NET WORTH: Unknown
SOURCE OF WEALTH: Atalanta Sosnoff Capital
FUNDING AREAS: Education, Arts & Media, Health, Animals
OVERVIEW: Martin Sosnoff and his wife Toni move their philanthropy through the Martin and Toni Sosnoff Foundation, established in the late 1970s. Around $2.8 million moved out in a recent fiscal year. The foundation has a northeast focus, including notable support for the arts at Bard College. The arts are very important to this couple, who are avid collectors. Other interests include health and animals. The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals.
BACKGROUND: Born and raised in the Bronx, Martin T. Sosnoff earned a B.A. from City College of New York and an M.B.A. from New York University. He began managing money back in 1968 for the Rosenwald family, descendants of a Sears co-founder. He was director of research at Starwood Corporation and a research analyst at E.F. Hutton. Sosnoff founded Atalanta Sosnoff Capital, where he's currently Chief Executive Officer. He was also a Forbes columnist for many years.
ISSUES:
EDUCATION: Martin and Toni have been strong supporters of Bard College, where Martin was a trustee for 20 years. The couple's foundation gave $764,000 to Bard College in a recent fiscal year. Their philanthropy at Bard has heavily involved the Fisher Center for Performing Arts, the site of the Sosnoff Theater. Both Martin and Toni sit on the Fisher Center's advisory board. Sonsoff has also supported his alma mater City College: the City College 21st Century Foundation recently received a $250,000 grant. Other recent grantees include Georgetown Day School, Hofstra University (where Toni graduated with a degree in drama), and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. Recent philanthropy at Hofstra supported a theater which was renamed in their honor.
ARTS & MEDIA: The couple has a strong interest in the arts, and are avid art collectors. Apart from their work at the Fisher Center, the Sosnoffs gave a $5 million grant to American Ballet Theatre (the highest ever to ABT) late last decade. The couple has been supporting ABT for more than two decades now. Art lovers, they've supported the Guggenheim Museum, Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Connecticut. Other important grantees include American Ballet Theatre, Palm Beach Opera, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Manhattan Theatre Club, Roundabout Theater Company, Signature Theater Company, and the Met Opera. The couple also has an interest in film and has funded Tribeca Film Festival and Woodstock Film Festival.
HEALTH: Recent grantees include Mt. Sinai Hospital, NYU Langone Medical Center, and Alzheimers Association. The foundation has also been involved with Northern Dutchess Hospital’s new building program.
ANIMALS: Sosnoff is an active competitor in dressage, and Toni has maintained an active breeding and exhibition program for both standard and toy poodles for some 25 years. The couple's foundation has recently supported outfits like Potter League for Animals, Animal Medical Center, United States Equestrian Team Foundation, Dressage Foundation, and Take The Lead, which "provides direct services, support and care for people in the sport of purebred dogs who suffer the devastation of life-threatening or terminal illness."
LOOKING FORWARD: The Sosnoffs have been involved in philanthropy for decades. Expect them to stick with their established interest areas. The couple recently moved to Florida, however, which may emerge as another important region for giving.
CONTACT:
The Martin and Toni Sosnoff Foundation does not provide a clear avenue of contact but below is an address: