Faces of Philanthropy » Politics

Tony Blair Philanthropy

admin — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:43:48 +0000

Anthony Charles Lynton “Tony” Blair served as Prime Minister of Britain from May 2, 1997 to June 27, 2007. Blair has become Britain’s most prominent and internationally recognized political figures. Under his leadership, the political party which he served in adopted a new name; “Labour” became “New Labour.” The new name highlights the party’s shift from the left to the center ground of the political spectrum. After 18 years of being in the minority, Blair led New Labour to a landslide victory in the 1997 general election. At 43, Tony Blair became the youngest prime minister in over 200 years. After a third term, he stepped down as Prime Minister and was replaced by Gordon Brown.

Tony Blair has been teaching a course at Yale University regarding faith and globalization since, and is currently active in philanthropic work.

Blair has launched the Tony Blair Faith Foundation in 2008, an interfaith charity that aims to promote faith as a force for good and build solidarity among religions to collectively address poverty and war. The charity’s purpose is to foster religious harmony across the world. Already, the charity has received £3.6m in donations. Among its programs are student cultural exchanges, religious literacy among the youth and interfaith solidarity meetings with religious leaders.
Tony Blair has also promoted good governance through his numerous speaking engagements and lectures as a tool for achieving social and economic development. With a focus on Africa and thrust on malaria prevention, he created the Tony Blair Governance Initiative to foster growth among African countries based on the Millennium Development Goals through the administration of good governance. Recently, Blair has volunteered to become an unpaid adviser to Rwanda’s President Kagame.
Blair has also been engaged in health advocacy, launching the Tony Blair Sports Foundation, to promote an increased participation among children in sports and encourage adults to become coaches. The foundation aims to raise funds to encourage overall health and prevent childhood obesity. Programs include track, indoor rowing, tennis, and others.
Blair has also become involved in women’s issues with his wife, who established the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, a charity that promotes economic independence and sufficiency. The charity builds partnerships with mobile companies and microfinance institutions to promote livelihood among women in the Middle East and other developing countries.

Tony Robbins Philanthropy Anthony “Tony” Robbins, born on February 29th 1960 in California,...
Ashley Judd Philanthropy Ashley Judd has spent most of her time among the...
Barbra Streisand Philanthropy In the American entertainment industry, Barbara Streisand is an icon....

Ann Richards Philanthropy

admin — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:55:13 +0000

Dorothy Ann Willis was born in Lakeview, Texas on September 1, 1933. She is the 2nd female governor of Texas and the 39th Democratic governor to ever serve. She was in office from 1992 to 1995. On November 6, 1990, she was inaugurated governor of Texas. During her term, Ann Richards started a program aimed at revitalizing the U.S. economy, an act that resulted to a 2% growth. In 1993, she started the famous Robin Hood Plan; a plan intended to make financial support more practical for schools across the district.

After her term as governor, Ann Richards untiringly campaigned for Democratic candidates throughout the United States like John Kerry and Howard Dean. She was also active in social issues such as abortion rights, health care, equality, gender equality and gay rights.

In the fall of 2007, the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders opened in Austin, Texas. It is a unique all-girl preparatory school established to educate young women from grades 6-12.

It was on September 13, 2006 when Ann Richards died in her home in Austin, Texas. She was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in March that year. Admirers, family and friends paid their last respects in three memorial services.

Ben Barnes Philanthropy is a political consultant who started his career at a...
Michael Dell Philanthropy and his wife Susan established the Michael and Susan Dell...
Ashley Judd Philanthropy Ashley Judd has spent most of her time among the...

Michael Bloomberg

admin — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 21:13:43 +0000

Born in Brighton, Boston on February 14, 1942, the 108th mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, is of Russian-Polish descent. He was educated in John Hopkins University where he worked his way through college to earn his Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering. He accomplished his masters in business administration at the same educational institution. As the 34th richest American (Forbes 400) with an estimated $12 billion net worth in 2007, the self-made man has come far from his humble beginnings.

As the founder of Bloomberg, LP (est. 1981), Michael Bloomberg’s name is renowned in the financial, entrepreneurial, political, and philanthropic worlds. Bloomberg, LP, a real time stock market information firm, was a revolutionary idea at the time of its inception. It has become an authority on exercising efficiency and transparency in the professional financial industry. The financial software it sells, Bloomberg Terminal, is used to tap into the Bloomberg Professional which offers the most comprehensive milieu of financial information. Today, its portfolio also covers television, radio and Internet in its continued efforts to provide accurate and up-to-the-minute financial information and news.

