SPECIAL CIAL FEATU FEATURE | THE PHILANTHROPIC
still in private hands. “With this donation, the Gallery allery will house one of the finest assemblages of early American furniture, and there is no such comparable and easily accessible public collection in the nation’s capital,” the gallery’s director, Rusty Powell, said of the gift. Kaufmann has also donated major Dutch and American paintings, 40 floral watercolors by French artist PierreJoseph Redouté and “Gloucester Sunset,” one of Winslow Homer’s most vibrant and luminous early watercolors. ROBERT AND ARLENE KOGOD AND CLARICE SMITH As lovers of the arts and supporters of education, Robert and Arlene Kogod and Arlene’s sister, Clarice Smith, are established patrons of the Smithsonian Institution, the Newseum, Arena Stage, the Shakespeare Theatre Company, Signature Theatre, George Washington University, Sidwell Friends School, American University and the University of Maryland with donations estimated at over $170 million. In addition to these larger grants, their giving extends to numerous other charities and organizations. SAMUEL AND SUSAN LEHRMAN Along with his brother Robert, Samuel Lehrman directs the Jacob and Charlotte Lehrman Foundation, whose mission is to support and enrich Jewish life in Washington, D.C., Israel and throughout the world. Susan Lehrman’s total underwriting of the Washington National Opera’s Opera Ball over the past four years made it one of the city’s most over-thetop charity events and ensured that 100 percent of the proceeds directly benefited the company. Since WNO’s merger with the Kennedy Center, Susan Lehrman has expanded her generosity to other causes. Most recently, she endowed a chair in Russian history and culture at American University’s College of Arts and Sciences. TED AND LYNN LEONSIS Ted and Lynn Leonsis do well by doing good.Through their foundation and giving platforms, including Monumental Sports and Entertainment, Snagfilms, Revolution Growth Fund and Groupon, they have supported 400plus charities in the past year. Word is that they have two films soon to be shown under their
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Cynthia Ryan
Winsome McIntosh
Samuel and Susan Lehrman Jeannie and Tom Rutherfoord
Filmanthropy production company, shining a light on tough subjects and supporting charitable causes via new media. TED AND ANNETTE LERNER They may be best known these days as owners of the Washington Nationals baseball team, but the Lerners made their fortune in real estate, with Lerner Enterprises building local landmarks such as Tysons Corner and Dulles Town Center. The couple is remarkably generous, especially to educational and Jewish causes in the Washington, D.C. area. Through their family foundation they donated the Annette and Theodore Ler ner Family Health and Wellness Center and Theodore N. Lerner Hall to George Washington University (Ted is an alumnus) and have given generously
to the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington, the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, Imagination Stage and Hebrew University of Jerusalem. ANN LUSKEY Fiercely passionate about ocean conservation, Luskey funded a three-month-long expedition to Cuba in 2011 on her motor yacht, Sirenus (which means “mermaid”) for scientists from Cuba and America to conduct research alongside documentary filmmakers from the Sylvia Earle Foundation and journalist Anderson Cooper; earlier that year, she funded scientists from Panama, Columbia and Costa Rica to examine Eastern Pacific shark tagging. In addition to The Ocean Foundation, Luskey sits on the boards of The African Wildlife
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