PHOTO CREDIT: Mayo Clinic

Foundation News

  • Job Posting: Program Officer Position
    May 9, 2024

    Gerstner Philanthropies is excited to launch the search for a Program Officer for our Helping Hands Program. Based in our family office in Armonk NY, the Program Officer will collaborate with the Program Director to source, cultivate and assess potential investment opportunities as well as help build out and grow our Helping Hands College portfolio. The goal of the Helping Hands program is to provide students with financial support when they need assistance with emergency expenses ensuring that they stay enrolled in college and complete their education.

    Full job description and application can be found at www.on-ramps.com
  • Gerstner Philanthropies Commits Over $1 Million to Combat Food Insecurity, Including $50,000+ in Support for Thanksgiving Meal Programs

    November 30, 2023

    Data released this fall from the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed food insecurity increased in 2022 for the first time in more than a decade. This November, Gerstner Philanthropies has committed over $1 million to combat food insecurity, including $52,380 to provide food for struggling households over Thanksgiving. Eight organizations received support to continue to implement critical programs in 2024, such as mobile pantries and meal delivery for clients in food deserts and food rescue programs. In addition, three community-focused organizations received support to provide Thanksgiving meals to families in need across Boston, Palm Beach County, and Greenwich, three areas in which members of the Gerstner family reside. Over 1,050 households were impacted, ensuring families could access food during the holiday season. This work aligns with Gerstner Philanthropies’ mission to help hard-working individuals who are trying to help themselves and their communities but temporarily lack the resources to accomplish their goals.

  • Gerstner Philanthropies’ First Look at AMNH’s Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation
    October 27, 2022

    This week, members of the Gerstner Philanthropies team had the exciting opportunity to take a first look at the new Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation at the American Museum of Natural History. The Gilder Center, which opens February 17, 2023, will feature new exhibition galleries, state-of-the-art classrooms, an immersive theater, and a redesigned library, increasing public access to more of the Museum’s scientific collections and will link 10 Museum buildings to improve visitor flow throughout the campus. Our Chairman, Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., and Executive Director Kara Klein met with Museum President Ellen Futter to receive an update on the expansion’s progress and to tour the site, getting a firsthand look at the extensive work that has been done. The new center will house the Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Collections Core. A collection of nearly 4 million specimens ranging from insects to fossils as well as a floor to ceiling exhibition of these samples. In addition to showcasing these new collections, the Gerstner Collections Core aims to help visitors understand how scientists can use these artifacts to learn something more about the universe, life on Earth, or even ourselves. Read more about the collections core at amnh.org

    READ MORE AT: amnh.org
  • Gerstner Philanthropies Awards $4.9 Million For Helping Hands Emergency Grant Program
    February 7, 2022

    GerstnerPhilanthropies announced today that it has awarded $4.9 million in Helping Hands funds to our grantee organizations. The Gerstner Helping Hands program provides financial resources to assist individuals facing a one-time, urgent need. These emergency cash grants are distributed by our partners, who combine Helping Hands funds with holistic wrap-around services to help clients avoid homelessness and instability. Helping Hands reaches over 4,000 families each year, providing assistance with rent, utilities, medical expenses, and food.

    Read more about our 2022 Grantees
  • Gerstner Philanthropies publishes its Year in Numbers 2021 Report
    January 20, 2022

    2021 was a landmark year for Gerstner Philanthropies. Grants totaled over $48 million, almost doubling the previous year and the most in its history. Gerstner Philanthropies launched two new program areas within Helping Hands and created a new grant program to support climate change mitigation. Grantees continue to respond to the impacts of COVID-19, and we are proud of the impacts they made. For more on our engagement and impact in 2021, please see the full Year in Numbers Report.

    Year in Numbers 2021