Robin Hood Foundation

["Brian Cady" <cadyb@home.com>]

The June 12th issue of New York magazine has a large article about the Robin
Hood Foundation for which The Who recently played.  Here's some quotes from
the article:

"Started as something of a lark by three rich young Wall Street traders in
1988, the Robin Hood Foundation has become known as New York's most
innovative backer of eclectic good works, financing gritty neighborhood
programs to aid the defeated and desperately needy.  Where other high-octane
charities benefit such upmarket causes as the opera, the ballet, and the
Met's fasion collection, Robin Hood actually lives up to its namesake's
slogan of stealing from the rich to give to the poor.  (Or in this case,
persuading the rich to invest in the poor)."

"This year, it is providing more than $18 million to 100 programs, and in
return for their investment, the foundation demands results, cutting off
funding if programs don't deliver on their promises."

"As Robin Hood's Q rating ratches up, the foundation's top layers are not
unaware of the dangers of drifting deeper into Tom Wolfe territory - the
ironies of Park Avenue stepping out to aid Bed Stuy, and swells' donning
designer duds to dine on Glorious Food's canapes while thinking uplifting
thoughts about the downtrodden. ("I can't wait until the Who sings 'Street
Fighting Man' for this crowd," riffs [Robin] Williams, mangling the
authorship of the Rolling Stones classic.)"

"As with any prestigious board, useful contacts are a prerequisite for being
invited to join Robin Hood - say for example, the ability to get free
entertainment and other goodies for the gala.  'Why else would they want the
head of a record company?' says Universal Music's Doug Morris, a new board
member who used his clout to get friend Pete Townshend and the other
surviving members of The Who to perform for free."

"As a way of demonstrating their personal commitment, the board members
decided to take care of all the foundation's expenses themselves, rather
than use outside donations to pay the daily operating bills.  'We're all
aware of concerns about charitable organizations which raise a lot of money
and it all goes to overhead,' says Glenn Dubin, the third member of the
troika, a Washington Heights native who runs his own hedge fund, Highbridge
Capital Management.  'This way, we can tell donors that every dollar they
give goes to support programs.'"

There's plenty more about the charity in the article (nothing more about The
Who, 'though).  I hope this answers some of your questions.

        -Brian in Atlanta
         The Who This Month!
        http://members.home.net/cadyb/who.htm