As the Chronicles of Philanthropy’s 9th most generous donor, Michael Bloomberg gave a total of $235 million in 2008 alone. His interests cover a wide range of sectors, from health-care, education, social service and the arts to a total of 1,200 nonprofit organizations.

• From 1996-2002, Michael Bloomberg served as the chair of John Hopkins University in Baltimore. He contributed $300 million solely for the medical university. In fact, Michael Bloomberg helped build the Bloomberg School of Public Health.
• The Carnegie Corporation is also the recipient of his aid, in the form of $5 – 20 million dedicated to people diagnosed with cancer, for which he signed on to as an “Anonymous” benefactor. In 2008, Stand Up to Cancer, a Pasadena, California-based group that focuses on cancer research and efforts for the development of treatments for afflicted patients, also received financial support.
• Other institutions that Michael Bloomberg has bestowed monetary gifts upon are the Robin Hood Foundation (New York-based anti-poverty organization) as well as the World Lung Foundation, which works to reduce tobacco use in low and middle-income countries.
• In 2007, Michael Bloomberg became more aggressive in his philanthropic pursuits and established the Bloomberg Family Foundation in New York.

Michael Milken Philanthropy As he battled cancer, Michael Milken realized that he had...
Michael Dell Philanthropy and his wife Susan established the Michael and Susan Dell...
Michael Jordan Philanthropy Michael Jordan is acknowledged by innumerable fans to be the...

Laura Bush Philanthropy

admin — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:07:59 +0000

From 2001 to 2009, Laura Lane Welch Bush was the First Lady of the United States. Born on November 4, 1946, she is the wife of George W. Bush, the 43rd United States president. Laura Bush is the only child of Jenna Hawkins and Harold Welch.

Born and raised in Midland, Texas, Laura Bush was encouraged by her parents to read. Soon enough, she grew very fond of reading and developed a love for books.

After graduation, she began teaching elementary children at Longfellow Elementary School and the John F. Kennedy Elementary School until 1972. The following year, she received her degree of Master of Science in Library Science from the University of Texas in Austin.

Before becoming the First Lady of the United States, she was a former First Lady of Texas in 1995. Laura Bush focused her attention on women’s and children’s causes such as health, literacy and education. Her four major organizations are Ready to Read, an early childhood program aimed at younger children; The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy; Take Time For Kids, a campaign concentrating on parenting and the education of parents and caregivers alike; and Reach Out and Read, a reading curriculum.

She then established the Family Literacy Initiative that aims to persuade parents to read with their children. Another of her personal establishments is the Texas Book Festival, where she uses the funds to donate to public libraries. Even during her first time in public service, Laura Bush started numerous benevolent movements and spent considerable time in launching these throughout the country.

It was in 2001 that Laura Bush became the First Lady of the United States. From then on, she focused on education, women’s health and early child development by producing more projects concerning these issues. Because of all these efforts, Laura Bush was named as the honorary ambassador for the United Nation’s Decade of Literacy.

Dr. Laura Schlessinger Philanthropy has donated money and sponsored fund-raising events that have contributed...
Ann Richards Philanthropy Dorothy Ann Willis was born in Lakeview, Texas on September...
Michael Dell Philanthropy and his wife Susan established the Michael and Susan Dell...

Leon Panetta Philanthropy

admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:18:21 +0000

Leon Edward Panetta is an American Democratic politician and the 3rd director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Born on June 28, 1938, Leon Panetta, the son of Italian immigrants, was raised in Monterey, California. He graduated magna cum laude in Santa Clara University in 1956 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He gained his Juris Doctor in 1963 from the Santa Clara University School of Law and began practicing soon afterwards.

As U.S. Representative of California’s 16th district, his efforts focused on health, education, civil rights, budget issues and environmental issues. In 1988, he wrote the Hunger Prevention Act and generated safety measures to protect the whole California coast.

Being a huge promoter of the wellness of the world’s oceans, Leon Panetta wrote several acts meant to protect the California coast. He is currently the co-chairman of the Joint Ocean Commissions Initiative, commissioner of the Pew Oceans Commissions, and a member of the board of directors of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.

In December 1988, Leon Panetta and his wife Sylvia founded the Panetta Institute for Public Policy, a non-partisan and non-profit study center in California State University where they both serve as directors.

George Deukmejian Philanthropy Finally, in 1982, George Deukmejian ran for governor of California...
Michelle Obama Philanthropy Forthright, decisive, and a remarkable figure in her own right,...
Al Gore Philanthropy served as the Vice President of the United States, under...

George Deukmejian Philanthropy

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:15:01 +0000

Before Courken George Deukmejian, Jr. became the governor of California, he was elected state senator for Long Beach in 1962. Of ethnic Armenian descent, George was born to a rug merchant and a retail store employee on July 6, 1928. He was born and raised in Menands, New York.

