthropy seriously. Through Mark, I have come to understand that poverty is a problem we can solve if we all work together. I don’t know if we can do it in my lifetime. But what I do know is I’m going to do everything I can to work toward that goal. Don Brown is a founder of Brown, Gildenhorn & Jacobs law firm and JBG Real Estate Companies.  Donations from Don and Ann to A Wider Circle led to the creation of Browns’ Beds.

renovation of a Bone Marrow Transplant wing at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and a conference room at Lenox Hill Hospital, both in New York City. TED AND LYNN LEONSIS After surviving a plane crash in 1983, Ted Leonsis created a list of 101 goals he wanted to achieve in his lifetime, many of them centered on charitable giving, including a pledge to donate $100 million in his lifetime. Since then, he and wife Lynn have become pillars of the Washington philanthropic scene while reaching toward that lofty goal. Ted Leonsis has already checked off several of the 101 by starting the Leonsis Foundation which has supported more than 400 charities thus far and by giving $1 million to his alma mater, Georgetown University. The couple hosted this year’s CharityWorks 100 Point Vintage Wine Tasting Dinner at their home, which raised the second largest amount for the organization in more than 10 years. When he’s not doling out his fortune, he keeps busy as an entrepreneur, Emmy-Award-winning filmmaker and and sports team owner. This year he achieved a rare trifecta of having all three of his teams qualify for the playoffs. TED AND ANNETTE LERNER Washington Nationals baseball team owner Ted Lerner is the perfect embodiment of the quote “behind every great man is a greater woman.” The richest man in the state of Maryland built his real estate empire (worth nearly $5 billion) starting with a $250 loan from his wife Annette. Though raised in the Washington, D.C. area, Lerner spreads his charitable giving across the globe. He gave $10 million to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to build a sports center while also consistently donating to various Jewish day schools and organizations in the area as well as the Holocaust Museum. Through their family foundation, the Lerners have pledged $2 million to Children’s National Medical Center and $5 million to George Washington University along with support to causes advancing children’s education, health and recreation through the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation

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JAMES LINTOTT AND MAY LIANG James Lintott has spent his life around philanthropic endeavors and managing money. In his current role as co-founder of Freedom Management Group, where he helps successful individuals and families manage the responsibility that comes with great wealth. (Previously he headed one of the nation’s largest private foundations, Sterling Foundation Management.) It is no surprise then that his own family entity, the May Liang and James Lintott Foundation, has been a prolific donor to a wide range of causes including the Children’s Law Center, Children’s National Medical Center, the Freer Gallery of Art, the Junior Statesmen Foundation, Stone Soup Films and the Institute for Justice. Lintott serves on the boards of several local charities including Children’s National Medical Center and Best Buddies International. Marriott Family The J. Willard and Alice Marriott Foundation, controlled by brother hoteliers J.W. “Bill” Marriott Jr. and Richard E. Marriott, distributed more than $19 million last year to recipients that included Fight for Children, Urban Alliance, E.L. Haynes Public Charter School, and Higher Achievement’s summer and after-school academic programs. The Foundation also pledged $2.5 million to the University of South Carolina to support construction of a culinary laboratory in the university’s School of Hospitality, Retail and Sports Management. The Foundation supported the Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities, which has placed more than 20,000 young people in jobs with 4,400 employers since 1989. The Foundation is also active internationally with an ongoing initiative to expand career opportunities for youth in the hospitality industry through the Marriott China Hospitality Education Initiative. Bill Marriott’s youngest son and daughter-in-law, David and Carrie Marriott, have become more active in philanthropic work in recent years, especially with Children’s National Medical Center and the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Carrie Marriott served as chairwoman of the 2014 Children’s

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National’s Race for Every Child 5k, which raised more than $1 million and is the vicechairwoman of the MS Society’s board of trustees; she was also co-chairwoman of its 2014 Women on the Move Luncheon, which raised more than $350,000. MARK AND BRENDA MOORE Mark and Brenda Moore, a businessman and a retired nurse, met in high school and have been married for 30 years. Their generosity to education, music, arts and health care causes is significant, with donations made through the Mark and Brenda Moore Family Foundation. By pledging $1 million, the Moores are founding donors of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, a $500 million heritage museum on track to open on the National Mall in 2016. Last December, the Moores’ support of Inova Health System came to fruition with the official opening of the Mark and Brenda Moore Patient Tower at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital. The couple pledged the $2 million lead gift and served as co-chairmen of the steering committee to raise philanthropic support for the project. Their connection to the hospital is a personal one. Mark Moore suffered a serious stroke in 2007 and was admitted to the Rehabilitation Center at Inova after a month of intensive care. During his time there, he experienced a remarkable recovery and forged lasting bonds with the caregivers who worked with him. ALFRED H. MOSES A corporate lawyer and 40-year partner at Covington & Burling. Moses was lead counsel to President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 “Billygate” hearings in the U.S. Senate and later served as U.S. ambassador to Romania from 1994-1997. He is active in Jewish causes, especially the American Jewish Committee (where he served as president). In April, he contributed $20 million to fund the addition of a middle school to the Jewish Primary Day School in northwest Washington. Last year he gave $5 million to the Beit Hasfusot Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv to build a Great Hall of Synagogues, which will contain replicas of synagogues around the world over

