James and Judith Dimon
/SOURCE OF WEALTH: JP Morgan Chase
FUNDING AREAS: Education & Youth, Arts & Culture, Health & Human Services
OVERVIEW: James and Judy Dimon conduct their philanthropy through the James and Judith K. Dimon Foundation. Available tax filings indicate that the foundation awarded $5.8 million in grants in 2017. This is a significant increase in year-over-year funding, as tax filings indicate that the foundation awarded just $320,000 in grants in 2016. The couple's giving centers around the East Coast, particularly New York. Judy has a strong interest in improving outcomes for youth.
BACKGROUND: James Dimon was born in New York City, attended Tufts University, and received his MBA from Harvard Business School. Dimon was courted by Sandy Weill to join American Express and the two later took over Commercial Credit. In 2000, Dimon became CEO of Bank One. When JPMorgan Chase purchased Bank One, Dimon became president and is currently CEO.
ISSUES:
EDUCATION & YOUTH: In the early 1990s, Judy helped establish the National Center for Community Schools, which has facilitated the development of over 15,000 community school adaptations nationally and internationally. In 2000, Judy co-founded The Campaign to Expand Community Schools in Chicago, a $50 million public-private partnership to "expand the hours of operation, provide enhanced programming for students and parents, and offer on-site health care" in Chicago’s public schools. Judy also helped pioneer South Bronx Rising Together, a "broad based grassroots collaboration focused on revitalizing the South Bronx." Judy currently focuses on career pathways to help young people from low-income neighborhoods attain family-sustaining careers.
The Dimons have supported Big Picture Learning in Providence, Rhode Island, whose mission is to "activate the potential of schools, systems and education through student-driven, real-world education," as well as The Dreamyard Project, which "collaborates with Bronx youth, families and schools to build pathways to equity and opportunity through the arts." Other grantees include Children's Aid and Association to Benefit Children.
The couple have supported Judy's alma mater Tulane University and the couple's mutual school Harvard Business School. They have also donated to Columbia University (Teacher's College and Barnard), Wake Forest University, and Northwestern University School of Law, among others.
ARTS & CULTURE: The Dimons have supported groups like New York Historical Society, San Francisco Opera, and Gotham Chamber Opera.
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES: The couple have funded Goddard Riverside Community Center, Columbia University Medical Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Health Leads, "a national healthcare organization that connects low-income patients with the basic resources they need to be healthy." Dimon has suffered from throat cancer.
LOOKING FORWARD: Dimon is only in his 60s and very much engaged in business but the couple's giving may ramp up in future. In previous years, the Dimon foundation gave away over $1 million. Judy's continued work with youth will likely continue.
CONTACT:
The James and Judith K. Dimon Foundation
c/o JP Morgan Chase Bank, 270 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
