Mark and Anla Cheng Kingdon Fund
/OVERVIEW: Mark Kingdon and his wife Anla Cheng move their philanthropy through the Mark and Anla Cheng Kingdon Fund, which focuses most of its New York City grantmaking on education and arts and culture. Around $10-11 million has gone out the door annually of late.
IP TAKE: The Kingdon Fund doesn't have a website, or provide a clear avenue for approaching the couple for support. The couple has a particular interest in supporting Chinese and Chinese-American cultural organizations.
PROFILE: Mark Kingdon received his B.A from Columbia University in 1971, and his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1973. Kingdon began his career as a pension fund administrator at AT&T, and then worked at Century Capital Associates. In 1983, he founded Kingdon Capital Management, an investment firm in New York City.
Kingdon and his wife Anla move their charitable contributions through the Mark and Anla Cheng Kingdon Fund. The fund has held nearly $129 million in assets and gave away around $11 million in a recent year. The fund focuses its grantmaking in the New York City area, with interests in education, arts and culture, and community development.
Kingdon has been a major supporter of his alma mater, Columbia University, where he's a currently a vice chair. A little more than $4 million went to the school in a recent year. Kingdon also endowed the C. Lowell Harriss Professorship of Economics in honor of his undergraduate teacher and mentor. In K-12 education, the fund has supported charter school networks supporting low-income areas, including Harlem Village Academies and Success Academy Charter Schools. Kingdon has also given large sums to Riverdale Country School, a private school in the Bronx.
Kingdon is a trustee at Carnegie Hall, which has received steady support. Money has also gone the Metropolitan Opera, MoMA, New York Botanical Garden, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and the Signature Theatre Company. Perhaps the most significant work in this area, though, is the funds support of Chinese culture. Anla is a trustee at the China Institute, whose mission is to provide a "deeper understanding of China through programs in education, culture, business, and art in the belief that cross-cultural understanding strengthens the global community." Between $1 million and $2.5 million has gone to the outfit in recent years.
Anla has also talked about what philanthropy means for Chinese-Americans, and helped bankroll a Bill Moyers PBS series called “Becoming American: The Chinese Experience." The couple has also been supportive of WNET, and WNYC, though it's unclear if this work is associated with Chinese culture.
Kingdon is yet another hedge fund veteran who is a strong supporter of the Harlem Children's Zone, the New York outfit which runs programs for at-risk youths and their families in areas such as health, and education. Kingdon sits on the board of Harlem Children's Zone, which has received over $2 million annually from the fund in recent years. Anla have also supported outfits such as New York Community Trust, New York City Center, and the New York Police Foundation.
The couple does appear to have some interest in health, with modest but steady sums going to Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center (ADARC), an affiliate of Rockefeller University in New York. Kingdon has also supported the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research.
Unfortunately, the Mark and Anla Cheng Kingdon Fund does not have a website or a clear way for grantseekers to get in touch. As well, the only listed staff on a recent 990 were Kingdon and Anla. An address and phone number are provided below.
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CONTACT:
Mark and Anla Cheng Kingdon Fund
152 W. 57th St., 50th Fl.
New York, NY 10019
(212) 333-0100