In 1949, he graduated from Siena College in the Albany County of New York with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology. Later on, he received his Juris Doctor in 1952 from St. John’s University in Queens, New York.

After serving in the U.S. Army for two years, he moved to California in 1955. Upon entering politics, he became the majority leader in the State Senate in 1969 and then became the Attorney General of California in 1978. At one point, he led an impressive and much publicized anti-marijuana campaign in North Carolina.

Finally, in 1982, George Deukmejian ran for governor of California and served from 1983 to 1991. Throughout his governorship, he had some goodhearted changes done such as vowing not to raise taxes and proposed new efforts to fight crime. He even wrote California’s capital punishment law and increased expenditure for the construction of new jails.

In George Deukmejian’s inaugural speech in 1987, he mentioned several things he wanted to be done in California, including the improvement of care and opportunities for their senior citizens and the implementation of the California Children’s Initiative to protect young people from drugs, disease, disability and criminal exploitation.

In 1988, George Deukmejian declared October 27, 1988 as the “Good Bear Day.” He entrusted the Assistance League of California, a nonprofit and nonpolitical organization, to provide teddy bears for the children from all over the Los Angeles area who were in traumatic and depressing situations.

According to him, the government can add to the number of peace officers and strengthen the new laws. Being tough on crime, he reminds citizens to respect the law, engage in crime fighting efforts in their neighborhood, and support responsible law enforcement. Public safety is his major objective, as well as the execution of criminals and lawbreakers.

After his period in the office, he joined an international law firm for nine years. He went into the public life once more by serving in committees in his hometown, one of which is a charter-reform committee in Long Beach.

Cited on numerous occasions for his work in the areas of both civic philanthropy and social reform, George Deukmejian received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the California State University in Long Beach for his support in education and state law.

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George Clooney Philanthropy George Timothy Clooney, better known in Hollywood as George Clooney,...
George Kaiser Philanthropy George B. Kaiser cemented his reputation as a devout philanthropist...

Bill Clinton Philanthropy

admin — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:07:16 +0000

Few presidents have created such a post-tenure legacy to rival even their actual terms. William Jefferson Clinton is the first Democrat after Franklin D. Roosevelt to win two consecutive terms. His leadership has also led the country to even greater levels of progress.

A Georgetown University alumna, Bill Clinton was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to study in Oxford University with a Rhodes Scholarship that he won in 1968. Bill Clinton then pursued a law degree from the prestigious Yale University, finishing in 1973. Strongly moved by an encounter with President John Kennedy when he was still in high school, he decided to dedicate himself to public service right after graduation.

In 1976, he won the elections for Arkansas Attorney General. Two years after, he became its Governor, a spot he would win for a second time in 1982. Bill Clinton served in this capacity until 1992 when he eyed the Presidential seat and eventually secured the highest position in the nation. From 1992-2000, his administration was responsible for turning the tables on the considerable deficits into becoming record surpluses. Bill Clinton’s magnanimity has constantly shown through his advocacies as President: striving to make technology more accessible, preserving the environment, prioritizing education, lowering the unemployment rate with 22 million jobs created and lobbying for peace around the world.

When his term ended, Bill Clinton was anything but ready to retire from public service. This time, not as a government official, but as a committed philanthropist, he sought out to do what he can for several worthy causes. The William J. Clinton Foundation started as a response to the world’s most pressing needs. Currently, the 1,100-strong nongovernmental institution works in over 40 countries and offices in New York City, Little Rock in Arkansas, and Boston, Massachusetts. Focusing on seven main sectors, the Foundation seeks to do more than just dole out, and instead create sustainable progress by empowering others. The seven initiatives that drive the group are:

• Clinton Global Initiative
• Clinton Hunter Development Initiative
• Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative
• Clinton Economic Opportunity Initiative
• Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative
• Clinton Climate Initiative
• Alliance for a Healthier Generation

After the devastating tsunami from the Indian Ocean in 2004, Bill Clinton was a United Nations’ Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery. In 2005, he also teamed up with President George H.W. Bush to raise funds for the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund ($ 130.6 million).

Bill Gates Philanthropy tremendous wealth and generous philanthropy have garnered him praise and...
Bill Cosby Philanthropy is a beloved comedian and actor best known for his...
Al Gore Philanthropy served as the Vice President of the United States, under...