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David and Katherine Bradley

Jane and Calvin photo) Cafritz Brenda and Mark Moore (Courtesy

The late Bill Cafritz and Buffy Cafrtiz

Jean and Steve Case

the past 3,000 years. Moses has also funded a program to provide educational funds to Ethiopian immigrants in Israel and has donated to Planned Parenthood. He and his wife, Fern M. Schad, a New York photo editor and gallery owner, recently gave $10 million to add contemporary works of photography to the National Gallery of Art’s collection.

Brenda and Mark Moore

VADIM NIKITINE AND KRISTIN EHRGOOD Vadim and Kristin Nikitine envision a day when children in both their current home of Washington, D.C. and Vadim’s home territory of Puerto Rico can receive a world-class education, despite their social status. In fact, on the couple’s first date they designed their own nonprofit over a bottle of wine. After launching Sapientis, their first joint venture in 2002 in Puerto Rico, they went on to create the Flamboyan Foundation there, which they expanded to the District in 2009. Now the couple tackles education reform together with approximately $1.4 million donated each year according to the foundation’s most recent tax filings. Recent gifts included $325,000 to D.C. Public Education Fund, $100,000 to New Schools Venture Fund, $55,000 to New Leaders and $35,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of San Juan, Puerto Rico. They are also consistent supporters of Teach for America.

Kristin Ehrgood and Vadiim Nikitine

Kevin Plank

Mitch and Emily Rales

Norma and Russ Ramsey

GEORGE AND MARILYN PEDERSON George Pedersen works at ManTech International, a company he co-founded to find innovative solutions for mission-critical national security programs and that now generates $3 billion in revenue. Finding ways to improve the lives of the downtrodden is also a major concern and he and wife Marilyn have consistently given generously to local institutions, such as Charityworks, Johns Hopkins University Medical School and the Hillside School for Handicapped Children in Maryland. Over the last 10 years, the Pedersens have given more than $1.2 million to Charityworks and hosted or chaired numerous functions for the organization. They also serve on the Advisory Board, whose members raise up to 85 percent of the funds donated to CharityWorks’ partners.

KEVIN PLANK Kevin Plank managed to turn athletic wear into a $2.4 billion fortune through Under Armour, and in return chooses to donate generously to his alma mater, the University of Maryland, where he got his education both in sports and business. His largest public gift to date is a $1.4 million donation to the school, and through his Cupid Foundation he also donates about $1 million a year to education programs throughout Baltimore and the District from the Living Classrooms Foundation to Johns Hopkins University. He has co-chaired Fight Night for the last two years and both times helped raise record-breaking amounts. In 2013, the $4 million proceeds included a $500,000 donation from his foundation. In 2014, the event raised $4.7 million. MITCHELL AND EMILY RALES Art-collecting billionaires Mitch Rales and his wife Emily are rumored to have invested around $500 million in their private Glenstone Museum in Potomac, which presents exhibitions of their collection of modern and contemporary art. He is director of the Danaher Corporation and she is an art historian and curator. Through the Mitchell P. Rales Family Foundation (formerly the Glenstone Foundation) the Rales provide funding to arts, education and arts education. They gave more than $1 million to the SEED School in 2014 and regularly donate to Fight for Children, an organization that helps low-income students achieve success. They also donate to the National Gallery of Art (including $10 million to help renovate the East Wing), Americans for the Arts and the Frick Collection. They are also members of the “leadership circle” of the Foundation for Prader-Willi Syndrome Research. RUSS AND NORMA RAMSEY The Ramseys have dedicated themselves to causes that aid at-risk families and promote education, healthcare and the arts. Through the W Russell and Norma Ramsey Foundation, they donate to organizations such as INOVA Health System, CharityWorks, Teach for America, Fight for Children, and Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts. The couple were founding

