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VOLUME 8 , ISSUE 1 1
EXCLUSIVE!
GWYNETH
PALTROW’S
DE CE MBER 2008
SECRET
WEAPON
300
PERFECT
PRESENTS!
GW Y NETH PA LTR OW & TR AC Y A NDERSO N
THE PHILANTHROPY ISSUE
LUCY LIU ZEROES IN ON UNICEF
FRIDA GIANNINI GETS A GUCCI TATTOO
KENNETH COLE ASKS: ARE YOU AWEAR?
IVANKA TRUMP FINDS A MIRACLE ON MADISON
ARI KOPELMAN SHOPS THE ANTIQUES SHOW
WHITNEY FAIRCHILD ON THE BALL OF THE YEAR
MEET “BODY DESIGNER”
TRACY ANDERSON
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FROM LEFT: Amy Larke, Annie
Evans, Alex Price, Marisa Renee
Lee, and Dan Gross.
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The Future of
Philanthropy
With causes ranging from ending gun violence to beating cancer,
these young up-and-comers are bringing a fresh approach to bettering
New York City. by Jill Sieracki
photograph by David Needleman
photographed at the Peninsula New York
GOTHAM 149
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“When we do something
that leads to positive
change, no matter how
small the step, the positive
feeling is contagious.
A little good karma
goes a long way. Find
ways to help organizations
make a positive difference
in your local community.”
AMY LARKE, 29 ANNIE EVANS, 29
ORGANIZATION: Good Karma NYC (GKNYC),
founded in 2005
WHO WE ARE: We partner with a variety of
good-hearted but underfunded charitable
groups in and around NYC—such as the Fiver
Children’s Foundation and the Bowery
Mission—to help with fundraising events,
awareness-building initiatives, and volunteer
days. The group also extends charitable grants
to specifically selected individuals in need of
assistance as a result of unexpected hardships.
CHALLENGES: There are so many deserving
causes and organizations in NYC that we’d like
to embrace; however, the reality is that we must
carefully choose one organization at a time to
commit our financial resources and time to.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Last year we learned that
RightRides, an organization that offers at-risk individuals a free, late-night ride home through highrisk areas, was on the verge of closing due to lack
of funding. GKNYC organized and hosted a
fundraiser. In addition, a group of our members
went the extra mile to volunteer as drivers and
navigators in their late-night ride home program.
As a result of our efforts, RightRides was able to
continue operating and we were able to successfully spread good karma.
GETTING INVOLVED: When we do something
that leads to positive change, no matter how
small the step, the positive feeling is contagious.
A little good karma goes a long way. Find ways
to help organizations make a positive difference
in your local community. If we all work together,
the results can be exponentially better.
Visit goodkarmanyc.org.
150 GOTHAM
ALEX PRICE, 30
ORGANIZATION: NycTies, founded in 2006
WHO WE ARE: NycTies’ mission is to enable
young professionals to strengthen their ties to
NYC through partnerships with local grassroots
charities, including Harlem RBI and Gilda’s
Club New York City. Also, we’ve raised nearly
$100,000 for organizations such as Career Gear
and New Alternatives for Children.
THE BEGINNING: Nine months after moving to
NYC, my dad, Billy Price, passed away from a
heart attack. A man of great faith, he constantly
sought to help others. I decided that the best way
to honor him was to hold a charity benefit in his
name. Thirty-five friends quickly offered to help.
The day of the event, 350 young professionals
showed up and we raised $10,000 for the
American Heart Association.
FURTHERING THE MISSION: Last year we
developed the Leadership Academy to train
young professionals in a variety of valuable
skills through philanthropic work. During a sixmonth charity project, members learn vital
professional skills in areas like marketing and
events and research and development.
GETTING INVOLVED: In fall 2007, NycTies was
partnering with Career Gear, a nonprofit that
provides business clothing and personal development training to struggling men trying to reenter
the workforce. One gentleman who spoke at our
benefit had recently served out a prison term and
was eager to speak to the crowd about how his life
was turning around through the program. We’ve
since become friends. This experience symbolizes to me why this philanthropic work is so
important. Visit nycties.org.
“I decided that the best way
to honor my dad was to
hold a charity benefit in his
name. Thirty-five friends
quickly offered to help. The
day of the event, 350 young
professionals showed up
and we raised $10,000 for
the American Heart
Association.”
“Over time,
I became committed
not only to managing
my mother’s health
situation but also to
doing something to
make a difference in
the lives of those who
were currently
confronting or would
eventually face
a similar diagnosis.”
MARISA RENEE LEE, 25
ORGANIZATION:The Pink Agenda, founded in 2007
WHO WE ARE: An organization of young professionals committed to raising money for the
Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Susan
G. Komen for the Cure.
THE BEGINNING: After battling multiple sclerosis
for nine years, my mother was diagnosed with
stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. Over time, I
became committed not only to managing my
mother’s health situation but also to doing
something to make a difference in the lives of
those who were currently confronting or would
eventually face a similar diagnosis. Believe it or
not, the Pink Agenda (TPA) was founded, in
some ways, as a result of an episode of Grey’s
Anatomy in which George’s father is battling both
cancer and a serious heart condition. What I
was seeing on TV could just as easily have been
my own mother, and that was just unacceptable
to me. The next day I decided that I would throw
a party to raise money for breast cancer research
and awareness of the disease.
GETTING INVOLVED: One of the things that makes
me incredibly proud personally is that the individuals on our board were drawn to our organization
because they feel passionate about our cause and
not because they were all my best friends. More
than half of the events that TPA hosted in 2008
were “friendraisers,” which are low-cost or costfree events that individuals attend to learn more
about our mission and our message—and, of
course, to have a fantastic time.
Visit thepinkagenda.org.
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Aerin Lauder.
DAN GROSS, 41
ORGANIZATION: Pax, founded in 1998
WHO WE ARE: A group that works to prevent
gun violence against children and teens.
THE BEGINNING: My brother was critically
injured in a shooting on the observation deck of
the Empire State Building in 1997. At the time I
had a successful career in advertising; but after
the shooting I couldn’t go back to work, knowing
firsthand the tragedy of gun violence and realizing that there was an opportunity to apply my
professional experience and passions to prevent
others from going through what my family had.
photographs by WireImage.com ( LAUDER ,
BALAZS , WASHINGTON , HARGITAY, GRENIER )
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: We’ve created the
national 1-866-SPEAK-UP hotline, the first and
only national hotline to which students can
report threats of weapons. In seven years, 866SPEAK-UP has received more than 26,000 calls.
Star
Power
André Balazs.
Kerry
Washington.
These New York celebrities are more than just pretty
faces; they’re also active in the following charities.
Mariska
Hargitay.
Adrian Grenier.
ANDRÉ BALAZS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .New York Academy of Art; Wayuu Taya Foundation
GISELE BÜNDCHEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Keep a Child Alive; Clinton Global Initiative
KENNETH COLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HELP USA; AmfAR; Candie’s Foundation
ANNETTE DE LA RENTA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Morgan Library
EDIE FALCO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .City Harvest; Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Adrienne Shelly Foundation; V-Day
ADRIAN GRENIER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Charity: Water; Heifer International; Global Green USA
MARISKA HARGITAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Figure Skating in Harlem; Safe Horizon;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .New Yorkers for Children; Joyful Heart Foundation
CHALLENGES: The gun issue has always suffered
from the perception that it’s a political issue rather
than a vital issue of public health and safety. Pax
has never gotten involved in any political advocacy. Instead, we create simple empowering solutions that have nothing to do with politics and
everything to do with saving lives.
AMANDA HEARST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .American Museum of Natural History; Riverkeeper;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Best Buddies; Operation Smile
GETTING INVOLVED: Every day guns claim the
lives of eight children and teens; only automobile
accidents take more. The tragedy is that most of
these deaths are preventable. The first time I
spoke to a class of middle-school kids growing
up in a dangerous neighborhood in New York,
I asked if anyone knew someone who had been
shot. Every hand went up. I still think about
those students, and hope our work is doing something to help kids like them reclaim the basic
right to grow up in safety. Visit paxusa.org.
BEYONCÉ KNOWLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .AmfAR; Food Bank for New York City; Oxfam;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Survivor Foundation; New Yorkers for Children; Stand Up to Cancer
“The first time
I spoke to a class
of middle-school kids
growing up in a
dangerous neighborhood
in New York, I asked if
anyone knew someone
who had been shot.
Every hand went up.”
FAMKE JANSSEN . . . . . . . .Guggenheim Young Collectors Council; Michael J. Fox Foundation
CAROLINE KENNEDY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mercy Corps; Fund for Public Schools;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .American Museum of Natural History
AERIN LAUDER . . . .Breast Cancer Research Foundation; New Yorkers for Children; Publicolor
MATT LAUER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Doe Fund
JULIANNE MOORE . . . . . . . . . . . .Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance; Gilda’s Club; Save the Children
GWYNETH PALTROW . . . .Food Bank for New York City; Robin Hood Foundation; Keep a Child Alive
SARAH JESSICA PARKER . . . . . .Bone Marrow Foundation; Unicef; DKMS; Keep a Child Alive
PARKER POSEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .New York Academy of Art; Soles4Souls
SUSAN SARANDON . . . . . . .Children’s Aid Society; Heifer International; Yéle Haiti Foundation;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stand Up to Cancer; Creative Coalition
RUSSELL SIMMONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ghetto Film School; Diamond Empowerment Fund;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sunflower Children; Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation; Keep a Child Alive
LIZ SMITH . . . . . . .Literacy Partners; New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .New York Restoration Project
MARISA TOMEI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .V-Day; Project ALS; Fresh Air Fund
KERRY WASHINGTON . . . .AmfAR; V-Day; Ovarian Cancer Research Fund; Creative Coalition