Michelle Obama Philanthropy

admin — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:57:41 +0000

It takes a woman of commendable character to stand beside as a complementary equal to the most powerful man in our nation. Forthright, decisive, and a remarkable figure in her own right, Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the 1st African-American First Lady of the United States of America. The 44th President, Barack Obama, has made it clear a number of times that she is the “rock” that keeps him grounded as a politician, husband, and father.

Chicago, Illinois is the hometown of Michelle Obama, born January 17, 1964. Her parents, proudly working class, are Marian Shields and Fraser Robinson III. Both have strongly influenced Michelle’s development. Today, Michelle Obama is herself a mother of two daughters, Malia Ann (born 1998) and Natasha (2001).

A pioneering alumna of Whitney M. Young High School, Chicago’s first Magnet School, she graduated as the 1981 class salutatorian. Despite the initial doubt others had of her potential for success, she braved Princeton University to pursue an undergraduate degree. In 1985, Michelle Obama finished Cum Laude, with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in African American Studies. She yet again proved herself as she enrolled in the exclusive Harvard Law School and in 1988, she graduated with a Juris Doctor degree.

Renowned law firm Sidley Austin recruited Michelle Obama in 1988. She worked as an Associate, her specialization being Intellectual Property and Marketing. In the fateful summer of 1988, an intern by the name of Barack Obama came under her critical mentorship. Four years later, in October 1992, the two were married.

In 1991, Michelle Obama left for public service and became part of Mayor Richard M. Daley’s staff as an assistant. In a short time, she became the assistant commissioner of planning and development. The University of Chicago named her its Associate Dean of Student Services in 1996. Her tenure saw to the establishment of its 1st Community Services program. In 2002, she became the executive director of external affairs and community relations for the University of Chicago Hospital. Her promotion to the post of vice president came in 2005.

As founding executive director of non-profit Public Allies Chicago, Michelle Obama developed the leadership training provider for young adults interested in public service careers. By 2007, Michelle Obama was a board member of six prestigious institutions including the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Her other philanthropic and community service-oriented efforts also involved providing financial support.

In 2006, the Obamas contributed 6% of their income, around $60,307, to several key recipients including their congregation Trinity United Church of Christ; international humanitarian, relief and anti-poverty organization CARE; as well as the contemporary and traditional African American Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago.

Leon Panetta Philanthropy Leon Edward Panetta is an American Democratic politician and the...
Anne Cox Chambers Philanthropy Anne Cox Chambers is at the forefront of several philanthropic...
Bill Clinton Philanthropy When his term ended, Bill Clinton was anything but ready...

Al Gore Philanthropy

admin — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:42:49 +0000

Al Gore served as the Vice President of the United States, under President Bill Clinton. A Democrat from Tennessee, he has spent much of his life concerned with environmental issues, global climate change, and environmental policy. After an unsuccessful bid for the presidency in the 2000 election, Gore accepted several visiting professorships at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, Middle Tennessee State University, UCLA, and Fisk University.

Gore starred in the film “An Inconvenient Truth,” which has increased the visibility of global warming, an environmental issue Gore has followed since the 1970’s. The documentary includes Gore’s recent speeches, talks, and research. Gore has also published a book under the same title.
Though no longer in public office, Gore continues to serve the American people. For example, in the days following the devastation of the Gulf Coast and New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina, Gore chartered 2 aircraft to evacuate 270 evacuees to safety.

Martha Ingram Philanthropy Chairman of Ingram Industries, is a major supporter of arts...

John S. Wold Philanthropy

admin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:39:51 +0000

John S. Wold is a former United States congressman and the first ever geologist to have served in the US Congress. John Wold served in the U.S. House of Representatives, but two years later he gave up his position to run for senator. Afterwards, he focused his career in the private sector.

The professional geologist is the founder of Wold Oil Properties, Inc., a Casper, Wyoming-based, privately-owned oil and gas production and exploration company. The company now operates two gas sweetening facilities and 170 wells across Wyoming. John Wold also owns Wold Trona, Wold Tac, and GasTech.

John Wold is the director of the Federation of Rocky Mountain States, VP for Wyoming and South Dakota of the Rocky Mountain Oil and Gas Association, former president of the Wyoming Geological Association, and a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Geophysical Union.

John S. Wold and his wife Jane made $20 million donation to his old alma mater, Union College. The donation is the largest the school has ever received. A portion of their donation was used to construct Wold House, one of seven new student-housing facilities on campus meant to cater students who aren’t involved in fraternities and sororities. The building will be named after Wold’s parents. His father Peter Wold headed the physics department at Union College from 1919 to 1945.

John Kluge Philanthropy is a media mogul, businessman, and philanthropists who lives in...
John Mackey Philanthropy John Mackey currently serves as the chief executive officer of...
Alfred Ford Philanthropy an heir to the Ford Motor Company fortune, directed his...

