The Heckscher Foundation for Children

Chairman's Letter

The Heckscher Foundation for Children serves the ever-growing needs of children more effectively than its founder and early leaders August Heckscher, Arthur Smadbeck and Ruth Smadbeck envisioned. The substantial increase in our endowment in recent years allows us to make meaningful annual contributions to worthwhile programs covering a broad range of needs in, among other areas, education, health and the arts. The guiding concept of our mission today is to level the playing field for needy youth through our gifts and our leadership, and to be a catalyst for innovative projects and thinking on fundamental concerns affecting youth.

This website provides access to information for potential applicants about our mission and how we are seeking to fulfill it, and provides applicants with a cost-efficient method for submitting preliminary inquiries to the Foundation. It promotes critical thinking about and showcases some of our strategic philanthropy projects, and allows us to celebrate the generosity of spirit and sweat of our founders and leaders that have made all of this possible.

Peter Sloane
Chairman, Board of Trustees