NAF Founder Sanford Weill Receives Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy

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9 Oct 2009

 

The 2009 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy has been awarded to four individuals and families who have dedicated their private wealth to the public good.  NAF Founder Sanford I. Weill, along with his wife Joan Weill, received the award, along with three others who are honored this year: Michael R. Bloomberg, the Koç family and Gordon & Betty Moore. The awards are presented on behalf of the more than 20 organizations established thanks to Andrew Carnegie's munificence.
"The 2009 Medalists represent a diverse cross-section of philanthropic commitments and geographic locations. Yet, they have a common philosophy of giving," said Vartan Gregorian, president of Carnegie Corporation of New York and chair of the Medal selection committee. "By celebrating the philanthropic work of these individuals and families, we, the members of the Carnegie family of institutions, seek to highlight the importance of philanthropy in our modern societies. The Medal also gives us an opportunity to celebrate Andrew Carnegie's philanthropy and the many contributions of the organizations he founded."
Andrew Carnegie's philanthropic career began in the 1870s. In "The Gospel of Wealth," which he published in 1889, he outlined his philosophy of giving, which asserted that the rich are "trustees" of their wealth and are under a moral obligation to reinvest it in society in ways that promote the welfare and happiness of the "common man." Andrew Carnegie believed that one who dies rich dies disgraced, because one did not have the imagination or the foresight to dispose of one's wealth for the good of society. By the time of his death in 1919, Carnegie had been true to his convictions: he had disposed of his wealth wisely. He invested a minimum of $350 million dollars--nearly all of his fortune--to advance education, science, culture and international peace. More than a century later, more than 20 organizations carry Andrew Carnegie's name and continue his mission.

The selection committee is chaired by Vartan Gregorian. William Thomson, great grandson of Andrew Carnegie and Honorary Chair of the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust, serves as Honorary Chair of the Medal Selection Committee. The committee's members are: Andrew Miller, Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland; Richard Meserve, Carnegie Institution for Science; Nora Rundell, Carnegie Dunfermline Trust; David Hillenbrand, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh; and, Jessica Mathews, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Leaders from the 22 Carnegie organizations have spent considerable effort to identify and nominate global philanthropic leaders. The Koç family is the seventh international awardee in the medal's history. Past international medalists include: the Cadbury family, Sir Tom Farmer, His Highness the Aga Khan, Dr. Kazuo Inamori, the Sainsbury family and the Tata Family. (A full list of past Awardees is at bottom.)

The Medals were conferred Thursday, October 15 at the Celeste Bartos Forum of the The New York Public Library, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. Bill Moyers, noted author, journalist, and host of Bill Moyers Journal will serve as Master of Ceremonies. The awards ceremony is the centerpiece of a day-long celebration including a roundtable discussion entitled "Foundations of Modern Philanthropy: Private Wealth to Public Good, 1889-2009" featuring David Nasaw, author of Andrew Carnegie; Patricia Stonesifer, Special Advisor to the Trustees, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Jean Strouse, Author of Morgan, American Financier; and Peter J. Johnson, Co-Author of The Rockefeller Century and Associate, Rockefeller Family & Associates.

Joan and Sanford I. Weill
Joan and Sanford I. Weill's philanthropy spans more than a half century. During this period, the Weills' philanthropic giving has totaled more than $800 million, according to BusinessWeek. Major beneficiaries have included New York's Carnegie Hall and Cornell's Medical College and Graduate School of Medical Sciences, as well as Cornell University's Weill Bugando Medical Center in Tanzania.

A long-time proponent of the importance of education, the Weills instituted a joint public-private sector partnership with the New York City Board of Education in 1980 that established the Academy of Finance. This school is designed to prepare high school students for careers in financial services, hospitality and tourism, information technology and engineering. Mr. Weill serves as Founder and Chairman of the National Academy Foundation (NAF), which oversees more than 500 career-themed Academies in 40 states, as well as the District of Columbia. In addition to NAF, Mr. Weill gives of his time as chairman of Carnegie Hall and Weill Cornell Medical College. Mrs. Weill is chair of Alvin Ailey American Dance Foundation, where she has been a key organizer of the effort to raise funds and construct in New York City an expanded dance facility, and Paul Smith's College of the Adirondacks, through which she directed the establishment of a regional digital research library and is involved in the building of the Student Center. Together, Mr. and Mrs. Weill are co-chairs of the White Nights Foundation of America, which is committed to strengthening relationships between Russia and the United States.

Among the many beneficiaries of the Weills' service and munificence are: Sidra, a 380-bed special teaching hospital to be completed in 2011 in Qatar; New York Presbyterian Hospital; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; The New York Weill Cornell Medical Center's Women's Health Symposium, which Mrs. Weill co-chairs; Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan; and Citymeals-On-Wheels.

In addition to their own generous donations, the Weills have helped to leverage many millions of dollars from individuals and corporations for the culture, health, and education causes they hold dear. In celebration of Mr. Weill's 70th birthday, to give one example of this, the couple raised a record $60 million through their $30 million matching gift for the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall, which promotes music education in classrooms around the world.

About the National Academy Foundation
The National Academy Foundation (NAF) is an acclaimed national network of high school career academies – or schools within schools – predominately based in urban districts- with rigorous, career-themed curricula created with current industry and educational expertise. Each year, NAF serves more than 50,000 students in over 500 Academies in 41 states and the District of Columbia through the Academy of Finance, the Academy of Engineering, the Academy of Hospitality & Tourism, and the Academy of Information Technology. NAF was founded by Sanford I. Weill, Chairman Emeritus of Citigroup Inc., as a partnership between business leaders and educators. Employees of more than 2,500 businesses support NAF students by securing paid internships, volunteering in classrooms, acting as mentors, and serving on local Advisory Boards. NAF's record of success with 90% graduation rates and more than 80% of these graduates going on to college, has garnered the support of corporations, public policy makers, and foundations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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