Ivan and Phyllis Seidenberg
/SOURCE OF WEALTH: Former CEO of Verizon; Advisory Partner of Perella Weinberg Partners
FUNDING AREAS: Education, Health, Arts & Culture, Human Services, NYC Community.
OVERVIEW: Ivan and Phyllis Seidenberg and their family conduct their philanthropy through the Seidenberg Family Foundation, which available tax filings show, gave out around $1.8 million in grants in 2018. Grantmaking prioritizes higher education, with Seidenberg's alma mater, Pace University, receiving millions. Large sums have also gone to health, particularly for celiac disease research. Seidenberg’s philanthropy also involves arts and culture outfits.
BACKGROUND: Ivan Seidenberg was born in 1946 and grew up in the Bronx. He began working in telecommunications as a splicer's helper. Seidenberg earned a degree in mathematics from Lehman College, part of the City University of New York, and a master's degree in Business Administration and Marketing from Pace University. He served as CEO and chairman of Verizon and currently serves as advisory partner of Perella Weinberg Partners, an independent advisory and asset management firm.
ISSUES:
EDUCATION: Last decade, Seidenberg gave $15 million to alma mater Pace University, which renamed the School of Computer Science and Information Systems in his honor. Funds through the Seidenberg Family Foundation have recently gone to Pace as well as Columbia University, Hunter College Foundation, Weill Medical College, and the Stafford Scholarship Foundation in Virginia, among others. It is worth mentioning that Seidenberg's wife Phyllis was a schoolteacher.
HEALTH: Seidenberg has been interested in healthcare for a number of years, and joined the board of trustees of New York-Presbyterian Hospital in 1996. More recently, the couple gave $16 million to New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital for a program focused on pediatric-gastrointestinal disorders. The couple has a personal interest, as their grandchildren suffer from celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten. Celiac results in a host of problems, including GI system issues. The Seidenbergs have also funded the Celiac Disease Foundation. Apart from this work, outfits such as Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson’s, Lustgarten Foundation, which deals with pancreatic cancer, Autism Special Disorder Foundation, National Alliance Mental Illness, New York Genome Center, and the National Aphasia Association have been recently supported. Seidenberg has also funded the Perella Fund at the American Italian Cancer Foundation. Joseph Perella is a founding partner of Perella Weinberg Partners, where Seidenberg works.
ARTS & CULTURE: New York Hall of Science has been heavily supported. Seidenberg serves as emeritus chair of the board of trustees. Recent funds have also gone to Lincoln Center, NY City Center, and the Metropolitan Opera, among others.
OTHER: Recent grants have gone to the United Way and WNET. Support has also gone to Jewish causes.
LOOKING FORWARD: Seidenberg is in his 70s, and has kept his philanthropy close to home. Expect this to hold. The couple's work with celiac disease should be watched, particularly as awareness of the condition rises.
CONTACT:
The Seidenberg Family Foundation does not provide a clear avenue for getting in touch, but below is an address:
The Seidenberg Family Foundation, Inc.
23 Old Kings Hwy. S.
Darien, CT 06820
