Timothy and Sharon Ubben
/SOURCE OF WEALTH: Lincoln Capital Management
FUNDING AREAS: Education & Youth, Arts/Media, San Francisco Community, Health
OVERVIEW: Tim Ubben and family conduct their philanthropy through the Ubben Foundation. Education is a top cause of this family and Posse Foundation is a major beneficiary. Ubben serves as a chair emeritus of the organization, and his son, Jeffrey, is a former chair. Ubben and his wife Sharon have steadily supported their alma mater DePauw University. Their philanthropy generally follows their personal ties.
BACKGROUND: Timothy H. Ubben earned a bachelor’s degree from DePauw University in 1958 and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University. He went on to found Lincoln Capital Management, a Chicago-based investment firm that had more than $50 billion in assets under management when he retired as chairman in 1999.
ISSUES:
EDUCATION & YOUTH: The Ubbens are major benefactors of Posse Foundation, a national college access and youth leadership development nonprofit that provides four-year, full-tuition leadership scholarships. The family has given Posse at least $50 million through the years. Ubben joined Posse’s national board of directors in 2000 and spearheaded the opening of the Chicago chapter, becoming Posse Chicago’s founding board chair. Ubben's son, Jeffrey, who runs a hedge fund in San Francisco, also has ties strong to the organization.
Apart from Posse, the family also directs quite a bit of money to their schools. Ubben and his wife Sharon are DePauw graduates and gave $20 million alone in 2013 over three years to provide financial aid for students. They've also helped fund the Ubben Lecture Series at the school. The family steadily supports Jeffrey's alma maters Duke and Kellogg School of Management, where Ubben also graduated. The University of Illinois is home to the Richard T. Ubben Basketball Practice Facility, named in honor of Ubben's father, an alum. Other grantees have included Marin Academy, Bard College, UC Berkeley, Pepperdine University, 826 Valencia, Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco, and Youth Speaks.
ARTS/MEDIA: In 2015, Ubben and Sharon gave $10 million to Artis—Naples, home of the Naples Philharmonic and The Baker Museum, to endow the music director position. Ubben sits on the center's board of directors. The family also has supported American Conservatory Theater and the Center for Investigative Reporting.
SAN FRANCISCO COMMUNITY: Grantees have included social services organization North Beach Citizens, San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco Film Society, and San Francisco Botanical Garden.
HEALTH: The Ubbens have given seven figure sums to Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago), via their foundation.
LOOKING FORWARD: ValueAct Capital Founder Jeff Ubben already steers and influences the family's giving through their foundation. His net worth was once estimated at $400 million—and he is only in his 50s. In other words, the younger Ubben should be watched carefully going forward as well.
CONTACT:
The Ubben Foundation does not provide a clear avenue of contact but below is an address:
Ubben Foundation
9 Briar Ln.
Glencoe, IL 60022
LINK:
