THE CULTURE CLUB Don Randel President Andrew W. Mellon Foundation The $5.4 billion- asset Mellon foundation gave more than $21 million to local arts groups in 2010, up from $15 million in 2009. Don Randel, a musicologist and former president of the University of Chicago who took the helm in 2006, expects those numbers to keep climbing. Major recipients last year included the New York Shakespeare Festival ($2 million), the Pierpont Morgan Library (nearly $1.8 million) and Dance Theatre of Harlem ($600,000) But the smaller grants paint a rich picture, too, including gifts to the little- known Nikolais-Louis Foundation for Dance ($40,000) and the politically charged Tectonic Theater Project ($50,000). “Arts organizations have been under very severe pressure during the downturn,” said Mr. Randel, 70. “So the need has been especially great— especially with the many arts organizations that always operate within the edge of their resources.” Sandy and Joan Weill Chairman, Carnegie Hall Chairwoman, Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation For decades, they’ve been one of the city’s most prominent power couples in the arts. Sandy Weill, the 78-year-old former head of Citigroup, has led Carnegie Hall’s board since 1991. His wife, Joan, 77, has been chairwoman of the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation since 2000. Their commitment hasn’t waned in recent years, even as the value of Citigroup shares plunged during the financial crisis. In 2008, the couple co- chaired a $50 million endowment campaign for Ailey’s 50th anniversary, kicking it off with a $15 million donation of their own. And in the past 18 months, they donated $52 million to cultural organizations, mainly in New York. In January, for instance, the Weills gave $25 million to Carnegie Hall to help renovate its studio towers and create a 61,000-square-foot music education wing. The expansion will allow the storied concert hall to grow education programs that currently engage more than 170,000 people a year, including thousands of New York City public school kids. Now that the Weills are spending more time in California, cultural groups there get to share the bounty. A recent $12 million gift to the Green Music Center at Sonoma State University, Ms. Weill noted in an email, could help the venue become a “West Coast equivalent to Tanglewood.” “We have been involved with the arts for several decades not just financially, but with our time,” she said. “We are passionate about the arts because we believe they can help bridge cultural divides that unfortunately exist throughout the world.” Shelby White Founding trustee Leon Levy Foundation The city’s cultural treasures outside Manhattan often get overlooked by big donors. Luckily for Brooklyn, there’s native daughter Shelby White, the widow of Wall Street financier and philanthropist Leon Levy. Through the Leon Levy Foundation, which has $500 million in assets, Ms. White in March pledged $7.5 million to help restore the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It was the largest contribution by a living donor in the garden’s 100-year history. In 2009, the foundation gave $3.25 million to the Brooklyn Public Library, and in 2008, it donated $10 million to Prospect Park. “I grew up in Brooklyn during the borough’s ‘golden age,’ played field hockey in Prospect Park, studied at the Brooklyn Public Library and strolled around the Brooklyn Botanic Garden,” Ms. White said in an email. “I’m thrilled that the Leon Levy Foundation has been part of so many aspects of Brooklyn’s 21st-century re-emergence. Now, if we could only bring back the Dodgers!” An author and antiquities collector, she also has committed $400 million over the past five years to universities and Manhattan cultural institutions that range from the Lower East Side Tenement Museum to the New York Philharmonic. 16 | Crain’s New York Business | July 25, 2011 Ann Ziff Chairman The Metropolitan Opera Ann Ziff is a jewelry designer and the owner of boutique Tamsen Z. But the widow of former Ziff Davis head William Ziff Jr. may be best known for the gem of a gesture she made last year when she pledged $30 million to The Metropolitan Opera. It’s the largest gift from an individual in the Met’s rich 128-year history and—another rarity—one that can be used for whatever its management team wants. The contribution coincided with Ms. Ziff ’s ascendancy on the Met’s prestigious board, with its 41 high-powered managing directors. (The 64-year-old became co- chairman in May 2010 and sole chairman in May 2011.) She also recently helped fund Robert Lepage’s new production of Wagner’s four-opera Ring cycle, which debuted at the Met last September to sold-out houses, despite mixed reviews for the first two productions. A clearly busy Ms. Ziff sits on the boards of the American Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the World Science Festival, among others. But her ties to the Met run especially deep: Her mother, Harriet Henders, was an opera singer who made her U.S. debut at the old Met opera house in 1939. Who’s who when it comes to the most important private funders of New