SOURCE OF WEALTH: Goldman Sachs
FUNDING AREAS: Education, Environment, Human Services & Humanitarian, Health
OVERVIEW: J. Fred Weintz Jr. and family conduct their philanthropy through the Harbor Lights Foundation. The family’s giving heavily prioritizes schools in the Northeast and California with which they have personal connections. These institutions include Stanford and Harvard. Other interests include the environment and human services. The foundation keeps a low profile and does not accept unsolicited proposals.
BACKGROUND: J. Fred Weintz Jr. was born in New York City and attended Norwich University. After serving in the U.S. Army’s Air Forces during World War II he received a degree in economics from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard. Weintz joined Goldman Sachs in 1951 and served as a general partner, responsible for marketing investment banking services from 1965 to 1984.
ISSUES:
EDUCATION: Although Weintz attended Norwich University for only one year, he has been a consistent supporter of the school. According to available tax filings, the foundation awarded around $1 million in grants in 2018. Last decade, Weintz and his late wife Betsy made a $1 million donation, and he has been a trustee of the school board since 1983. Another important school is Stanford University, which several Weintzes have attended. Other grantees have included Harvard, University of Denver, Greenwich Public Schools, Charles Armstrong School, Falmouth Education Foundation, Brunswick School, Mills College, and The Taft School. Many of these institutions have personal ties to the family.
ENVIRONMENT: Grantees have included Islesboro Islands Trust, Keystone Conservation, and Sierra Club Foundation. The family has taken up summer residence in Islesboro, Maine.
HUMAN SERVICES: In life, Betsy was involved with the leadership council of the Harvard School of Public Health and helped support the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, a “research and academic center devoted to advancing humanitarian practice, government and international policy in the protection of the world’s most vulnerable people and the training of the next generation of humanitarian leaders.” Grantmaking has also supported Americares, HALO Trust, and Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies.
HEALTH: Grantees have included Greenwich Hospital Foundation, Sequoia Hospital Foundation, Hearing Health Foundation, and American Cancer Society. One member of Weintz’s family is a physician at Dignity Health Sequoia Hospital.
LOOKING FORWARD: The Weintzes have been active philanthropists for decades. Do not expect their giving habits to shift in the near future.
CONTACT:
The Harbor Lights Foundation does not provide a clear avenue of contact, but below is an address:
Harbor Lights Foundation
77 Water St., 9th Fl.
New York City, NY 10005
