John and Barbara Vogelstein Foundation

OVERVIEW: The John and Barbara Vogelstein Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to education and the arts, particularly the performing arts. The foundation also earmarks funds for causes like health, policy, Jewish causes, and the environment.

IP TAKE: The foundation lacks transparency, which limits information available on its grantmaking priorities and activities. Many of the groups that receive support from this funder have a direct connection to the Vogelsteins, such as having a family member serving on the board. Grantseekers without a personal connection will find this a tough nut to crack.

PROFILE: Established in 1999, the John and Barbara Vogelstein Foundation was founded by finance veterans John and Barbara Vogelstein, who serve on several nonprofit boards. John joined E. M. Warburg & Co., Inc. (later Warburg Pincus, LLC) in 1967. Over the next four decades, he and Lionel Pincus built the firm into one of the largest and most successful full line private equity firms in the world. John is currently co-chairman of New Providence Asset Management. Barbara, meanwhile, was Warbug Pincus’ first woman venture capital partner. The foundation does not maintain a website, which restricts further information on its priority areas and grantmaking strategies. Tax filings suggest that the John and Barbara Vogelstein Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to education and the arts, particularly the performing arts. The foundation also earmarks funds for areas like health, policy, Jewish causes, and the environment.

Grants for Higher Education, Public Health and Access, Jewish Causes, Democracy and Civic Engagement, and the Environment

Barbara has served on the board of her alma mater Vassar College, home to the Vogelstein Center for Drama and Film, created with a $10 million gift from the couple. The John and Barbara Vogelstein Foundation is principal sponsor of Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE)’s Epilepsy Genetics Initiative (EGI). The couple have a passion for the arts, including the performing arts, and are collectors of contemporary and modern art. Additionally, Vogelstein chairs the board of Third Way Institute, a “national think tank that champions modern center-left ideas.” The couple steadily support the policy institute, where Barbara is also on the board.

Past grantees include New York City Ballet (Vogelstein once chaired the board), Prep for Prep (Vogelstein is a former chair), School of American Ballet (Barbara chairs the board), Taft School (Vogelstein attended the school and once chaired its board), Brooklyn Museum (Barbara chairs the board), Memorial Sloan Kettering Center, The Jewish Museum (Vogelstein is a life trustee), and NYU School of Medicine.

Important Grant Details

Grants range from $500 to $1.2 million. In a recent fiscal year, the foundation gave away around $7.7 million. The foundation keeps a low profile and does not accept unsolicited proposals.

PEOPLE:

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CONTACT:

The John and Barbara Vogelstein Foundation
c/o Warburg Pincus
450 Lexington Avenue, 32nd Fl.
New York, NY 10017