Presenter

David Saltzman

Executive Director, Robin Hood Foundation

David Saltzman has been the Executive Director of the Robin Hood Foundation since 1989. He was one of Robin Hood’s five founding board members.  Robin Hood fights poverty in New York City by finding, funding and strengthening the most effective programs serving poor New Yorkers.Robin Hood applies investment principles to charitable giving by hiring independent third party evaluators to measure the effectiveness of each program it supports; developing costs and benefits for every grant it makes; leveraging and protecting its financial support with in-depth management, legal, accounting and real estate assistance; and recruiting board members for the institutions it funds.  In addition, Robin Hood solicits millions of dollars of donated goods for the organizations it supports. Since its inception in 1988, Robin Hood has distributed more than $750 million worth of grants and another $125 million in goods and services.  In 2007, Robin Hood made grants totaling $139 million.  Robin Hood’s Board of Directors underwrites all administrative and fundraising costs, ensuring that every penny donated goes directly to those in need.In response to the terrorist attacks of September 11th, Robin Hood formed a relief fund which distributed more than $ 67 million to victims’ families and to services for low income families impacted by the attacks.  Robin Hood staged the Concert for New York featuring Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, the Who, Elton John, Billy Joel, Beyonce, Eric Clapton, Jay-Z, Billy Crystal, Robert DeNiro, Halle Barry, President Clinton, Mayor Giuliani and others to raise funds for its relief efforts.  It was the most successful fundraising concert in United States history.Prior to joining Robin Hood, Mr. Saltzman served as the Special Assistant to the President of the Board of Education of the City of New York.  Before working at the Board of Education, he ran AIDS education programs for the New York City Department of Health.  Mr. Saltzman began his career in public service working with homeless families for the Human Resources Administration of the City of New York, the city’s Department of Social Services.Mr. Saltzman earned a Masters of Public Policy and Administration from Columbia University and a Bachelors degree from Brown University.  He serves on the board of directors of the Excellence Charter School of Bedford Stuyvesant, the first all boys charter school in New York; the Brazelton Touchpoints Center, Dr. T. Berry Brazelton’s effort to improve the health care of children around the world; NPower, a joint effort of Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase, Accenture, Robin Hood and others to advance the effectiveness of non-profit organizations; and a new graduate level teacher training institute to improve the training of the nation’s public school teachers.  He also served as a member of Mayor Bloomberg’s Commission for Economic Opportunity, an effort to reduce poverty in New York City.Time magazine recently named Mr. Saltzman one of its 100 Innovators.  Brown University presented him with its John Hope award for distinguished alumni.  Columbia University honored him with its Global Leadership Award at the 60th anniversary of its School of International and Public Affairs.  

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