Pew Charitable Trusts

The Pew Charitable Trusts "support nonprofit activities in the areas of culture, education, the environment, health and human services, public policy and religion. Based in Philadelphia, with an office in Washington, D.C., the Trusts make strategic investments that encourage and support citizen participation in addressing critical issues and effecting social change." Their conservation arm is the Pew Environment Group.

Overview & history

 * "The Trusts consist of seven individual charitable funds established between 1948 and 1979 by two sons and two daughters of Sun Oil Company founder Joseph N. Pew and his wife, Mary Anderson Pew. Though the Trusts are separate legal entities, their grantmaking activities are managed collectively and guided by a single set of programmatic priorities."

As a major funder of environmental and other projects the Pew trusts have been criticised by conservative groups aiming to 'defund the left'. 

Takeover of the Barnes Collection
The Pew Foundation led by Rebecca Rimel was instrumental in the legal manuevering for the takeover of the Barnes art collection -- a large prime collection of artwork with an estimated value of $25 - $30 bn. In order to be able to effect this art coup, the Pew changed its status to non-profit charity.

Personel

 * Rebecca Rimel, President
 * Michael Rubinger, Former Executive Vice President

Directors (2007)
Accessed February 2008:


 * Robert H. Campbell
 * Mary Catharine Pew
 * Susan W. Catherwood
 * R. Anderson Pew
 * Gloria Twine Chisum
 * Sandy Ford Pew
 * Aristides W. Georgantas
 * Rebecca W. Rimel
 * J. Howard Pew II
 * Robert G. Williams
 * J.N. Pew IV
 * Ethel Benson Wister

Criticism

 * Josh Schlossberg, "A Bias for Life: The Role of the Environmentalist", Counterpunch, August 30 / 31, 2008.
 * Felice Pace, "Wilderness, Politics and the Oligarchy: How the Pew Charitable Trust is Smothering the Grassroots Environmental Movement", Counterpunch, October 9 / 10, 2004.
 * Alexander Cockburn and Ken Silverstein, Washington Babylon (Verso, 1996).

Contact
2005 Market Street, Suite 1700 Philadelphia, PA 19103-7077 Phone: 215.575.9050 FAX: 215.575.4939

1425 K Street NW, Suite 900 Washington, DC 20005-3674 Phone: 202.207.2150 FAX: 202.207.0360 E-mail: info AT pewtrusts.com URL: http://pewtrusts.com/

Sourcewatch articles

 * Conservatives target the Pew Charitable Trusts
 * Intimidating foundations
 * Intimidating public interest groups
 * Intimidating democracy
 * Andrea Batista Schlesinger
 * Joshua S. Reichert
 * Lee Wasserman
 * Pew Center on the States
 * Meat & Dairy industry
 * Michael X. Delli Carpini - former program officer
 * Lea Aeschliman
 * J. Charles Fox - ocean
 * Kathryn E. Merchant
 * Fern Shepard