Remembering Richard Goldman, 1920-2010
This morning NCG learned of the passing of San Francisco philanthropist Richard Goldman.
Richard Goldman made an indelible mark on the philanthropic landscape, not just here in the Bay Area, but internationally. In 1951 Richard and his late wife Rhoda Haas Goldman, a great-grandniece of Levi Strauss, established the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund to support a variety of causes: supporting the Bay Area, the environment, the Jewish community, Israel, and reproductive rights. To date, the Fund has distributed more than $680 million dollars to nonprofit organizations and causes around the world.
Green, a generation before it was in style, the Goldmans established the Goldman Environmental Prize in 1990 which annually awards $150,000 to six grassroots environmental heroes, one from each of the world’s inhabited regions.
This past year, Richard awarded $20 million in legacy grants to five San Francisco Bay Area organizations that reflect his and his late wife Rhoda’s passions. Five million dollars each was awarded to Congregation Emanu-El, Stern Grove Festival Association, University of California at Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy, the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties, and Golden Gate Parks Conservancy for Lands End.
Richard’s peers described him as natural leader, extremely loyal, and a “caring and constructive and intuitive philanthropist.”
He is survived by three of his children, John D. Goldman and his wife, Marcia, of Atherton, CA; Douglas E. Goldman and his wife, Lisa, of San Francisco, CA; and Susan R. Gelman and her husband, Michael, of Chevy Chase, MD. He is also survived by his daughter-in-law Susan Goldman, widow of his son Richard W. Goldman, who predeceased his parents. In addition, Mr. Goldman is survived by his 11 grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and his sister Marianne Goldman of San Francisco, CA.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, December 3, 2010 at 10:30a.m. at Congregation Emanu-El, 2 Lake Street (at Arguello) in San Francisco.
The family encourages memorial donations be made to Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy; Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties; University of California at Berkeley Department of Intercollegiate Athletics; or a charitable organization of the donor’s choosing.
Read the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund’s press release on Richard Goldman’s legacy online.
Read the San Francisco Chronicle article celebrating Richard Goldman’s philanthropic legacy online.
About the author
Northern California Grantmakers is an association of foundations, corporate contributions programs and other private grantmakers. Its mission is to promote the well-being of people and their communities in balance with a healthy environment by the thoughtful and creative use of private wealth and resources for public benefit. To this end, NCG works to enhance the effectiveness of philanthropy, and to strengthen the ties between philanthropy and its many stakeholders; including nonprofit organizations, government, business, media, academia, and the public at large.
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Tags: environment, Goldman Environmental Prize, Rhoda Goldman, Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, Richard Goldman, san francisco chronicle