York City’s unparalleled cultural offerings? The list would be long. But it would have to include these power patrons of the arts. Donations to arts and cultural nonprofits suffered with the recession, as funding dried up for music, opera, dance, and other performing and visual arts, and many philanthropists shifted their charitable efforts toward more basic human needs, like hunger or health. Arts giving nationwide fell by around 2% last year, according to Giving USA, and in New York, the megamillion-dollar gifts that came to exemplify the boom years proved harder for arts executives to mine. Still, a number of major donors, like David Koch, a co-owner of Koch Industries, and Ann Ziff, the widowed matriarch of the publishing clan, have made big contributions to local arts and cultural groups over the past few years. And some philanthropic institutions, including the Ford Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, actually have increased their recent giving. In this first-of-its-kind compilation of New York City’s most important arts donors, Crain’s New York Business presents the people who gave some of the largest gifts of 2010 and the first half of 2011, as well as leading corporate and foundation supporters that have stepped up where others have pulled back. As one company’s philanthropy chief explained, “The arts make cities vibrant places to live.” And to do business. —miriam kreinin souccar and jermaine taylor christopher duggan illustrations by louisa bertman 20110725-NEWS--0016,0017-NAT-CCI-CN_-- 7/21/2011 7:43 PM Page 1
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THE CULTURE CLUB
Don RandelPresident Andrew W. MellonFoundationThe $5.4 billion-asset Mellonfoundation gavemore than $21million to localarts groups in2010, up from$15 million in2009. DonRandel, a musicologist and formerpresident of the University of Chicagowho took the helm in 2006, expectsthose numbers to keep climbing.
Major recipients last year includedthe New York Shakespeare Festival($2 million), the Pierpont MorganLibrary (nearly $1.8 million) andDance Theatre of Harlem ($600,000)But the smaller grants paint a richpicture, too, including gifts to the little-known Nikolais-Louis Foundation forDance ($40,000) and the politicallycharged Tectonic Theater Project($50,000).
“Arts organizations have beenunder very severe pressure during thedownturn,” said Mr. Randel, 70. “Sothe need has been especially great—especially with the many artsorganizations that always operatewithin the edge of their resources.”
Sandy and Joan WeillChairman, Carnegie Hall
Chairwoman, Alvin Ailey Dance FoundationFor decades, they’ve been one of the city’s most prominent power couples inthe arts. Sandy Weill, the 78-year-old former head of Citigroup, has ledCarnegie Hall’s board since 1991. His wife, Joan, 77, has been chairwomanof the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation since 2000.
Their commitment hasn’t waned in recent years, even as the value ofCitigroup shares plunged during the financial crisis. In 2008, the couple co-chaired a $50 million endowment campaign for Ailey’s 50th anniversary, kickingit off with a $15 million donation of their own. And in the past 18 months,they donated $52 million to cultural organizations, mainly in New York.
In January, for instance, the Weills gave $25 million to Carnegie Hall tohelp renovate its studio towers and create a
61,000-square-foot music educationwing. The expansion will allow thestoried concert hall to grow educationprograms that currently engage more
than 170,000 people a year, includingthousands of New York City
public school kids.Now that the Weills are
spending more time inCalifornia, cultural groupsthere get to share the bounty. Arecent $12 million gift to theGreen Music Center atSonoma State University, Ms.Weill noted in an email, couldhelp the venue become a “WestCoast equivalent toTanglewood.”
“We have been involved withthe arts for several decades not just
financially, but with our time,” shesaid. “We are passionate about the artsbecause we believe they can helpbridge cultural divides thatunfortunately exist throughout theworld.”
Shelby WhiteFounding trusteeLeon Levy FoundationThe city’s cultural treasures outside Manhattan often get overlooked by big donors. Luckily forBrooklyn, there’s native daughter Shelby White, the widow of Wall Street financier andphilanthropist Leon Levy.
Through the Leon Levy Foundation, which has $500 million in assets, Ms. White inMarch pledged $7.5 million to help restore the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It was the largestcontribution by a living donor in the garden’s 100-year history. In 2009, the foundation gave$3.25 million to the Brooklyn Public Library, and in 2008, it donated $10 million to Prospect Park.
“I grew up in Brooklyn during the borough’s ‘golden age,’ played field hockey in Prospect Park, studied at theBrooklyn Public Library and strolled around the Brooklyn Botanic Garden,” Ms. White said in an email. “I’m thrilledthat the Leon Levy Foundation has been part of so many aspects of Brooklyn’s 21st-century re-emergence. Now, if wecould only bring back the Dodgers!”
