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
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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
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| JUNE
2015
| washingtonlife.com