New York Women’s Foundation Fall Gala Honors Diana Taylor

I may have over simplified, describing The New York Women’s Foundation (NYFW) as “Diana Taylor’s charity,” but there is no denying the impact her active chairmanship has made. But, three years is the limit anyone can serve. And so, as Taylor transitioned to Advisory Council Chair, the Foundation honored her, along with A CALL TO MEN, a leading national violence prevention organization helmed by Ted Bunch and Tony Porter; and Creative Time, a New York-based nonprofit arts organization with Anne Pasternak as President and Artistic Director.

“Parks and Recreation” star Retta emceed “A Night at the Plaza,” in its Grand Ballroom. NYWF’s new Board Chair, Anne E. Delaney, spoke of Taylor’s genuine humility, and incredible leadership: “She listens to everything everyone has to share…and then she takes it in and processes it in her special Diana universe centrifuge and leads the charge doing what she knows needs to be done.”

Comedienne and actress Retta emcees The New York Women’s Foundation’s annual Fall Gala. (Photo: Annie Watt)

“One of the best things or the best thing I have ever done is be a chair of this foundation, and dedicated to what it does,” Taylor told the room, “I will always be part of (it).”

“She has propelled us ahead,” NYWF President & CEO Ana Oliveira told Hamptons.com. “During her tenure we went from giving a million-and-a-half a year to grantee organizations, to five-and-a-half million dollars. She put us on the map, helped us build partnerships that we never built before. She saw for the foundation a possibility that we never saw and she helped us get there.”

Ana echoed the room, describing a level of commitment to NYWF, which provides funds to women-led, community-based organizations to raise women in New York City and their families out of poverty. Whether it is being the first funder for such women-led entrepreneurial ventures as the Hot Bread Kitchen, or supporting health services, prison and immigration reform, reproductive rights and education, NYWF’s guiding principal is: helping women helps their families and communities.

Anne Delaney, New York Women’s Foundation Board Chair; Diana L. Taylor, Honoree, Former New York Women’s Foundation Board Chair & Advisory Council Chair; Tony Porter, Honoree, A CALL TO MEN Co-Founder & Co-Director; Ted Bunch, A CALL TO MEN Co-Founder & Co-Director; Anne Pasternak, Honoree, Creative Time President & Artistic Director; Ana Oliveira, President and CEO New York Women’s Foundation. (Photo: Annie Watt)

“Diana has been present heart and soul,” Oliveira continued, “with ideas, connections, her expertise: everything. She got involved in a lot of our organizations. Some of them in business, arts and culture some of them after school programs for kids, all of them incredible grantee partners that are doing different and very effective things to uplift the lives of women.”

Gala Co-Chairs were Hyatt Bass, Josh Klausner, Taina Biene-Aimé, Kwanza R. Butler, Anne E. Delaney, Cathy Isaacson and Walter Isaacson, Jay McNamara and Grainne McNamara, Yvonne Quinn, Jean Shafiroff and Martin Shafiroff, Regan Solmo, and Geoffrey Brewer. Vice-Chairs were Joyce B. Cowin, Abigail E. Disney, Pierre N. Hauser, Barbara Vogelstein and John Vogelstein, and Agnes Gund.

Danielle Brooks and Retta at The New York Women’s Foundation’s annual Fall Gala, A Night at The Plaza, in The Grand Ballroom of The Plaza Hotel in New York City on Thursday, October 9, 2014. Retta was the emcee for the evening. (Photo: Annie Watt)