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investors of Venture Philanthropy Partners, which has invested over $70 million in non-profits in the D.C. Capital Area helping community leaders build strong non-profit organizations. This year, the Ramsey’s took on the task of chairing the Children’s Ball to benefit Children’s National Medical Center, and helped to raise more than $4 million. Russ Ramsey spent much of 2014 chairing the campaign to bring the 2024 Summer Olympics to Washington. DAVID AND ALICE RUBENSTEIN Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein and his wife Alice are well known for generosity that never seems to waver year after year while focusing primarily on restoring national landmarks. Recently, “the patriotic philanthropist” gave $5.37 million to refurbish the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, a gift made in honor of his late father, a war veteran. Also in 2014, to name just a few of his gifts, Rubenstein pledged $10 million to help restore James Madison’s Virginia home, “Montpelier,” and just last May, he announced that he would be adding $10 million to a previous $10 million donation for reconstruction work on Thomas Jefferson’s “Monticello.” He also gave $1 million to Martha’s Table to help build a new headquarters for the charity’s many programs. David Rubenstein also serves as chairman of the Kennedy Center, to which he has given $50 million for a major expansion project. ROGER AND VICKI SANT It would be difficult to begin to accurately total the major gifts that the Sants have bestowed over the past decade although they are certainly in excess of $100 million to such diverse causes as the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History ($35 million), the National Symphony Orchestra ($20 million), World Wildlife Fund ($20 million) and the Phillips Collection ($9 million). The National Gallery of Art, where Vicki Sant served for 12 years as president, received an additional $10 million in 2014 to renovate its I.M. Pei-designed East Wing. Apart from their significant personal contributions, the couple’s Summit Foundation, has additionally

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focused on four primary areas to “improve our world and the quality of life for its inhabitants” for the past 20 years. In 2014 it distributed nearly $7 million to 76 recipients for restoration and preservation of the Mesoamerican Reef (a cause which has received close to $30 million over the years); cleaning up the Anacostia River; empowering girls; and improving the sustainability and quality of life in cities.  DWIGHT AND MARTHA SCHAR Homebuilder and Redskins part-owner Dwight Schar and his wife Martha made news this May for their generous contribution of $50 million to Inova Health System. Their record-setting gift will help to establish one of the top cancer research centers in the world, a global leader in early discovery of the disease that will be named The Dwight and Martha Schar Cancer Institute. “Inova’s vast genomic resources combined with some of the brightest minds in cancer research and care make it the ideal investment for me,” Dwight Schar told us. The Schars are also known for their generosity to higher education. In 2014 they gave $12 million to Elon University, a private liberal arts university in Elon, N.C. (the largest single donation in its history); $17 million to Ashland University in 2011; and $1 million to George Mason University in 2002. Dwight Schar has donated at least $1 million to his former high school in Ohio to build a track and a performing arts center. The couple have also made sizeable donations to Childhelp and Youth for Tomorrow. ALBERT SMALL A major donor of histor ical mater ials relating to the nation’s early history, Albert Small celebrated a major milestone this spring when George Washington University opened its much anticipated museum and study center focusing on the city of Washington. The nucleus of the collection — more than 1,000 18th- to mid-20th century maps, letters, documents, books, artworks and ephemera — was acquired by him over the past 60 years. An additional $5 million gift supported renovation of

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David and Alice Rubenstein

Roger and Vicki Sant

Annie Totah

Earl and Amanda Stafford

Photo Caption Sachiko Kuno and Ryuji Ueno

special FEATURE | the philanthropic 50

the 156-year-old Woodhull House on GW’s Foggy Bottom campus where the collection will be housed. Small, the founder of Southern Engineering, made a similar gift in 2002 when he donated a treasure trove of artifacts related to the signers of the Declaration of

Independence to the University of Virginia along with $2.5 million toward construction of a library to house them. In 2011, he also pledged to underwrite much of the cost of renovating a terrace adjacent to the state department’s Diplomatic Reception Rooms.

charitable giving

Three-quarters of Washingtonians say charitable giving factors into their financial planning, according to a recent survey by Charles Schwab.

