SOURCE OF WEALTH: Alpine Woods Capital
FUNDING AREAS: Mental Health, Community
OVERVIEW: Samuel Lieber, his sister Janice, and family conduct their philanthropy through the Essel Foundation, which, according to available tax filings, gave away around $2.3 million in 2017. The family has long been advocates for mental health. Lieber also gives through the Borrego Foundation, whose grantmaking supports health, human services, policy, and other causes. Available tax filings indicate that the Borrego Foundation awarded $1.57 million in grants in 2017.
BACKGROUND: Samuel A. Lieber graduated from Wesleyan University and attended New York University’s Graduate School of Business and New York University’s Real Estate Institute. He is founder and president of Alpine Woods Capital Investors, LLC. Prior to Alpine, Lieber spent 13 years at Evergreen Asset Management Corp., first as an analyst, later as a portfolio manager.
ISSUES:
MENTAL HEALTH: The late Constance Lieber and her husband Stephen A. Lieber were major advocates and philanthropic supporters of schizophrenia and depression research for decades. Constance was president of NARSAD (now Brain and Behavior Research Foundation) from 1989 to 2007. In 1987, the Liebers established an annual award for achievement in schizophrenia research. Columbia University is home to the Lieber Recovery and Rehabilitation Clinic for Psychotic Disorders and the Lieber Schizophrenia Research Clinic. At Williams College, the Liebers founded the undergraduate neuroscience program. In 2011, the family created the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, affiliated with the Johns Hopkins University, to integrate new discoveries in developmental neurobiology and genetics in order to achieve clinical advances that can change lives.
Samuel Leiber and family continue to support mental health via the Essel Foundation and Borrego Foundation. Grantees include Lieber Institute, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, Stamford Education 4 Autism, NY Presbyterian, and Hereditary Disease Foundation.
OTHER: Lieber has personally supported UJA Federation New York, and educational institutions such as Brooklyn College Foundation, University of Southern Florida, and Rockefeller University. Constance graduated from Brooklyn College. Other grantees include City Harvest, Equal Justice Institute, Doctors Without Borders, Center for Reproductive Rights, and Planned Parenthood.
LOOKING FORWARD: Expect the family to remain focused on mental health.
CONTACT:
Essel Foundation
2500 Westchester Avenue
Purchase, NY 10577
(914) 698-7133
Borrego Foundation
PO Box 301
Larchmont, NY 10538
