Big Givers

The Classicist: Win a Private Tour of Ralph Lauren's Car Collection & More

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Oct 11th 2010 at 9:01AM

From now through Oct. 21, Ralph Lauren is auctioning off a number of extraordinary items and experiences to mark the 10th anniversary of Pink Pony, the designer's global initiative to raise awareness and funds in support of the fight against cancer. The online auction, the first of its kind for the Pink Pony cause, is being produced in partnership with luxury charity auction site charitybuzz. Highlights of the incredible event include several once-in-a-lifetime forays into the private world of the famed fashion designer and his luxury empire, including classic cars, polo, chauffeured Bentleys, sexy models and shopping sprees. You check out full details and register to place bids at www.charitybuzz.com/RalphLauren; meanwhile, here are The Classicist's top picks:

1. A private tour of Lauren's incredible car collection, estimated at $150,000: You and a friend will be shown the cars, including the ultra-rare 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic (above), worth an estimated $40 million, a $28 million Ferrari 250 GTO, Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing, McLaren F1LM and more, by Lauren himself at his lavish estate in Bedford, New York. You'll also get a ride in one of these world-class driving machines and take home a signed copy of Speed, Style, and Beauty: Cars from the Ralph Lauren Collection.

2. A weekend at Lauren's private Round Hill Villa in Jamaica, estimated at $150,000: A priceless opportunity to spend four days and three nights for you and up to three guests at the designer's personal Jamaican paradise. The fully staffed villa, which sits on a magnificent, picturesque cliff over the crystal blue Caribbean Sea, has been featured on the covers of House & Garden and Architectural Digest. Enjoy a swim in the villa's infinity pool and private beach access, as well as complimentary tennis lessons and a yoga session.

3. Play polo with Nacho Figueras and stay at The Breakers in Palm Beach, estimated at $15,000: Take a lesson from Nacho Figueras, world class polo player and Ralph Lauren model. You and a guest will refuel afterward during lunch with Nacho, and you'll also spend three nights at the exclusive Breakers hotel in Palm Beach, including a spa treatment for two at the Breakers Spa; a round of golf for two; a $1,000 private shopping experience at the Ralph Lauren store at the Breakers; and VIP access to the U.S. Open at the International Polo Club.

4. Front row seats to the Ralph Lauren fashion show and an outfit from the runway, estimated at $25,000: Bring along a friend when you meet the designer and sit in the elite front row at his Fall 2011 Fashion Show in New York. Then, select your favorite look from the runway to add to your own personal collection. Enjoy two nights at a penthouse suite at The Setai Fifth Avenue hotel, including breakfast for two and one signature spa treatments. [continued]

Gallery: Ralph Lauren Pink Pony Auction

Tags: ad campaign, auction, Bedford, Bentley, bespoke, Boris Becker, Bugatti, car collection, Caribbean, Carlyle Hotel, charity, charitybuzz, classic cars, designer, fashion show, Ferrari, Ferrari 250 GTO, Jamaica, London, mens style, Mercedes-Benz, Nacho Figueras, Palm Beach, Paris, Pink Pony, polo, Ralph Lauren, Rhinelander Mansion, Setai, tennis, The Breakers, The Savoy, villa, Wimbledon

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Smithsonian Museum of Natural History Acquires Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace

by McLean Robbins (RSS feed) — Sep 28th 2010 at 7:01PM

Yesterday, the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History unveiled its latest addition to the National Gem Collection, the Cullinan Diamond Necklace - a piece dating back to 1910 and boasting a history nearly as rich as its famous neighbor, the Hope Diamond.

A 30-carat piece is crafted in the Edwardian style, and boasts a unique structure which allows it to be worn as both brooch and necklace. The centerpiece stone is a large 2.6 carat "fancy blue" diamond with a chain of smaller blue and white diamond pieces.

Jeff Post, curator of the collection, calls the piece "very important ... people get a little bit jaded here [with the Hope Diamond so close by] but there's no where else in the world you can go [to see two such diamonds together."

Tags: Cullinan Diamond, cullinan mine, CullinanDiamond, hope diamond, Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian, thomas cullinan, washington dc

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Museum of Fine Arts Boston Receives Major Donation From Bank of America

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Sep 22nd 2010 at 2:01AM

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) announced a major donation from Bank of America this week. The gift will be split between $5 million in funding and $5 million in art from the Bank of America collection, making the bank the MFA's largest corporate donor. Among the art gifts is Ellsworth Kelly's oil painting "Blue Green Yellow Orange Red," (1968) a 22-foot-long abstract work which will hang in the Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art set to in September 2011. The money gift will support museum exhibitions and programs as well as operating expenses, and capital improvements. The bank will also be supporting special events surrounding the November opening of the museum's new wing for the Art of the Americas and Ruth and Carl J. Shapiro Family Courtyard. Although many museums have struggled to raise money recently, between July 1, 2009, and June 30, 2010, the MFA received $57 million in funds and art. Bank of America has given a total of more than $15 million to the MFA. The bank's previous gift of $5 million to the Museum's Building the New MFA campaign (2001–2008) provided funding for the MFA's building project. The museum has named the plaza in front of its Huntington Avenue entrance the "Bank of America Plaza on the Avenue of the Arts."

[via ArtFix Daily]

Tags: art donation, bank of america, corporate art, ellsworth kelly, museum of fine arts

Russian Billionaire Endows Oxford School

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Sep 20th 2010 at 10:01PM

Russian billionaire Len Blavatnik has popped on our radar before, usually for his big real estate deals in New York City. But the Independent reports that Blavatnik is also quite the big giver. He's the man behind Europe's first major school of government, which is opening at Oxford University. He spent £75 million (over $116 million) to create the Blavatnik School of Government. The school has the goal of teaching the skills and responsibilities of government, focusing on issues of global importance such as climate change and a potential flu pandemic.

The first students won't arrive until 2012. The school will accept 120 students a year who will study for a Master's degree that will bring together the disciplines of humanities, law, science, social sciences, technology, health, finance, energy and security policy. The school's main competition is the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University which offers a similar education. Blavatnik, 53, is the founder and chairman of Access Industries and has a Master's degree in computing from Columbia University and a postgraduate degree in business administration from Harvard. In a video address at the launch, former President Bill Clinton said: "Oxford's reputation as an international powerhouse of research will help students and the global community to better understand not just politics and economies, but also public health, environmental science, development, genetics and the humanities."

Tags: billionaire, len blavatnik, oxford, oxford university

Book Taj Boston's $6 Million Suite and Put Your Name on the Boston Conservatory's New Theater Building

by McLean Robbins (RSS feed) — Sep 17th 2010 at 4:02PM

Are you a patron of the arts seeking a unique legacy opportunity in Boston? Consider this exclusive offer. A $6 million donation on the weekend of October 15-17, 2010 will allow you to put your name on the new performance complex at The Boston Conservatory, Boston's prestigious independent performing arts college offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in music, dance and musical theater.

Naturally, that's not all - you'll also get private round-trip jet transport for two from anywhere in the world, limo transfers to and from exclusive hotel Taj Boston and two nights accommodations in the Presidential Suite. Amenities include 24-hour butler service and a new Jaguar XS to enjoy during your stay and take with you or garage in Boston with lifetime valet parking at Taj Boston. You'll also enjoy access to the exclusive ribbon cutting and grand opening events, including guided tours of "your" new theater with a VIP reception, tickets to opening night and a post-performance Champagne and dessert reception, lifetime tickets to all Boston Conservatory performances arranged by the Taj concierge staff, a collection of commemorative items including an engraved Christofle sterling silver platter, etched Tiffany Champagne glasses and a magnum of Cristal Champagne Rose and a festive farewell Sunday Champagne Brunch on The Roof at Taj Boston.

Don't care to shell out the full $6 million? There's a less pricey option! How about the $4 million package? You won't get the private jet package or the car, but you can enjoy the naming rights for the Main Stage Theater only as well as two nights in your choice of Luxury Suite or Park View room accommodations, limo transfer to and from all Conservatory events, a welcome amenity of Champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries, and butler service throughout your stay. You will also enjoy access to the ribbon cutting, opening night, VIP reception and private after-party.