Charitable giving plays a large role

Charitable giving plays a mediumsized role

20% 25%

Charitable giving plays no role

12%

43%

Charitable giving plays a small role

EARL AND AMANDA STAFFORD Earl Stafford has spent his life serving, first with a distinguished 20-year career in the Air Force and now as a dedicated philanthropist looking out for the underprivileged. Through his faith-based Stafford Foundation, he has pledged more than $1 million to nonprofits groups that focus on giving people the opportunity to become self-reliant; more than $200,000 was distributed in 2013 according to the foundation’s most recent tax filings. He is best known for The People’s Inaugural Project, which brought more than 400 disadvantaged individuals to the nation’s capitol to witness President Obama’s inauguration. Stafford also serves as a member of the Africare board. ANNIE TOTAH Totah gives generously to more than 75 causes and uses her time, talent and prodigious energy to help raise even more from other donors. The founder of Annie S. Totah Partnership for Brighter Tomorrows supports the National Museum of Women in the Arts (whose gala she exuberantly chaired in 2014), Young Concert Artists, Strathmore Hall, the Washington Ballet, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, National Rehabilitation Hospital, Sibley Memor ial Hospital Foundation and Heifetz International Music Institute. She also contributes to causes related to her Armenian/Jewish heritage, including the Armenian Assembly of America and the Magen David Sephardic Congregation in Rockville, Md. RYUJI UENO AND SUCHIKO KUNO The Japanese-American pharmaceutical moguls founded their S&R Foundation to support talented individuals in the arts, sciences, and social entrepreneurship and to encourage cultural collaboration. Among the foundation’s programs are the “Overtures” artist concert series featuring emerging performers at such venues as the Kennedy Center and Evermay, and the “Halcyon Incubator,” which helps social entrepreneurs turn their ideas into sustainable ventures. They fund scientific

innovation at John’s Hopkins University with donations and the new Suchiko Kuno and Ryuji Ueno Innovation Professorship. Suchiko is a board member of the National Cher r y Blossom Foundation and an advisory board member of THIS for Diplomats at the Meridian International Center. The couple recently gave to the Library of Congress, Transformer Gallery, New Orchestra of Washington and the Prevent Cancer Foundation. JEFFREY VEATCH Apex Systems co-founder Jeffrey Veatch committed $2 million to Inova Mount Vernon Hospital last year to support the renovation and expansion of the hospital’s emergency department, to include the addition of more child-friendly amenities. Also in 2014 he and three of his former classmates gave $5 million to Virginia Tech to fuel entrepreneurship and innovation. The four former classmates met at Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business and are the men behind Apex Systems. To honor the contribution, Virginia Tech renamed its innovation building The Apex Systems Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Veatch has also given to ThanksUSA. GEORGE AND TRISH VRADENBURG Former AOL executive George Vradenburg and his wife Trish are best known for their Alzheimer’s advocacy — since 2003 they’ve chaired the National Alzheimer’s Gala that has raised more than $10 million for the Alzheimer’s Association. Their own nonprofit organization US Against Alzheimer’s, aims to end the disease by 2020. The couple’s other philanthropic interests range from healthcare and other social causes to the performing arts (they recently donated to the Washingtonbased Mosaic Theater Company). George Vradenburg is chair man of the Bee Vradenburg Foundation, which grants funding to nonprofit arts organizations in Colorado; president of the Vradenburg Foundation; chairman of the board of the Phillips Collection; and a trustee of the University of the District of Columbia.

He also serves on the board of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, the Washington Scholarship Fund and DC Children First. His wife serves on the board of the Vradenburg Foundation and DC Vote. Together they founded the Chesapeake Crescent Initiative in 2008, an organization that works to maximize the region’s innovation economy. SCOTT AND CHRISTY WALLACE The former lawyer and his wife, a diplomat, are co-chairs of the Wallace Global Fund, a private charitable organization founded by Scott Wallace’s family that works “to promote an informed and engaged citizenry, to fight injustice, and to protect the diversity of nature.” Under the couple’s leadership, the foundation has placed more focus on environmental issues in recent years. In 2014, for example, the Wallace Global Fund provided funding for the establishment of Divest-Invest, an initiative that encourages foundations to divest from fossil fuels and switch to clean energy investments. ANTHONY AND BEATRICE WELTERS Anthony Welters, the UnitedHealthGroup mogul who helped build the “Obamacare” national website — and was then called back to fix it — grew up in a one-room Harlem tenement, which explains his focus on helping to educate youth from “underresourced and challenging environments.” He has given over $30 million to provide 30 scholarship each year at New York University Law School and is a longtime donor to Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. He and his wife, Beatrice, a former U.S. ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago, make many grants via their AnBryce Foundation, which operates Camp Dogwood, a summer camp for underserved youth in rural Virginia. They are also known to be longtime donors to the Kennedy Center, the Aspen Institute, the Smithsonian African American Culture Museum and the Horatio Alger Association. Anthony Welters was also instrumental in arranging a $1 million donation from UnitedHealthCare to help construct the Martin Luther King Memorial.

Adrienne Arsht

Yousel anf Abeer Al Otaiba

Salem and Rima Al-Sabah

Bret and Amy Baier