These philanthropists don’t always go about their giving in traditional Big Apple fashion.
William Ackman, 49
Among the billionaire hedge-fund managers in philanthropy, Mr. Ackman is one of the most focused on measuring impact and sparking change in new ways. “When you think about how profits are going to be made in the 21st century, they’re going to be made solving problems,” he told Forbes recently.
Mr. Ackman’s family foundation (which has awarded nearly $100 million in grants in the past three years) was an early backer of the 10-year-old One Acre Fund, which helps poor farmers in Africa get financing, training, and market access. A recent Ackman project: supporting the expansion of Kiva, a pioneer in microloans for families in developing countries, into New York City to aid low-income small businesses.
Leah Hunt-Hendrix, 32
The granddaughter of the oil and gas tycoon H.L. Hunt is a leader of Solidaire, a network of wealthy individuals and foundations that support social movements. Grantees have included Black Lives Matter and Missouri-based Hands Up United.
“Change takes decades,” she says. “We’re going to support boring infrastructure and background work that’s often needed.” The organization also offers rapid-response funding. One recent example: backing for a protest at a Donald Trump rally in response to his comments on Muslims.
Glenn Hutchins, 60
His Silver Lake, a leader among the growing number of New York private-equity firms investing in technology, is known for its 2013 buyout of Dell computers with founder Michael Dell. In his philanthropy, Mr. Hutchins says he finds underfunded areas in which a modest investment can bring about significant social change.
Notably, his family foundation has committed $10 million to identify and fund disparate groups of scientists trying to cure chronic fatigue syndrome. Hospitals and medical-research institutions might typically do such work, but “they are not used to the levels of accountability that we insist upon, and they don’t move as quickly,” Mr. Hutchins says.
Another big gift: $15 million to help Harvard’s Henry Louis Gates Jr. build an institute of African-American studies.
John Overdeck, 46
This billionaire and his wife, Laura, are new names in New York philanthropy; they started their foundation (assets: $300 million) in 2011. Thanks in part to Mr. Overdeck’s stint as an Amazon executive before he co-founded his hedge-fund firm in 2001, they believe technology and data can bring about social change. “We’re a little bit on the West Coast side of things,” he says.
While Mr. Overdeck is among the many New York financiers backing charter schools, he also supports tech-infused education efforts such as Khan Academy, the nonprofit provider of online, personalized education.