Payment for packages with naming rights will be divided between The Boston Conservatory and Taj Boston. Payment to The Boston Conservatory ($5 million for theater building naming rights or $3 million for the main stage theater auditorium naming rights) will be applied to the Conservatory's capital campaign and used to fund part of the $32 million theater building construction project. Payment to Taj Boston ($1 million) will be used to cover hotel and added expenses, with the remainder applied to the Taj Public Service Welfare Trust formed in 2008 to provide hope and healing to victims of terror, war, natural disasters and other events that disrupt life.

To book the packages, contact Claude Dubois at Taj Boston, 617-536-6700. Naturally, neither package includes taxes or gratuity.

Tags: boston, boston conservatory, christofle, jaguar, taj boston, tiffany

Chinese Billionaire Joins Gates/Buffett Giving Pledge

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Sep 7th 2010 at 8:02PM

A Chinese philanthropist has joined the Giving Pledge campaign started by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. Chen Guangbiao, chairman of Jiangsu Huangpu Renewable Resources Utilization, is a well-known Chinese philanthropist and wealthy businessman, he recently gave one million yuan (around $150,000) to the Pakistani flood victims. He is the first in China to respond to the campaign. Gates and Buffett plan to make their pitch to Chinese billionaires in person in Beijing, China at a special dinner on September 29. Around 50 super wealthy Chinese businesspeople have been invited to the banquet but some have opted not to attend.

News reports say that Chen Guangbiao posted an open letter to Gates and Buffett on his company website. The letter pledges that he will donate his entire fortune of more than five billion yuan ($735 million) to charity when he dies. Chen's letter says that it will be a "glory" to return his entire fortune to society and that it is a "shame" to die hoarding wealth.

He's no stranger to showy philanthropy. Earlier this year he built a "money wall" at the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China's (ICBC) Jiangsu Branch to collect donations for poor families. He was on the top of the 2010 China Charity List released by the China Association of Social Workers. It is said that he has already donated a total of 1.34 billion yuan.

Tags: bill gates, billionaires, chen guangbiao, giving pledge, philanthropy, warren buffett

JK Rowling Donates Millions To Found Research Clinic

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Sep 2nd 2010 at 2:01AM

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has made a big donation for research on degenerative neurological conditions and diseases. The Guardian reports that the author has donated £10 million (approximately $15.4 million) to create a clinic in honor of her mother who died at 45 and had multiple sclerosis. Rowling herself recently turned 45. The Anne Rowling regenerative neurology clinic will be based at the University of Edinburgh and will research a variety of diseases including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

The Guardian article reports that Rowling gave a large donation to the Multiple Sclerosis Society Scotland towards setting up the university's centre for multiple sclerosis research back in 2006 but that this is the largest direct donation that Rowling has ever made to a charitable cause. It is also the biggest single gift the university had ever received.

The clinic will work directly with MS sufferers and other patients to develop and test new treatments. The clinic will be part of the the BioQuarter medical research campus, in south-east Edinburgh. The project is a massive life science real estate development that will include a large state-of-the-art teaching hospital, the University of Edinburgh's world-renowned medical school and biomedical research and development facilities all on one site. The $1.2 billion public/private investment project will attract the best scientists, clinicians and researchers from around the world. Check out a video of the the project after the jump.

Tags: bioquarter, j.k. rowling, Multiple Sclerosis, neurological, neurological conditions multiple sclerosis, University of Edinburgh

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Paul Allen Joins BIll Gates By Giving Away His Fortune

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jul 17th 2010 at 12:01AM

Paul Allen and Bill Gates founded Microsoft and now Allen is taking a page out of Gates's book, announcing that he will give more than half of his estimated $13.5 billion fortune to philanthropy. Just last month we learned about a plan that Gates, his wife, Melinda and Warren Buffett had cooked up to get the country's billionaires to earmark half their fortunes to charitable causes. Other billionaires who have already committed to at least a 50 percent pledge include Eli and Edy Broad, John and Ann Doerr, H.F. "Gerry" and Marguerite Lenfest and John and Tashia Morgridge.

Allen already has an existing foundation, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. His projects have included the nonprofit scientific research done at the Allen Institute for Brain Science, the Allen institute and the Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum. As the NY Times reports Allen has made Chronicle of Philanthropy's annual list of the nation's 50 largest donors, eight times. Last year, he ranked No. 11 for giving away $85 million.

Tags: bill gates, microsoft, paul allen, philanthropists, philanthropy, warren buffett

Charles Saatchi Donates Gallery And Major Works

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jul 3rd 2010 at 6:01PM

Art collector Charles Saatchi is famous for his patronage which has made the careers of British artists like Tracy Emin and Damien Hirst, fueling the trend for young British artists in the 1990s. Now the ad man has announced that his lifetime of collecting will be Britain's gain. He has announced plans to donate his London gallery and 200 works as a new public art museum. The impressive gift is worth more than 25 million pounds. The Saatchi Gallery will be renamed the Museum of Contemporary Art, London.

Pieces being donated include Emin's "My Bed" and Richard Wilson's "20:50," a room filled with oil. Saatchi, who is married to celebrity chef Nigella Lawson, is an insatiable collector and even after the donation he will still own many, many works. The donation, no doubt, will allow him to go on collecting while helping insure that contemporary art has a place in Britain's future. The works that Saatchi favors are at time controversial and often challenge the nature of what really makes something "art."According to an article in Art Daily, Rebecca Wilson, associate director of the Saatchi Gallery, said that the gift also includes other works that can be sold to buy new acquisitions to help grow the collection. She referred to is as being a "very agile collection that can respond quickly to developments in contemporary art from all over the world."

The owner of the building that houses the gallery on London's King's Road, Cadogan Estate is hoping that the new museum will stay put in the same place. The staff and management team are also staying the same. What is changing is the name and the knowledge that the gallery, while still the result of one man's obsessive art collecting, is now a gift to the city he lives in.

Tags: art, charles saatchi, donation, london, museum, saatchi gallery

Oprah: the World's Best Boss?

by Ann Brenoff (RSS feed) — Jun 17th 2010 at 12:01AM

Oprah Winfrey doled out Apple iPads and checks for $10,000 to the staff at her "O, The Oprah Magazine." Why? She appreciates them! Listen up, bosses, and see how it's done.

This isn't the first time Oprah has shown her generosity toward her staff. She has reportedly rewarded staffers with Hawaiian vacations, cars and trips. The occasion for this most-recent gift-giving was the celebration of the magazine's 10th anniversary, according to Advertising Age. The billionaire media mogul stopped by Hearst's Manhattan headquarters and handed each staffer a new iPad with a personalized leather carrying case. And let's not forget the $10,000 checks. It could not be determined how many employees were given the gifts, which, by the way, are taxable.

The daytime talk-show-diva-turned-corporation once famously gave away new cars to every member of her Chicago studio audience. The popular TV host is ending "The Oprah Winfrey Show" next year after 25 years as she sets up her own cable TV network, known as OWN.

Tags: oprah, oprah winfrey, Oprah Winfrey Network, oprahs big give, OprahWinfreyShow

Buffett And Gates Encourage Billionaires To Donate At Least Half of Their Fortunes

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jun 16th 2010 at 7:02PM

Last year I wrote about the secret meeting of some of the world's biggest philanthropists. Now Fortune has revealed sone of what happened during that meeting. Fortune's Carol Loomis reports that Bill Gates, Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett are making a plea to the nation's richest citizens. They are asking the nation's billionaires to pledge at least half their net worth to charity, in their lifetimes or at death. Gates tells Fortune that he thinks 50 percent should be the "low bar" and that people should actally give more. Buffet also reaffirmed his own philanthropy pedge saying that he and his family decided to "keep all we can conceivably need and distribute the rest to society, for its needs" giving away more than 99 percent of his wealth.

And they aren't alone. Fortune says that other billionaires who have already committed to at least a 50 percent pledge include Eli and Edy Broad, John and Ann Doerr, H.F. "Gerry" and Marguerite Lenfest and John and Tashia Morgridge. The Fortune article goes on to say that after the first billionaires' dinner there were several more dinners set up by the Gateses. Part of the goal was just to talk about giving and why some people don't give as much as they could. In the article Melinda Gates explains that the first part of the pledge campaign is just to help move people forward in the direction of thinking about giving and what good their money can do in the world and to plan ahead. The initiative is a long-term one and given, the potential money at stake, one which has the power to reimagine the social landscape.

