Events

November 30, 2011 Billie Jean King receives second annual Preston Robert Tisch Award
Billie Jean King, a tennis icon and humanitarian, received the Preston Robert Tisch Award in Civic Leadership at the Asia Society in conjunction with The Aspen Institute. The annual award is funded by the family of the late Preston Robert Tisch to carry on his legacy of public service and philanthropy. King, who is the founder of the Women’s Sports Foundation and co-founder of World Team Tennis, spoke at the award ceremony with Christine Brennan, a leading sports columnist with USA Today. King and Brennan spoke about issues of gender, equality, courage, and teambuilding, as well as about tennis – past, present, and future. King designated the prize money to the John and Patty McEnroe Foundation.


(l-r) Christine Brennan, Lizzie Tisch, Jonathan Tisch, Billie Jean King, and Laurie Tisch before the award ceremony and conversation. Photo by Yuki Kokubo.		Billie Jean King receives the Preston Robert Tisch Award after remarks from Laurie M. Tisch. Photo by Yuki Kokubo.

November 2, 2011 Street Food: Attacking Obesity & Wiping Out Food Deserts One City Block at a Time
Through the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Speaker Series, Laurie M. Tisch, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Cathy Nonas, Dwayne Proctor, Ph.D., and Mary Mazzio discussed the twin crises of food desert neighborhoods and obesity. The video of this discussion can be viewed below, and additional information and resources can be found here.

October 6, 2011 The Aspen Institute hosts Dr. Henry Louis "Skip" Gates and Mark Whitaker
"The Aspen Leadership Series: Conversations with Great Leaders in Memory of Preston Robert Tisch" featured Dr. Henry Louis "Skip" Gates, who is the Director of the W.E.B Du Bois Institute at Harvard University, in conversation with Mark Whitaker, Executive Vice President and Managing Editor at CNN. The event, "Race and Leadership in America," which took place at Hunter College's Roosevelt House, is part of the Leadership Series sponsored by Steve Tisch, Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch, and the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund.

August 9, 2011 Revolution Foods and the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund Bring Together Food Leaders
The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund hosted a convening of 24 dynamic leaders and thinkers on issues related to healthy food access and education. Led by Kristin Groos Richmond and Kirsten Tobey, Ashoka fellows and co-founders of the innovative social enterprise Revolution Foods, the discussion illuminated ideas about using entrepreneurship and creative financing to build a scalable social venture in the school food arena. The conversation was a springboard for new partnerships and brainstorms, and it empowered all in the room to think about the school food space from different perspectives.

June 16, 2011 The Aspen Institute hosts Wendy Kopp and John Merrow
"The Aspen Leadership Series: Conversations with Great Leaders in Memory of Preston Robert Tisch" featured Teach For America Founder and CEO, Wendy Kopp in conversation with John Merrow, Education Correspondent, PBS NewsHour and President of Learning Matters. The discussion, "Education, Leadership, and America's Future: A Conversation with Teach for America Founder Wendy Kopp," touched on everything from the realities of comprehensive reform for America's public education system, to standardized testing in America. The event took place at Hunter College's Roosevelt House, and is part of the Leadership Series sponsored by Steve Tisch, Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch, and the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund. See a clip from the event.

May 26, 2011 Laurie M. Tisch honored at generationOn’s 2011 Art of Giving benefit
On May 26, 2011, Laurie M. Tisch was honored by generationOn at the 2011 Art of Giving benefit along with Brian Goldner, President and CEO, Hasbro, Inc, Tonya Lewis Lee and Spike Lee, and six extraordinary young leaders from across the country who were presented with the Hasbro Community Action Hero award. The event raised over $920,000 for generationOn, the youth division of the Points of Light Institute, which seeks to inspire, equip and mobilize young people to take action that changes the world and themselves through service. For more information about generationOn, please visit www.generationon.org.

Laurie M. Tisch and Newark Mayor Cory Booker were featured at generationOn’s 2011 Art of Giving benefit.

