Jonathan Lavine

NET WORTH: Unknown

SOURCE OF WEALTH: Bain Capital 

FUNDING AREAS: Youth & Education, Health, Justice & Human Services, Jewish Causes

OVERVIEW: Jonathan Lavine and his wife, Jeannie, move some of their philanthropy through the Crimson Lion Foundation, and also give gifts directly to nonprofits. A major involvement is City Year, where Lavine chairs the board of trustees. Lavine has also supported his alma maters. The couple is interested in investments that help level the playing field, create opportunity, and support fairness.

BACKGROUND: Jonathan Lavine graduated from Columbia College, and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. He began his career at Drexel Burnham Lambert in mergers and acquisitions, and also worked at McKinsey & Company as a consultant. In 1993, Lavine joined Bain Capital’s private equity group and in 1997 founded Bain Capital Credit. Lavine is currently the co-managing partner of Bain Capital. 

ISSUES:

EDUCATION & YOUTH: Lavine and Jeannie are longtime supporters of City Year, an organization that addresses the drop out crisis. In the 1990s, when Lavine was still a Harvard Business School student, he offered to sponsor a City Year volunteer for $18, an amount symbolic in the Jewish faith. Lavine has chaired the board of trustees of the organization since 2013 and in 2012, the couple gave $10 million to City Year.  

Apart from City Year, a few years ago the Lavines provided a $5 million grant to the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI).  In 2011, Jonathan Lavine and Gerry Lenfest established a $5 million match for Core Curriculum at Columbia University The Lavines, via their foundation, have also supported places like Berklee College of Music, Hebrew Union College, and Stand for Children Leadership Center.

HEALTH: The Lavines, through Crimson Lion Foundation, have strongly supported Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. They've also supported Massachusetts General Hospital. 

JUSTICE & HUMAN SERVICES: The couple gave a $1 million gift to Equal Justice Initiative, a human rights organization that provides representation to indigent defendants and prisoners who have been denied fair and just treatment in America’s legal system. The couple also seems interested in financial literacy and empowerment as a way to alleviate poverty. Grantees have included The Capital Good Fund, Cradles to Crayons, and LIFT, a national nonprofit organization that helps families break the cycle of poverty. Overall, Lavine says that he's interested in "helping improve systems." The Lavines have also supported New Profit, "a nonprofit venture philanthropy fund that invests in social entrepreneurs."

JEWISH CAUSES: Apart from Hebrew Union College, the Lavines have also supported Anti Defamation League, and American Jewish Service.

LOOKING FORWARD: Lavine is only in his early 50s and very much engaged in business. So far, a lot of the family's giving has gone under the radar though in time Crimson Lion Foundation's grantmaking may become more active.

CONTACT:

The Crimson Lion Foundation does not provide a clear avenue for getting in touch with the couple, but below is an address: