Heckscher Foundation for Children

Heckscher Foundation for Children

The Heckscher Foundation for Children traces its origins to 1921 and the estate of August Heckscher. Arthur Smadbeck and Ruth Smadbeck expanded its operations in the 1930s; Peter Sloane, their grandson, now serves as chairman and CEO while his daughter Nessia Sloane Kushner holds the director of strategy role. The foundation allocates across private equity, program-related investments, and direct grants. Asset-class exposure includes buyout funds, distressed debt, and hybrid vehicles. Confirmed positions encompass EarlyBird Education, Stepmojo Education, SRA Private Equity Portfolio III, and the New York Pooled PRI Fund managed with SeaChange Capital Partners. Geographic focus remains the United States, centered on New York with additional program support in Connecticut. The foundation lists no disclosed staff count. It occupies headquarters at 123 East 70th Street in Manhattan through Alcoma Corporation and holds the Heckscher Farm at Stamford Museum & Nature Center. Summit Rock Advisors has served as investment advisor since 2010. April 2025: The foundation sponsored the Building the Clean Energy Future event in New York on youth employment implications. Governance rests with family principals and a board that includes trustees from Bessemer Venture Partners and Oaktree Capital Management. This structure channels capital through both grant programs and limited-partner commitments while retaining direct ownership of real assets such as the headquarters and Central Park facilities.