An author and antiquities collector, she also has committed $400 million over the past five years to universities andManhattan cultural institutions that range from the Lower East Side Tenement Museum to the New York Philharmonic.
16 | Crain’s New York Business | July 25, 2011
Ann ZiffChairmanThe Metropolitan OperaAnn Ziff is a jewelry designer and the owner of boutique Tamsen Z. But the widow offormer Ziff Davis head William Ziff Jr. may be best known for the gem of a gestureshe made last year when she pledged $30 million to The Metropolitan Opera. It’s thelargest gift from an individual in the Met’s rich 128-year history and—anotherrarity—one that can be used for whatever its management team wants.
The contribution coincided with Ms. Ziff ’s ascendancy on the Met’s prestigiousboard, with its 41 high-powered managing directors. (The 64-year-old became co-chairman in May 2010 and sole chairman in May 2011.) She also recently helped fundRobert Lepage’s new production of Wagner’s four-opera Ring cycle, which debuted atthe Met last September to sold-out houses, despite mixed reviews for the first twoproductions.
A clearly busy Ms. Ziff sits on the boards of the American Museum of NaturalHistory, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the WorldScience Festival, among others. But her ties to the Met run especially deep: Hermother, Harriet Henders, was an opera singer who made her U.S. debut at the old Metopera house in 1939.
Who’s who when it comes to the most important private funders of New York City’s unparalleled cultural offerings? The list would be long.
But it would have to include these power patrons of the arts.
Donations to arts and cultural nonprofits suffered with the recession, asfunding dried up for music, opera, dance, and other performing and visualarts, and many philanthropists shifted their charitable efforts toward morebasic human needs, like hunger or health. Arts giving nationwide fell byaround 2% last year, according to Giving USA, and in New York, themegamillion-dollar gifts that came to exemplify the boom years provedharder for arts executives to mine.
Still, a number of major donors, like David Koch, a co-owner of KochIndustries, and Ann Ziff, the widowed matriarch of the publishing clan,have made big contributions to local arts and cultural groups over the past
few years. And some philanthropic institutions, including the FordFoundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, actually haveincreased their recent giving.
In this first-of-its-kind compilation of New York City’s most importantarts donors, Crain’s New York Business presents the people who gave some ofthe largest gifts of 2010 and the first half of 2011, as well as leadingcorporate and foundation supporters that have stepped up where othershave pulled back. As one company’s philanthropy chief explained, “The artsmake cities vibrant places to live.” And to do business.
Michael BloombergMayor, New York CityFounder, Bloomberg LPFounder, Bloomberg Family FoundationFortunately for the city’s cultural institutions, the richest person in New York loves thearts. Make that really loves the arts: Michael Bloomberg gave away $279.2 million lastyear to 970 arts, social service and public affairs groups, placing him second on theChronicle of Philanthropy’s annual list of top givers in the U.S.
He also donated nearly $200 million over the past decade to local arts andsocial services through an arm’s-length arrangement that’s run by the CarnegieCorporation of New York. His highly profitable financial media company is also abig arts sponsor: Bloomberg LP spent $300,000 to sponsor the Brooklyn Academy ofMusic’s recent spring season and underwrote New York City Center’s Fall for Dancefestival last year.
This year, his $2.2 billion-asset Bloomberg Family Foundation takes over the artspatronage, as Mr. Bloomberg, 69, consolidates his charitable efforts during his finalterm as mayor. His stated goal: giving away most of his fortune before he dies. InFebruary, his foundation invited 250 small cultural groups in the five boroughs toapply for a share of $32 million to be disbursed over two years.
There’s a danger that New York’s culture industry has grown too reliant on themayor’s generosity. For instance, arts executives have little incentive to speak outduring debates over city funding cuts to nonprofits.
Even so, some observers hope Mr. Bloomberg’s foundation support for thearts will only grow, especially once he leaves office.
“It could rival Bill Gates’ and Warren Buffett’s [shared philanthropic vehicle],”said Will Maitland Weiss, executive director of the Arts & Business Council. “Onlyinstead of trying to eradicate malaria in Africa, our hope is that the Bloombergfoundation becomes the No. 1 private foundation for the arts.”
