Alan and Sandra Gerry

SOURCE OF WEALTH: Cablevision, Granite Associates 

FUNDING AREAS: Education, Arts & Culture, Health, New York Community 

OVERVIEW: Alan Gerry and his wife Sandra move their philanthropy through the Gerry Foundation, which gave away around $4.3 million in a recent year. The couple's giving is centered on revitalizing Sullivan County in upstate New York. 

BACKGROUND: In 1956, Alan Gerry started building a cable television network in upstate New York that turned into Cablevision Industries. Gerry sold Cablevision to Time Warner in 1996 and pocketed an estimated $900 million. Gerry used the money to start his own venture capital firm, Granite Associates. 

ISSUES:

EDUCATION: Gerry and Sandra, via their foundation, have supported places like Syracuse University and Dartmouth College. Syracuse houses the Alan Gerry Center for Media Innovation. Gerry also endowed a chair of orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School.

ARTS & CULTURE: The Gerrys have directed millions to Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. Gerry purchased and resurrected the original 1969 Woodstock Festival Site, naming it Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. Gerry also gave $10 million to The Cable Center in Denver. They've also given generous support to St. Patrick's Cathedral. Other grantees include the New York Philharmonic.

HEALTH: Gerry established the Paul Gerry Dialysis Center in Pennsylvania and supported his local hospital. 

NEW YORK COMMUNITY: The Gerry Foundation's grantmaking prioritizes Sullivan County, New York, an upstate community northwest of the New York City metro area. Much of this work centers around beautification projects. In fact, the Gerry Foundation is the primary funder of Sullivan Renaissance, "a beautification and community development program." Sandra Gerry is a life-long resident of the community and chairs the organization. Since 2001, Sullivan Renaissance has funded "hundreds of community beautification projects in all 6 villages and 15 towns of Sullivan County" including edible gardens at schools, municipal partnerships, and mini-grants and facade grants for businesses. 

LOOKING FORWARD: Expect the Gerrys to continue to prioritize their local community.

CONTACT:

Darrell Supak
PO Box 311
Liberty, NY 12754

LINK:

Sullivan Renaissance