Our Founder
Laurie M. Tisch is the sole donor and President of the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund. She is one of New York City’s most highly regarded philanthropists, best known for her founding role in Children’s Museum of Manhattan and The Center for Arts Education. Ms. Tisch’s entrepreneurial spirit is at the heart of all foundation activities including: grantmaking, building initiatives, influencing policy, convening and networking, and communications. Ms. Tisch’s bedrock conviction and sense of purpose in her philanthropy comes from years of experience building institutions, serving on Boards and from a committed, engaged civic life. She had already created a legacy of impact through her work on boards of various prominent arts and culture institutions. Ms. Tisch is the Chair Emeritus of the Center for Arts Education (CAE), where she led a multi-million dollar fundraising campaign that resulted in an investment of nearly $40 million in arts education programs in New York City schools. Ms. Tisch is also Chair Emeritus of the Children’s Museum of Manhattan where she led its expansion, set its vision and ethos and where she is now defining a vision for future expansion to sites throughout New York City. In addition, Ms. Tisch sits on the Board of Trustees of the Whitney Museum of American Art; is a member of the Board of Trustees at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts ; is Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees at Teachers College, Columbia University; was a Council Member of the New York State Council on the Arts for ten years; and, member of the Mayor's Cultural Advisory Commission. Ms. Tisch is also a member of the Board of Directors of the New York Football Giants, the NFL team co-owned by her family.
Ms. Tisch is a recognized leader and recipient of many awards for public service. She was honored recently for her work on behalf of children and the arts with the 2006 Lewis Hine Award for Distinguished Service from the National Child Labor Committee and in 2005 with Town Hall’s Friends of the Arts Award for her cultural advocacy and support of the arts. She is a frequent speaker on issues in philanthropy including: philanthropy and women; philanthropy and family; and personal philanthropy among high net worth individuals. Ms. Tisch is an engaged and active funder with a sophisticated understanding of how to connect people, ideas and institutions to leverage resources and produce results.