SOURCE OF WEALTH: Maple Engine
FUNDING AREAS: Policy, Education
OVERVIEW: Stephen Modzelewski conducts his philanthropy through the Modzelewski Charitable Trust, which available tax filings show, gave away $3.3 million in 2018. Modzelewski chairs the board of trustees of the Reason Foundation and supports policy outfits. Lately, the bulk of the foundation’s money has streamed to a donor advised fund.
BACKGROUND: Stephen Modzelewski has been active in finance since 1982 when he joined Salomon Brothers. In 1988, he left Salomon and established the hedge fund Parsec Trading Corp. In the early 2000s, Modzelewski established his own trading and investment firm, Maple Engine L.L.C., a private multi-strategy investment and trading fund focusing on speculative trading and venture investment.
ISSUES:
POLICY: Modzelewski chairs the board of trustees of the Reason Foundation in Los Angeles, which “advances a free society by developing, applying, and promoting libertarian principles, including individual liberty, free markets, and the rule of law.” He has supported the outfit, as well as Copenhagen Consensus Center, which has been analyzing the effectiveness of the UN’s global goals for 2016-2030. He has also been involved with the Competitive Enterprise Institute.
OTHER: Modzelewski supports a scholarship fund at Yampa Valley Community Foundation in Colorado. He has also supported International Rescue Committee.
LOOKING FORWARD: In a recent year, of the Modzelewski Charitable Trust’s $2.4 million in grantmaking, almost all of it went to a donor advised fund at Vanguard Charitable Trust. This makes the full scope of Modzelewski’s recent philanthropy hard to get a handle on. Still, his involvement in policy is worth watching.
CONTACT:
The Modzelewski Charitable Trust does not provide a clear avenue of contact but below is an address:
Modzelewski Charitable Trust
12030 Sunrise Valley Dr. Ste 450
Reston, VA United States 20191-3400
Telephone: (703) 437-9720
LINK:
