John and Barbara Vogelstein
/SOURCE OF WEALTH: Warburg Pincus
FUNDING AREAS: Education & Youth, Arts & Culture, Health
OVERVIEW: John and Barbara Vogelstein conduct philanthropy through the John and Barbara Vogelstein Foundation, which available tax filings indicate, gave away about $2.9 million in 2017. The couple supports their schools and other educational causes, and the Vogelsteins serve on several key boards. The East Coast, particularly New York City, is an important region of giving.
BACKGROUND: John L. Vogelstein was born in 1934 and graduated from Harvard College. He began his career at Lazard Freres & Co., where he became a partner in 1964. He joined E. M. Warburg & Co., Inc. (later Warburg Pincus, LLC) in 1967. During the next four decades, he and Lionel Pincus grew the firm into one of the world’s largest and most successful full line private equity outfits. Vogelstein is currently co-chairman of New Providence Asset Management, and senior advisor to Warburg Pincus.
Barbara Vogelstein graduated from Vassar College in 1976. She worked at Warburg Pincus, founding their London office, and at Apax Partners & Co., where she was responsible for the international media investment group. She was Warbug Pincus’s first woman venture capital partner.
ISSUES:
EDUCATION & YOUTH: Barbara has served on the board of her alma mater Vassar College and chaired its $430 million capital campaign. The couple has recently made seven-figure donations to the institution. The school is home to the Vogelstein Center for Drama and Film, created with a $10 million gift. The Vogelsteins also support Prep for Prep, whose board Vogelstein once chaired. Other grantees have included Taft School (Vogelstein attended the school and once chaired its board), NYU School of Medicine, Readworks, and School of American Ballet, whose board Barbara chairs.
ARTS & CULTURE: The couple have a passion for the arts, including the performing arts. They collect contemporary and modern art and have been on ARTNews’ Top 200 Collector’s List. Vogelstein once chaired New York City Ballet and is currently on the board. The couple steadily supports the ballet. Other grantees have included Artis Naples, Drawing Center, and National Museum of Wildlife Art. Barbara is on the board of Grand Teton Music Festival and chairs the board of Brooklyn Museum.
HEALTH: The Vogelsteins have recently made seven-figure donations have lately gone to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The John and Barbara Vogelstein Foundation is also principal sponsor of CURE’s Epilepsy Genetics Initiative (EGI), committing $1 million to the project over 3 years. EGI describes itself as a “first-of-its-kind database for epilepsy that aims to unlock the genetic secrets of the disease, driving research into its causes and treatments to ultimately find a cure for epilepsy.” Other grantees have included Autism Speaks and NYU Langone Medical Center.
JEWISH CAUSES: Vogelstein was a trustee of Temple Emanu-El and is on the board of The Jewish Museum, which the couple supports. They have supported American Jewish Committee and UJA Federation of New York.
OTHER: Vogelstein chairs the board of Third Way Institute, a “national think tank that champions modern center-left ideas,” and Barbara is also on the board. The Vogelsteins appear to have an interest in the environment and have directed funds to Everglades Foundation and Grand Teton National Park Foundation. Outside of New York, the couple also have ties to Jackson, Wyoming, and Naples, Florida. In 2004, Barbara founded ShareGift USA, which collects, aggregates, and sells odd lots of shares and gives the proceeds to a variety of charities.
LOOKING FORWARD: Expect the family’s robust giving to continue. Keep an eye on the couple’s board memberships. The couple’s son Andrew, who also works with John at New Providence, should be watched for his philanthropic habits as well.
CONTACT:
The John and Barbara Vogelstein Foundation does not provide a clear avenue of contact but below is an address:
The John and Barbara Vogelstein Foundation
c/o Warburg Pincus
450 Lexington Avenue, 32nd Fl.
New York, NY 10017
