Barbara Walters passed away over the holidays at the age of 93, leaving behind a long legacy as a broadcast journalist and television personality. She interviewed every sitting U.S. president and first lady between Richard and Pat Nixon and Barack and Michelle Obama. Her interviews also included everyone from renowned Hollywood figures like Katharine Hepburn and Sean Connery to controversial political figures like Fidel Castro and Louis Farrakhan. Later in life, she launched “The View” on ABC, before retiring in 2015.
Walters is one of the many “glitzy givers” whose philanthropy we’ve kept an eye on through the years. With an estimated net worth of around $170 million at the time of her death, she was emblematic of the major wealth that can be amassed at the top of the entertainment and media sector — some of which can then be deployed toward philanthropy.
Walters’ rise to wealth is entwined with breaking barriers as she rose through the ranks of a male-dominated industry. By 1976, she had secured a co-host position on “Today” and was earning $700,000 a year. ABC then signed her to a $5 million, five-year contract. Walters later created “The View” and owned a 50% stake in the program.
But what about Walters’ philanthropic work during her life? What were some of her interest areas? What did she support? And what should we expect from her charitable trust now that she has passed away? Here’s a quick rundown.
She strongly supported her alma mater, Sarah Lawrence College
Walters graduated from the New York liberal arts school in 1951, and during her time there, she worked at the newspaper and performed in theater. She kept coming back to her alma mater, first in 1974 for the dedication of a new performing arts center and library. She gave the commencement address in 2001, and later gave the school $1 million a year toward the construction of the Barbara Walters Gallery in the Heimbold Visual Arts Center. When Walters retired in 2015, she made a $15 million grant to fund construction of the Barbara Walters Campus Center, which hosts events, dining and social activities.
Walters is a good example of a donor who put a bullseye on her alma mater, which she remembered fondly in her philanthropy. She once remarked: “When I donated my archives to Sarah Lawrence last year, I told the graduating class at commencement that at Sarah Lawrence, I learned to ask questions. I attribute my success, in many ways, to the curiosity and confidence I came away with from this remarkable college.”
She supported other causes, as well
Walters’ philanthropy also reached other institutions around New York City, including the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Met. In addition, she supported health charities like the American Foundation for AIDS Research, American Heart Association, American Stroke Association, Cancer Research Institute, and Michael J. Fox Foundation. As is often the case, health challenges in the family may have influenced her giving to health organizations. Walters’ brother passed away from pneumonia and her sister was developmentally disabled.
Looking forward
Barbara Walters founded her charity in 2001. In 2008, its name changed to the Dena Charitable Trust, bearing the middle name of Jacqueline Danforth, her adopted daughter and only child. It was during a conversation with Jacqueline that Walters herself came up with the idea for “The View,” brainstorming the idea of a space where women from different generations could convene and discuss pressing issues.
The Dena Charitable Trust lists two trustees per available tax records: Walters and her daughter. It’s another one of those family foundations that flies well under the radar. Like the foundation, Jacqueline has also kept a low profile, but several accounts have depicted her troubled childhood and struggles thereafter.
It’s hard to say what involvement Jacqueline has had with the trust through the years, or if she’ll want to be involved down the line. Her father, Lee Guber, also worked in the entertainment world as a Broadway theater producer. The foundation’s sole grantee has been Sarah Lawrence College of late, but perhaps more arts and culture giving is in the works. Mental health, addiction, adoption and childhood wellness are also causes to look out for.