Earle I. Mack Philanthropy

admin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:54:54 +0000

Earle I. Mack was a senior partner of The Mack-Cali Company, a century old real estate investment and development firm, before retiring to become a philanthropist, a patron of the arts, and an activist in thoroughbred horse racing and trading. Earle Mack has also been an Ambassador to Finland.

Earle Mack has donated to a number of causes, including education and cancer research. Earle Mack has been the director of Executive and Compensation Committees for DiGiorgio/White Rose Foods Corporation, Chairman Emeritus for the Benjamin N. Cardoza School of Law, and a member of the Board of Directors for the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
Earle Mack has contributed heavily to the arts, especially in New York. Earle Mack is a recipient of the Governor’s Arts Award for his service to the arts in New York City. Earle Mack has served as the CEO and Chairman for the New York State Council on the Arts, Chairman Emeritus of the New York State Council for the Arts, and the former Vice Chairman of the Alliance of Arts. Ambassador Mack has also been a board member to the New York City Ballet. Earle I. Mack was the Co-Chairman of the Dance Theatre of Harlem and a member of the Board of Trustees for the American Friends of the Paris Opera & Ballet. Earle Mack has helped finance, produce and co-direct a number of films, including a 90-minute documentary called The Children of Theatre Street.
Earle Mack is a passionate horse breeder and thoroughbred racing enthusiast. Earle Mack has attracted national attention for his activism efforts to establish horse trading laws in Tampa Florida that would make horse trading fair and transparent. Earle Mack has also been Chairman of the New York Racing Commission, a trustee for the New York Racing Association, and an advisor on racing issues and policy.

Catherine B. Reynolds Philanthropy is the first person to develop supplementary structures to educational...
Martha Ingram Philanthropy Chairman of Ingram Industries, is a major supporter of arts...
Anne Cox Chambers Philanthropy Anne Cox Chambers is at the forefront of several philanthropic...

Jimmy Carter Philanthropy

admin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:44:52 +0000

The 39th President of the United States (1977-1981), James Carter Jr. has been a persistent advocate of human rights and social justice. A former peanut farmer, Carter served as Democratic governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975. Carter’s presidency emphasized the U.S. role in human rights advocacy, and he has concentrated on disease prevention and peace programs since, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

Carter has been the most visible proponent of Habitat for Humanity since 1984. Habitat for Humanity is a charitable NGO that provides affordable housing for the poor, having built 175,000 homes worldwide since it was founded in 1976. In 2006, the Jimmy Carter Work Project planned and coordinated the construction of 101 houses in India.
Carter has played an active role in international health programs. Programs include River Blindness, Guinea Worm and Trachoma treatment and prevention, and public health training in Ethiopia.
Carter has advocated for peace and human rights through programs like the Democracy Program, the Human Rights Program, and the Conflict Resolution Program. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his persistent peace advocacy.

Ron Terwilliger Philanthropy Born in September of 1941, J. Ronald Terwilliger, better known...
Rosie O’Donnell Philanthropy Roseanna "Rosie" O'Donnell is a successful and popular comedian and...
Ashley Judd Philanthropy Ashley Judd has spent most of her time among the...

Ben Barnes Philanthropy

admin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:44:45 +0000

Ben Barnes is a political consultant who started his career at a young age. While studying at the University of Texas, Barnes ran for and won a position in the Texas State House of Representatives. A few years later, Ben Barnes ascended to the position of Texas State House Speaker, before becoming the Lt. Governor.

Ben Barnes is actively involved with many Austin-area public interest organizations. Some groups that Ben Barnes supports include a girls’ empowerment network, Genaustin, as well as the Austin Community Foundation and Texas Civil Rights Project. Ben Barnes also serves as as the chairman of Boys and Girls Club of Capital Area.
Ben Barnes has also demonstrated support for the arts and education. He has supported art endownments such as Fractured Atlas and the Austin Museum of Art.
The University of Texas has benefited greatly from Ben Barnes’ generosity, which has established the Ben and Melanie Barnes Endowed Scholarship supporting men’s and women’s athletics.
Ben Barnes has focused a great deal of his efforts toward the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation. The Ben Barnes Fellowship in Public Leadership, in conjunction with the LBJ Foundation, is used to recruit top students from across the nation who have demonstrated interest in public leadership.

Michael Dell Philanthropy and his wife Susan established the Michael and Susan Dell...
Ann Richards Philanthropy Dorothy Ann Willis was born in Lakeview, Texas on September...
Laura Bush Philanthropy Laura Bush focused her attention on women’s and children’s causes...