David KochCo-ownerKoch Industries Inc.Billionaire David Koch made a high-society splash back in 2008 with his $100 milliongift to renovate Lincoln Center’s New York State Theater. The longtime home of theNew York City Ballet and, until recently, the New York City Opera is now named afterhim. His cultural largesse hasn’t slowed since. Over the past three years—on top of theState Theater gift—Mr. Koch has lavished some $130 million on local artsinstitutions.
Last year, he pledged $60 million over six years to the Metropolitan Museum ofArt to renovate its outdoor fountains. He has written checks worth a total of $630,000to the struggling City Opera since 2009. And when the American Ballet Theatre cameknocking last year with the news it did not have the money to present The Nutcrackerfor the holidays, he quickly handed over $2.5 million.
Although the politically ultraconservative Mr. Koch has gotten bad press lately inliberal New York for his support of the Tea Party movement, his generosity to localarts groups—especially the big, prestigious ones—could not be more welcome. The71-year-old said he spends a lot of time personally reviewing stacks of proposals fromvarious cultural groups, looking for projects that he feels passionate about.
“My gift to the American Museum of Natural History, for example, stems fromvisits I made there with my father and brothers when I was a boy,” Mr. Koch said,explaining a $20 million gift in 2006 for the museum’s dinosaur wing. “No fundraisingappeal can match that feeling of a personal connection. In my mind, I am alwayswalking beside my father, and now my son, when I enter that museum.”
July 25, 2011 | Crain’s New York Business | 17
RonaldStantonChairmanTransammonia Inc.Ronald Stanton’s biggest gifts havegone to schools, hospitals andJewish causes. But the founder ofone of the city’s largest privately heldcompanies—Transammonia, whichgenerated an estimated $8 billion inrevenues last year from its fertilizerand petrochemical businesses—isalso a major donor to the arts.
Look no further than the fact that theMuseum ofModern Artrecentlybestowed itsprestigiousDavidRockefellerAward on Mr.Stanton.
The 83-year-old’scultural generosity lately includes$25 million for Lincoln Center’s$1.2 billion redevelopmentcampaign. He’s also given$7 million to the Brooklyn Academyof Music over the past five years fora variety of uses.
One of those uses: funding the re-creation of the French opera Atys,which will be presented inSeptember to launch BAM’s 150thanniversary season. Thephilanthropist reportedly told theopera’s musical director, WilliamChristie, that seeing Atys the firsttime “changed my life.”
Tim McClimonPresidentAmerican ExpressFoundationThe American Folk Art Museum,Lincoln Center and the New YorkPhilharmonic are a few of the culturalorganizations that shared in$8.4 million donated across the U.S.last year by AmEx’s philanthropicarm, headed by Tim McClimon.
The foundation has sponsoredthe Brooklyn Academy of Music forover 25 years, giving $1.6 millionand backing events such as the 2010
inauguralOpera Festivaland the 2011Next WaveFestival. TheAlvin AileyDanceFoundationwas awarded$200,000earlier thisyear by AmEx’s
Members Project Initiative, throughwhich cardholders vote on charitiesthat receive corporate funding.
“Our mission is to bring to life thevalue of good corporate citizenshipby supporting visionary nonprofits,”Mr. McClimon said in a statement.“Through the arts, creativity prospers,diversity is celebrated and localbusinesses thrive.”
Luis UbinasPresidentFord FoundationLocal arts institutions used to complain thatManhattan’s mighty Ford Foundation paid littleattention to its neighbors. Not anymore. Since LuisUbinas became president of the second-largestfoundation in America, it has become one of the city’sbiggest cultural supporters. This year, the $11 billion-asset Ford Foundation is on track to give away$15 million to New York arts organizations, triple theamount it donated three years ago.
Its grants and programs reach a range of organizations, from smaller groups like ElMuseo del Barrio to establishment players like The Metropolitan Opera. A fewmonths ago, the foundation gave $3 million to help complete the interior of the newMuseum for African Art going up on East 110th Street. It also is transforming P.S.109, an abandoned school in East Harlem, into a building that will house artistresidences and performance space—part of a $100 million foundation effort todevelop arts spaces around the country.
Mr. Ubinas said he was moved by the recession to step up grants to local artsorganizations, but also driven by a wealth of exciting proposals that recently comeacross his desk. “We’re going to leave a legacy of a substantially reinforced New YorkCity arts environment, despite this recession,” he vowed.