Tags: bill gates, melinda gates, philanthropy, warren buffett

Buffett Lunch Auction Sets New Record

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jun 12th 2010 at 2:01PM

It's hard not to see the recent boost in charity auction hauls as a positive sign. The latest economic boost comes with the results of the eleventh annual charity auction of lunch with Berkshire Hathaway Inc. CEO Warren Buffett. The auction to dine with the octogenarian oracle of Omaha set a new record, $2,626,311 on eBay. That's far above last year's $1.68 million total and beats the 2008 record of $2.1 million. Proceeds benefit San Francisco's Glide Foundation, which helps the homeless and others in need of aid. No word on who the winner is but the lunch will take place as usual at Smith & Wollensky in New York City.

Tags: buffett lunch, charity auction, glide foundation, warren buffett

How Much Will Warren Buffett's Charity Lunch Fetch This Year?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jun 7th 2010 at 8:00PM

It's time once again for Warren Buffett to auction himself off for a good cause. Each June, Buffett heads to eBay to offer up a lunch for eight people to benefit the Glide Foundation, an organization that provides social services to the poor and homeless in San Francisco.

The lunch is up for bid on eBay until June 11, 2010 at 7:30 pm PDT. As usual Buffett will dine with the winning bidder and up to seven friends at Smith & Wollensky in New York. All bidders must pre-qualify and the opening bid is $25,000. Last year the auction brought in $1.68 million and Buffett has made as much as $2.1 million for Glide with this annual offer. The Wall Street Journal reports that past auctions have raised about $6 million in total for the foundation. On June 11 the last hour of bidding will be broadcast on a screen for the crowd at a fundraising dinner for the organization.

Tags: buffett lunch, ebay, glide foundation, warren buffett

Oprah's Angel Network Closing Down

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — May 26th 2010 at 11:01PM

With her show set to finish up in 2011 Oprah Winfrey is making some big changes. Her Oprah's Angel Network, a charitable organization that has raised and given away more than $80 million in over a decade, will shut down. As of this week the charity has stopped accepting donations. It will distribute all remaining funds and then close.

Oprah began the charity in 1998 and encouraged both her celebrity friends and her legion of fans to donate money to the charity. She paid the administrative costs so that all funds raised went directly toward the appropriate causes. Nearly 150,000 donors have given money to the network and according to the Angel Network website the charity has awarded funds to hundreds of organizations in the United States and in more than 30 countries around the world.

Oprah's new cable network, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, will continue to highlight charitable organizations in the years ahead. Oprah's two private philanthropies, the Oprah Winfrey Foundation and the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation will both remain active. The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that Oprah Winfrey donated more than $41 million last year and was ranked No. 25 on The Chronicle's most-recent annual Philanthropy 50, which compiles the total annual giving by America's biggest philanthropists.

Tags: oprah, oprah winfrey, Oprah Winfrey Network, Oprah Winfrey Show, oprahs angel network, OprahWinfreyShow

Conservation International's Seas of Hope Bash

by Ariston Anderson (RSS feed) — May 10th 2010 at 6:02AM

As BP's latest stumble over stopping the flow of upwards of 200,000 gallons of oil into our oceans reminds us, we don't need an excuse to start protecting our marine ecosystem now. While oil officials volleyed the blame back and forth, in another corner of the world, at New York's Museum of Natural History, Conversation International offered a new kind of hope, this past Thursday at their Seas of Hope Celebration gala.

Under the infamous blue whale hanging from the Museum's ceiling, New York revelers pooled together to offer a new kind of solution, donating toward Conservation International's mission of empowering local communities to care for nature and humanity. After an address from JP MorganChase CEO Jamie Dimon on the role of finance in sustainable growth, and an overwhelmingly successful fundraising appeal for CI's Protect an Acre program, guests retreated to the gallery halls for an after party sponsored by Havaianas.

The quintessential Brazilian brand teamed up with CI to protect the country's Albrolhos region, an area on the South Atlantic that contains some of the world's richest coral reefs. Albrolhos serves as breeding ground to the Southern humpback whale population, with nearly 10,000 members, and also represents several species of corals, mollusks and fish that are exclusive to the area.

Gallery: Conservation International and Havaiana's Seas of Hope Celebration