April 7, 2011 Echoing Green Launches Work on Purpose at a Reception Hosted by the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund
Echoing Green's Senior Vice President, Lara Galinky, and writer Kelly Nuxoll have teamed up to tell the stories of five changemakers and their paths to success. Work on Purpose uses real-life stories of professionals' journeys from personal struggle and uncertainty to significance and success by developing careers with purpose. The event featured conversations with the author and changemakers featured in the new book, and was hosted by the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund.

March 21, 2011 Museum of the City of New York Opens Moveable Feast, an Aperture Photography Exhibit Featuring the NYC Green Carts
The Museum of the City of New York held an opening reception to kick off Moveable Feast: Fresh Produce and the NYC Green Cart Program, a photography exhibit ongoing through July 10, 2011. The exhibit features the works of five photographers supported by the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund and commissioned by the Aperture Foundation, who chronicled the NYC Green Cart program for the past year. Laurie M. Tisch joined Susan Henshaw Jones of MCNY, Elliot Marcus of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and Chris Boot of Aperture in sharing a few remarks at the reception. Sean Corcoran of the MCNY and Denise Wolff of Aperture are co-curators of the exhibit.

March 16, 2011 Illumination Fund Launches NYC Green Cart Cookbook with Recipes by Celebrity Chefs, Partners and Green Cart Vendors
The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund unveiled a cookbook, which features healthy recipes using ingredients found on NYC Green Carts, at a reception with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Elliot Marcus and chef and restaurant owner Marcus Samuelsson. U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Thomas Farley, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, submitted forwards for the charity cookbook funded by Laurie Tisch, which features 26 recipes donated by renowned chefs, New York City institutions, initiative partners and Green Cart vendors. The hors d'oeuvres for the evening were inspired by the cookbook recipes, and fruit from Mohammed Islam's Green Cart on West 125th Street was enjoyed by attendees.
Cookbooks are available for free at local Green Carts and are also available for download.

January 26, 2011 The Aspen Institute and Hunter College host Mark Messier and Tom Farrey
"The Aspen Leadership Series: Conversations with Great Leaders" featured six-time Stanley Cup champion and NHL Hall of Fame member Mark Messier and ESPN journalist Tom Farrey in a discussion entitled Athletes, Leadership, and the Transformative Power of Sports. The Leadership Series is held in memory of Preston Robert Tisch and is sponsored by Steve Tisch, Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch, and the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund. See a clip from the event here.

November 29, 2010 Wynton Marsalis Receives Inaugural Preston Robert Tisch Award
The first Preston Robert Tisch Award in Civic Leadership was presented to jazz musician, educator and advocate for the arts Wynton Marsalis, on November 29th, 2010 at the Kaye Playhouse of Hunter College in New York City. The annual award is funded by the family of the late Preston Robert Tisch to carry on his legacy of public service and philanthropy. Mr. Marsalis was honored for his work in bringing music and music education programs to young people as well as for his efforts to help New Orleans recover from the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. Marsalis designated the prize money to Jazz at Lincoln Center, where he serves as Artistic Director.

November 9, 2010 The Aspen Institute and Hunter College host Mario Cuomo and Christine Todd Whitman
"The Aspen Leadership Series: Conversations with Great Leaders" featured former New York Governor Mario Cuomo and former Governor of New Jersey, Christine Todd Whitman in a discussion moderated by Brian Lehrer, the host of WNYC Radio's Brian Lehrer Show. The Leadership Series is held in memory of Preston Robert Tisch and is sponsored by Steve Tisch, Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch, and the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund. See a clip from the event here.

September 23, 2010 Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund Hosts Reception for Alan Khazei's book, Big Citizenship
The Laurie M. Illumination Fund celebrated the publication of Big Citizenship: How Pragmatic Idealism Can Bring Out the Best in America by Alan Khazei, co-founder of City Year and founder of Be The Change. Khazei presents his vision of how Americans of all walks of life can join together in a shared act of national service.

June 28-30, 2010 New York City, National Conference on Volunteering and Service
Nationally convened by the Points of Light Institute, the Corporation for National and Community Service, and locally convened by NYC Service and New Yorkers Volunteer, the annual event provides attendees with an opportunity to learn, connect, and be inspired through a wide range of exciting and informative plenary sessions, workshops, special events, service projects, exhibits, specialized corporate tracks and more. The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination fund is on the host committee for the 2010 conference.

May 19, 2010 The NYC Green Cart Photography Commission Works in Progress Exhibit Opening Reception
The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund has awarded a seed grant to the Mayor's Fund for New York City for the Department of Health to support the NYC Green Cart Initiative, which provides underserved urban communities ready access to fresh fruit and vegetables via hundreds of independently owned Green Carts.

The two-year photography commission will document the historic program through the perspectives of five emerging artists selected by Aperture Foundation, a New York–based nonprofit arts organization and leading force in the field of photography. The current exhibition presents works in progress from the first year of the Aperture initiative, which will culminate in a large-scale exhibition in 2011.

Featuring the work of:
LaToya Ruby Frazier, Thomas Holton, Gabriele Stabile, Will Steacy, and Shen Wei
For more information Click Here

April 20, 2010 Nourishing Strong Communities II: FoodWorks - New York City Council Engages Around Healthy Food a Philanthropy New York members briefing, sponsored by the Elmezzi Foundation, Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation, and Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund

FoodWorks New York is a new City Council effort to produce a comprehensive plan to use New York City’s food system to create jobs, improve public health, and protect the environment. The goals of FoodWorks New York are to improve the city’s food infrastructure; create new and better jobs in the food industry; keep more local food dollars in the local economy; reduce diet related diseases like obesity, heart disease and diabetes; and reduce environmental damage from the production, transport, and consumption of food. This briefing will introduce funders to FoodWorks and provide nonprofit perspectives on the plan and opportunities it presents for New Yorkers.

April 7, 2010 Hudson Institute's Bradley Center for Philanthropy and Civic Renewal book discussion of The Power of Social Innovation: How Civic Entrepreneurs Ignite Community Networks for Good by Stephen Goldsmith
In this new age of the social entrepreneur, too often private sector innovation, as admirable as it is, fails to translate into meaningful change in the larger public sector. There, massive expenditures of public dollars continue to fund delivery of services that have conspicuously failed to solve our most urgent social problems. In a few communities around the country, however, private and public leaders have come together to design significant change in the way we approach public problems, reflecting the best impulses of civic entrepreneurs, and restoring the role of citizens and neighborhoods in self-governance. Former mayor of Indianapolis and current chair of the Corporation for National and Community Service Stephen Goldsmith has been a pioneer in such efforts, and in The Power of Social Innovation: How Civic Entrepreneurs Ignite Community Networks for Good, he lays out his career-long experience with and research into this approach.

On Wednesday, April 7, the Bradley Center will host Mayor Goldsmith, along with a panel of experts including Paul Grogan of The Boston Foundation, the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund's Gail Nayowith, and Robert Woodson of the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise, to discuss the book. The Bradley Center's own William Schambra will moderate the discussion.

February 1, 2010 Inspired Philanthropy: Laurie M. Tisch Speaks about the Evolution of the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund to Women in Development NY at the Yale Club

In 2007, Laurie M. Tisch shifted her focus from donor advised philanthropy and stepped up her philanthropy by establishing her own foundation. Continuing her parents' tradition of generosity and being a good neighbor she formed the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund to inspire fresh ideas and new thinking about ways to increase access and opportunity for more New Yorkers. From supporting the innovative NYC Green Carts initiative to bring fresh produce to underserved New York City neighborhoods, to underwriting the much-anticipated Illumination Lawn at a revitalized Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and providing major support for NYC Service and the NYC Civic Corps, an effort to increase volunteerism and civic engagement among New Yorkers, Ms. Tisch combines an entrepreneurial spirit with a lifetime of experience in leadership giving.