The 48-year-old, who grew up near Yankee Stadium, has something of a soft spotfor what the arts can do for the average New Yorker. “I didn’t grow up in the mostaffluent place in the world,” he recalled, “but I was able to see rehearsals at thePhilharmonic for free, and sit in the cavernous Met Museum for free when it wasalmost empty back in the 1970s and see that art as if it were mine.”
TO GET TO MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, or at least his money, cultural groups needthe green light from his two power brokers in the arts.
The newest face is Anita Contini, the former directorfor memorial, cultural and civic programs at the LowerManhattan Development Corp. She was hired last year as aconsultant to the Bloomberg Family Foundation to overseean initiative to seed $32 million over the next two years tosmall arts groups throughout the city. Some believe it’s anattempt to distance City Hall from any politically tricky
charitable decision-making. Most powerful of all is Patricia Harris, chief executive of the foundation and
first deputy mayor. Ms. Harris’ ties to Mr. Bloomberg date back to 1994, whenshe was hired to manage his media company’s philanthropy,public relations and governmental affairs division. (Before hebecame mayor, Mr. Bloomberg sat on some 20 cultural and civicboards, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the JewishMuseum.) Ms. Harris, 56, remains his top adviser for artsphilanthropy. Her dual role in his administration and hisfoundation has drawn criticism, yet she is widely seen in the
cultural community as an advocate for the little guys in the arts world.
Joseph and Diana DiMennaCo-founder, Zweig-DiMenna Associates
Co-director, DiMenna FoundationWith the fortune generated by his $2 billion hedge fund, Joseph DiMenna and hiswife, Diana, are carving their names into cultural buildings all over town—and not justat the high-profile institutions favored by so many wealthy patrons. “We’re big fans ofthe little engine that could,” Ms. DiMenna said.
Last year, the couple donated $5 million to the New-York Historical Society tobuild a children’s museum as part of the renovation of the society’s landmarkheadquarters.
In 2008, they gave $5 million to the Orchestra of St. Luke’s to construct theDiMenna Center for Classical Music, the orchestra’s first permanent home and thecity’s first rehearsal and recording facility dedicated to classical music. It opened inMarch.
The DiMennas—he’s 52; she’s 47—have been big boosters of the arts for manyyears, allocating nearly $20 million since 2006 to a range of organizations, from Jazz atLincoln Center to the Noguchi Museum in Queens. But their two recent naming giftswere the first of that caliber.
“The Historical Society and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s are both organizationsthat have done an enormous amount on their own with not much notoriety and notmuch backing,” Ms. DiMenna said. “In terms of big investments, we like to look fornascent ideas, things that we have the ability to participate in. The idea of [just]writing a check isn’t that interesting to us.”
Jeff BarkerPresident, New York CityBank of America Bank of America’s $3 million in contributions to local culturalorganizations in 2010 make it one of NewYork’s top corporate donors to the arts.
The nation’s largest commercial banksupports a number of institutions, includingThe Metropolitan Opera and the BrooklynAcademy of Music. It seems most proud of itslong-term commitments: For instance, BofAhas just started a five-year project to help theWhitney Museum of American Art move fromits longtime Upper East Side base to the newhome it’s building in the meatpacking district.Under Jeff Barker, 58, the bank has also beenthe lead sponsor of The Public Theater’sShakespeare in the Park program for the past several years.
“The fact that 100,000 people can see Shakespeare for free in NewYork City is what we’re all about,” Mr. Barker said.
Jonathan and Lizzie TischChief executive, Loews Hotels
Chair, Friends of the Costume InstituteJonathan and Lizzie Tisch started off 2011 with a bang: In January, they made the
largest single publicly acknowledged gift that’s beenawarded to a New York cultural institution so far
this year.Their donation of $10 million will enable the
Metropolitan Museum of Art to create a new4,200-square-foot exhibition space within itsCostume Institute.
According to Mr. Tisch, 57, the impetuscame from his wife, Lizzie, 39, who
heads the volunteer groupFriends of the CostumeInstitute.
“My wife is a strongbeliever that fashion is anart form that needs to berecognized as such,” he said.
Emily Rafferty,president of the Met,noted that the Tischesare more than merebenefactors.
“Their involvement,”she said, “is very muchhands-on.”
AlessandraDiGiustoChief administrativeofficer and directorDeutsche BankAmericas FoundationThe German financial services gianthas given $6.6 million to 42 arts andcommunity organizations throughoutNew York City since 2002. It plans todole out more than $1 million overthe next two years to help arts groupshere take advantage of emergingtechnologies.
The Deutsche Bank AmericasFoundation, run by AlessandraDiGiusto, is also providingsustainability grants to 13organizations.They include the BronxMuseum of the Arts, Harlem Stageand the Queens Museum of Art.
“The arts make cities vibrantplaces to live,” said Ms. DiGiusto,whose father, an art professor andsculptor, introduced her to museumsaround the world when she wasgrowing up. “We’re building long-term relationships with theseorganizations.”
Bruce KovnerFounder and chairmanCaxton Associates
Although the billionaire hedge funder likes tokeep his gifts anonymous, arts insiders at the mostprestigious institutions know Bruce Kovner well.
Mr. Kovner, 66, donated $25 million a fewyears back to help renovate Lincoln Center, andhe is a major funder of both The Juilliard Schooland The Metropolitan Opera, where he ischairman and a board member, respectively. Hiscontributions go far beyond the financial, however.
“His absolute first and foremost contribution hasbeen his vision and his leadership,” said Joseph Polisi,president of Juilliard.
Instead of simply doling out money to put his name on a wing, Mr.Kovner works with arts executives to figure out what they need. He recentlygave the Brooklyn Academy of Music $5 million to help the organizationexpand its operations and find new fundraising streams.
Emily Fisher LandauTrustee, Whitney Museum of American Art
Founder, Fisher Landau Center for ArtEmily Fisher Landau turns 91 next month—and she’s still buying contemporary art to add tothe staggeringly prolific 1,200-work collection she started in the 1960s. She demurs whenasked about her favorites. “I’ll say Rauschenberg and Warhol. I don’t want to mention anyliving artists, because I don’t want to offend anybody.”
The widow of real estate mogul Martin Fisher and clothing manufacturer Sheldon Landau, Ms. Fisher Landau lastyear donated 367 of her treasures to the Whitney Museum of American Art, including seminal examples of artwork byRobert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns and many others. The gift, valued at $50 million to $75 million, isseen as a huge boost to the Whitney’s holdings.
Ms. Fisher Landau has been on the Whitney’s board for more than 30 years. She used to be a trustee at theMuseum of Modern Art and The Metropolitan Opera, as well. In 1991, she opened the Fisher Landau Center for Artin a former parachute harness factory in Long Island City, Queens, where she shows pieces from her collection to thepublic. “I went to every museum in Europe that was built and owned by a woman to research that endeavor,” she said.
Long known for nurturing the careers of emerging artists—she wanted to go to art school when she was young butcouldn’t because of the Depression—Ms. Fisher Landau in recent years has sponsored an annual show at the Queenscenter for students graduating from Columbia University’s M.F.A. program in visual art.
Laurie Tisch (left), the 60-year-old daughter of the late Preston Robert Tisch—former co-chairman of Loews Corp.—and the sister of Jonathan Tisch, is the founding chairman of theCenter for Arts in Education and recently launched a foundation to support educational andcultural opportunities for poor New Yorkers. She gave Lincoln Center $10 million in 2007 tocreate a public lawn, and recently joined its executive committee. ……Stephen Schwarzman (right), 64, co-founder of private equity firmThe Blackstone Group, donated $100 million to the New York Public
Library in 2008—the largest gift in the library’s history—in return for naming rights to theBryant Park flagship. He’s also a trustee of the Asia Society and the Frick Collection. ......Leonard Lauder, chairman emeritus of Estée Lauder Cos., gave $130 million to theWhitney Museum of American Art in 2008 to boost its endowment, with the stipulation thatit never sell its landmark, Marcel Breuer-designed Madison Avenue home. Mr. Lauder, 78, has
since backed the Whitney’s move in 2015 to new digs downtown by the High Line. But hehelped broker a deal to keep the Upper East Side property in the Whitney family by rentingthe 1960s-era cube to the Metropolitan Museum of Art as a satellite exhibit space. ......Mercedes Bass (left), 67, gave $25 million to The Metropolitan Opera in 2005 and morerecently led a $100 million fundraising drive there—during the depths of the recession. ......David Rockefeller, 96, gave $100 million to the Museum of Modern Art’s endowmentin 2005, part of his plan to give away much of his estimated $2.4 billion net worth.