During her talk, Ms. Tisch will share her insights on the role of philanthropy in the Tisch family, her personal values and evolving philosophy of giving, how she identifies and evaluates potential projects, and she will talk about some of the Illumination Fund's most recent grants. Ms. Tisch will be introduced by philanthropic advisor, Hildy Simmons.

January 6, 2010 Nourishing Strong Communities: Access to Healthy Food as an Essential Ingredient of Community Building a Philanthropy New York members briefing, sponsored by the Elmezzi Foundation, Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation, and Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund

With the rapid rise of diet-related illness and the increased demand on food pantries and feeding programs, issues of access to healthy food for all has become a growing concern both locally and nationally. Foundations are partnering with non-profits, small businesses, government, and neighborhood groups to develop programs and new tools that will increase access to affordable and healthy food, as well as achieve healthier and more sustainable communities. Through collaboration, education, and advocacy, these partners are working to establish new food supply chains and distribution channels, which are the first steps toward increasing access to healthy food and building a sustainable food system.

December 15, 2009 The Aspen Leadership Series: Conversations with Great Leaders in Memory of Preston Robert Tisch
The second in the series was held in New York City at a private club and featured Jamie Dimon, CEO and Chairman of JPMorgan Chase & Co, in conversation with Walter Issacson, President and CEO of the Aspen Institute. Click here for more information

November 12, 2009 Fountain Gallery Exhibit Opening Reception
Fountain Gallery is a not-for-profit cooperative run by and for artists living with mental illness. By exhibiting visionary art, achieving commercial success and generating public dialogue, the Gallery is making a vital contribution to the New York arts community and working to change common misconceptions about people living with severe persistent mental illness. Artwork by Fountain Gallery artists is on view at the foundation through May 2010. For more information Click Here

October 20, 2009 The Aspen Leadership Series: Conversations with Great Leaders in Memory of Preston Robert Tisch
A major new Discussion Program in New York City featured The Honorable Cory A. Booker, Mayor, Newark, New Jersey, in conversation With Richard Stengel, Managing Editor, Time Magazine for its inaguaral session. In five installments each year, the series will feature dynamic, innovative leaders from all facets of civic life—government, nonprofits, education, science, the arts, and even sports—in conversation with noted journalists and other moderators. In addition to the discussions, in the spring of 2010, The Aspen Institute will launch the new Preston Robert Tisch Award in Civic Leadership, which will recognize an individual who has made a significant positive impact on his or her community, with $25,000 to be donated to an organization of the awardee's choosing.

August 22, 2009 Food, Fun, and Fitness Expo in Bedford-Stuyvesant Promotes Healthy Living for Local Families
All in the name of healthy living, families from the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn were treated to an afternoon of delicious, healthy food, fitness events, and fun entertainment at the Open House Brooklyn Food and Fitness Expo, organized by the Brooklyn Food and Fitness Taskforce. The Taskforce is a coalition of community residents and organizations working in North and Central Brooklyn to improve health by enhancing opportunities for good nutrition and physical activity.

NYC Green Carts were on hand to pass out free fruits and vegetables, along with healthy, easy-to-follow recipes. The goal was to teach families how they can create healthy meals from fruits and vegetables available from the Green Carts and local community gardens.

Other activities at the Food and Fitness Expo included bike races, aerobics, guided walks, yoga and other sports activities for community residents of all ages.

July 26, 2009 The Aspen Institute & TIME Magazine Aspen Health Forum, A Healthier Bite in the Big Apple
New York City has moved aggressively to promote healthy lifestyles through efforts to increase the availability and consumption of healthy foods in underserved, high-need communities. In this session attendees learned about efforts to engineer a healthier city by increasing the availability of nutritious foods and stimulating customer demand through: NYC Green Carts (fruit and vegetable carts); Healthy Bodegas (corner stores); FRESH (a supermarket attraction and retention program); and healthier food in city schools, hospitals and institutions.
The panel included:

Linda Gibbs; Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, The City of New York
Cathy Nonas, MS,RD,DCE; Director Physical Activity and Nutrition Programs, New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene
Ben Thomases; Food Policy Coordinator, Office of the Mayor, The City of New York
Laurie Tisch; President, Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund
Moderator: Gail B. Nayowith; Executive Director, Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund

July 24, 2009 The Aspen Institute & TIME Magazine Aspen Health Forum, The Big Idea: Food for a New World
The Big Idea sessions combine short, powerful talks by some of the most engaging speakers in their respective fields. Dramatic increases in both obesity and malnutrition have put a new spotlight on global nutrition. Rising fuel and food prices, coupled with the spread of western diets and lack of exercise, are changing the shape and health of the average human body. Often it seems that half the planet is in danger of stuffing itself to death while the other half is in danger of starving to death. At the root of both problems with what- and how much- we eat. Nothing's more primal than food. Can we reframe food and exercise in this new century? Or will we sit by and watch our global waistlines expand? We delve into topics such as the rise of malnutrition and obesity, the importance of eating locally, food prices, genetically engineered food, and the future of crops for extreme climates.
The panel included:

Adam Drewnowski, PhD; Director, Center for Obesity Research, University of Washington
Dan Glickman; Former Secretary of Agriculture
Lynda Resnick; Co-Owner and Vice Chairman, Roll International
Laurie Tisch; President, Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund (click here to read remarks)
Introducer: Michelle McMurry, MD, PhD; Founding Director, Health, Biomedical Science and Society Initiative, The Aspen Institute

May 12, 2009 The Rising Power of Women in Philanthropy
Sponsored by UNICEF, J.P. Morgan and Town & Country magazine, The Rising Power of Women in Philanthropy Forum championed women philanthropists. This event addressed how women are changing the face of philanthropy. The panel included Jennifer Buffet, President of the NoVo Foundation, Laurie M. Tisch and Afshan Khan, Director, Resource Mobilization at UNICEF.

May 7, 2009 Artistic Noise Exhibit Opening Reception
Artistic Noise is an arts program for youth in the juvenile justice system in New York City. The program provides an opportunity for participants to process and document their lives using the visual arts while learning valuable survival skills. By working with youth both inside the detention facility and back in the community Artistic Noise provides continuity for youth who are often experiencing trauma and upheaval in their lives. Artwork by the young artists in on view at the foundation through November. For more information Click Here

November 19, 2008 Meet The Author: Reynold Levy, President of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Yours for the Asking: An Indispensable Guide to Fundraising and Management.
Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund hosted a discussion and reception event to promote the release of Reynold Levy, new book Yours for the Asking: An Indispensable Guide to Fundraising and Management. For more information Click Here

October 14, 2008 October 14, 2008 NYRAG Members Briefing : ServiceNation
Co-sponsored by The Atlantic Philanthropies, Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund and The Rockefeller Foundation. The session began with an update on commitments made by Presidential candidates McCain and Obama who "pledged to make a new call to service the hallmark of the next Presidency" at the 9/11/2008 ServiceNation Summit, followed by a discussion of the new role of public service and opportunities for funder support, with Alan Khazei Founder and CEO of Be The Change, Inc., Gail B. Nayowith Executive Director Laurie M. Tisch Illumination and Janice Nittoli VP and Managing Director The Rockefeller Foundation who moderated the panel. For more information on NYRAG Click Here and for more information on Service Nation Click Here

September 23, 2008 NYRAG Philanthropy Dialogue: New Foundations and Living Donors
Co-sponsored with the New York Regional Association of Grantmakers was an engaging, and intimate, off-the-record roundtable discussion among the CEOs and donors/trustees of recently established family foundations.

January 23, 2008 Peter Karoff Book Party: How Philanthropy Can Create The World We Want
The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund hosted its first event, a reception in honor of Peter Karoff, founder of The Philanthropic Initiative, on the publication of his new book The World We Want: New Dimensions in Philanthropy and Social Change.

Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund also convenes and hosts meetings of grantees, government and non-profit organizations.