http://www.newmansownfoundation.org/
Mission, Vision & Guiding Principles
Mission
Paul Newman was committed to helping make the world a better place. To carry on his philanthropic legacy, Newman’s Own Foundation donates all net royalties and profits after taxes it receives from the sale of Newman’s Own products to charity. To date, Paul Newman and Newman’s Own Foundation have given over $300 million to thousands of charities around the world.
Vision
A world where need is viewed as an opportunity to make a difference.
Guiding Principles
Newman’s Own Foundation is committed to honoring the spirit, values and philosophy of our founder, Paul Newman. We incorporate his personal style and principles into the way we do our work.
Paul’s approach, our approach…
- “Let’s give it all away.”
Paul Newman believed in sharing his good fortune with those in need. He never accepted any personal compensation from Newman’s Own, and donated every penny he earned from the sale of Newman’s Own products to charity. Newman’s Own Foundation is honored to continue this generous tradition.
- “The need is great and so are the opportunities to make a difference.”
Paul sought to make a meaningful difference by recognizing and pursuing opportunities where others only saw problems. Newman’s Own Foundation upholds this philosophy by partnering with leaders of action in their pursuit of the Common Good.
- “From the very beginning, I bucked tradition. When the experts said that something was “always done” in a certain way, I’d do it my own way.”
Newman’s Own Foundation refuses to be constrained by orthodoxy and safe thinking. We seek to find solutions to problems, and are prepared to back a good idea or to respond quickly to an urgent need.
- “While my taste for salad dressing is discerning, I’m a great believer that good ideas can come from the most unusual places.”
Paul welcomed input from staff and friends, and always sought to unearth and unleash transformative ideas and fresh solutions. He listened and so we listen. He asked and so we ask. He challenged his own beliefs and so we challenge ours. He sought and so we seek.
“The gift of life and living, which you have generously given to each camper fortunate enough to be with you is such a magical gift and will live forever in these children’s dreams.”
— Cindy Wofford, parent of a Hole in the Wall camper
$300 Million to Charity
Paul Newman believed that giving back was the highest form of citizenship. Together, he and Newman’s Own Foundation have donated more than $300 million to thousands of charities around the world.
Grant Guiding Principles
Our work begins with the strong belief that giving back is the greatest opportunity and responsibility for making ours a better world.
Funding Guidelines
In pursuit of the Common Good, Newman’s Own Foundation supports…
Power of Philanthropy
Paul was inspired by the power of philanthropy to transform lives, and in so doing, he sought to engage various voices along the way. To him, the noisier the debate, the greater the opportunity to create a robust civil society. Newman’s Own Foundation is likewise committed to this philosophy.
Meaningful Impact
Newman’s Own Foundation humbly recognizes that we cannot alone solve the myriad problems that exist in today’s world, but we are committed to using our resources as wisely as possible toward a better future. The Foundation believes that its grants should have a meaningful, long-lasting impact on the challenges being addressed.
Programmatic and Geographic Diversity
From the beginning, Paul Newman donated all net royalties and profits after taxes from the sale of Newman’s Own products to charities and causes that spanned the globe and spectrum of human need – health, education, environment, poverty, human services, community and economic development, and the arts. Newman’s Own Foundation is committed to honoring Paul’s philosophy by continuing this diversified approach to grant making.
Influence on Future Generations
In addition to addressing current needs in society, Newman’s Own Foundation places a very high priority on positive and sustainable effects on future generations. This principle applies to all sectors where the future is determined by what occurs in the present.
Funding Policy
Newman’s Own Foundation has partnered with hundreds of geographically and programmatically-diverse charities. In doing so, we observe certain policies and guidelines.
However, the Foundation observes the following limitations and by policy makes no grants to:
- promote any business purpose;
- promote specific religious activities or beliefs;
- support lobbying or political organizations;
- support specific litigations that are underway, contemplated, or completed;
In addition, the Foundation generally does not support annual funds, endowments, donor-advised funds, special events, building campaigns, private foundations, supporting organizations, or other entities which require expenditure responsibility.
Our Grant Making Process
** Please note that Newman’s Own Foundation grant applications are made available by invitation **
Newman’s Own Foundation is fortunate to have access to a team of strong advisors to inform domestic and international grant-making efforts and recommend organizations that are capable of delivering effective programs and services. The Foundation’s Board of Directors meets regularly to determine priorities and to identify grantees.
Program Areas for 2006-2008
Giving from Paul Newman and Newman’s Own Foundation
“We’re very effective recyclers; we take the money and give it back.”
— Paul L. Newman
History
That original bottle of salad dressing that Paul Newman concocted in his basement has had, what Paul called, “a heck of a ride.”
What started as holiday gifts for neighbors has grown into Newman’s Own, Inc., a highly-respected, multi-million dollar a year food business. By insisting on no preservatives and all-natural products, Paul demonstrated foresight by encouraging the food industry to embrace a new and healthier way to produce food.
He also brought new meaning to the terms social entrepreneurship and philanthropy, and, in so doing, infused new ideas into the business sector by leading the way with his innovative Newman’s Own model.
In business just to give it all to charity? You bet!
From the very beginning, every penny Paul earned from the sale of Newman’s Own products was donated to thousands of charities around the world – a sum totaling over $300 million as of November 3, 2010, and growing. Newman’s Own Foundation is committed to continuing Paul’s philanthropic legacy for generations to come.
Who knew that a bottle of salad dressing could, in turn, forever change the lives of thousands in need around the world. That’s mighty potent (and tasty!) stuff.
Christmas 1980: Paul entices his longtime buddy A. E. Hotchner to accompany him in his basement, where they fill an endless collection of empty wine bottles with Newman’s homemade salad dressing to be given as presents to Newman’s friends and neighbors. They come back and ask for more!
September 1982: Newman’s Own Salad Dressing is officially launched, with astounding first-year profits and royalties of $396,674. Paul immediately declares: “Let’s give it all away to those who need it.”
1984: Newman’s Own, Inc. has sold 18,705,555 bottles of salad dressing and 8,371,726 jars of spaghetti sauce. The profits and royalties to date total over $2 million, every penny of which has been given to deserving charities.
September 1986: Paul Newman envisions a place for children with life-threatening conditions and says, “I want to acknowledge luck; the chance and benevolence of it in my life, and the brutality of it in the lives of others, who might not be allowed the good fortune of a lifetime to correct it.” December 20, 1986, ground is broken for the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Connecticut.
June 29, 1988: The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp officially opens in Ashford, Connecticut. Among its guiding principles is that no child will be charged a fee to attend, regardless of ability to pay. All capital and operating costs are to be raised philanthropically.
March 1994: Newman receives his second honorary Oscar, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, for donating more than $56 million to charity and for his commitment to philanthropy. Soon after he receives this honor, Paul makes the decision to never accept future awards for his charitable work. He was personally reluctant to acknowledge that his charity was anything special and true to his character, he burned his tuxedo in a roaring front-yard ceremonial bonfire.
June 1994: With three Camps in operation in the United States, the first Hole in the Wall Camp outside the country, Barretstown, is opened in Ireland to serve children from throughout Europe.
April 1995: Supporting USA Weekend’s “Make a Difference Day,” the annual community service event participated in by over one million people, Newman pledges $100,000 to the top fifty honorable mention winners on behalf of their volunteer efforts.
June 1997: Newman’s Own, Inc. products now distributed internationally to Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Scandinavia, Iceland, and Brazil, with factories in England and Australia.
Winter 1999: Paul helps found Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy to encourage the business community to raise the level and quality of their corporate giving.
September 2000: The Newman’s Own Award was created to recognize outstanding organizations that improve the lives of military members and their families. The award is presented each year at the Pentagon.
June 2001: Paul Newman and Ford Motor Company partner with Feeding America to fight hunger in rural America. Together they donate fourteen trucks (filled with Newman’s Own products) to rural food banks. An ongoing partnership to fight hunger is born.
2005: Newman’s Own Foundation is created to carry on Paul’s philanthropic legacy for generations to come.
Fall 2005: Newman’s Own Foundation responds to recent natural disasters, donating $1 million to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts through local community foundations and $1 million to the South Asia Earthquake Relief Fund’s relief and reconstruction work in Pakistan.
2007: Paul joins with business leaders to form Safe Water Network, an organization that funds the development of innovative approaches to bring safe water to the world’s poor.
November 2010: Charitable giving from Paul Newman and Newman’s Own Foundation hits the $300 million milestone, supporting people in need around the world.
2011: Over 42,000 children will enjoy a camp experience at one of the eleven member Hole in the Wall Camps around the world or through the Global Partnership Initiative or hospital outreach programs.
The Future: The commitment to grow Paul’s philanthropic legacy continues through Newman’s Own Foundation and Newman’s Own, Inc.
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About Paul
Paul L. Newman, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on January 26, 1925. His father, Arthur Sr., and mother, Theresa, raised Paul and his brother in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Arthur Sr. was a successful sporting goods store owner, and a person highly regarded for his business ethics, whom Paul credited for much of his own tenacity and standards. In the aftermath of the Great Depression, his father’s store was financially-hard pressed, but he extended store credit to customers, and likewise was extended credit by his suppliers. This experience contributed to shaping Paul’s sense of the mutual benefit of people helping others.
Paul enlisted in the Navy to become a pilot, but was later disqualified from flight school because of color blindness – ironic for a person whose eye color later became a distinguishing physical feature. He completed his military service as a radioman/gunner on a torpedo plane in the Pacific during World War II.
His experience as a young man in a combat arena helped shape his overarching philosophy of luck: the acknowledgement of the benevolence of it in his life, and the brutality of it in the lives of others. It was a perspective that motivated him to help offset this imbalance.
Paul attended Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, and played football and majored in Economics. His future success in business was presaged as a student when he opened a laundromat. To encourage students to bring in their dirty clothes, he offered free beer — a marketing coup in a college town. It also was in college where his passion for acting bloomed. Paul graduated in 1949 and sold his laundry business for a profit.
Film and Stage
Following the death of his father in 1950, Paul returned home to help manage the family sporting goods store, but after eighteen months, he turned the business over to his brother and moved east to study at the Yale Drama School.
In 1952, he joined the Actors Studio and was elected its president in the 1980’s. He made his Broadway debut in the original New York production of William Inge’s “Picnic,” in which he met his future wife, Joanne Woodward whom he married in 1958.
His first appearance on the big screen was in “The Silver Chalice,” which he described as his “cocktail dress” picture because of the short toga he had to wear. For years later, whenever it was scheduled to play, he would take out an ad in Variety apologizing for his performance. It was Paul’s portrayal of boxer Rocky Graziano in 1956’s “Somebody Up There Likes Me” that catapulted him to stardom.
Over the decades, he starred in numerous films including: “The Long Hot Summer,” “Exodus,” “Sweet Bird of Youth,” and “The Hustler.” In 1969, he teamed with Robert Redford in George Roy Hill’s smash-hit western “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” Four years later, Newman, Redford, and Hill reunited for the Academy Award-winning Best Picture “The Sting.” Paul had received his first Oscar nomination in 1959 for his work opposite Elizabeth Taylor in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” and was subsequently nominated for his performances in “Hud,” “Cool Hand Luke,” “Absence of Malice,” “The Verdict,” “Nobody’s Fool,” “Road to Perdition,” and was awarded Best Actor Oscar for his role as Fast Eddie Felson in “The Color of Money.”
Also recognized for his work behind the camera as a director, Paul earned wide praise for “Rachel, Rachel,” “The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds,”“The Glass Menagerie,” and the tele-film “The Shadow Box.”
At the age of 78, Paul received a Tony nomination for his inventive and precedent-changing performance as the Stage Manager in the Broadway production of Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town,” which also aired as a TV production for which he received an Emmy nomination.
In 2005, he was awarded an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild award for his performance in the mini series “Empire Falls,” for which he also served as executive producer. He was awarded an Honorary Oscar in 1986 for his outstanding contributions to film, and the Cecil B. DeMille Award from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 1984. In 1992, he and Joanne received Kennedy Center Honors in Washington. In 1994, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented him with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
Upon turning 70 years old, Paul made the decision to not accept future awards for his charitable work. He was personally reluctant to acknowledge that his charity was anything special, and true to his character, he burned his tuxedo in a front-yard ceremonial bonfire attended by family and friends.
Racing
Paul had both a passion and talent for race car driving. In 1975, he came in second at the twenty-four hours of Le Mans. He won four “Sports Car Club of America National Championships,” and at age seventy, he was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as being the oldest driver to win a professionally sanctioned race – 1995’s twenty-four hours of Daytona. He raced his Corvette regularly in the GT1 Series with the number of his car rising each year to reflect his age. In 2007 his car number was 82 and he won two races at Lime Rock Park.
In his words, “I was never very good at sports – almost clumsy – racing was different, it’s the one thing I could do well and be graceful at.”
Philanthropy
Paul applied his greatest commitment and derived his deepest satisfaction from his quiet work in philanthropy. He used his influence, gave of his financial resources, and personally volunteered to advance humanitarian and social causes around the world. He accomplished this with an uncanny ability to break new ground. In 1982, he founded Newman’s Own, Inc., which was one of the first food companies to use all natural products. Today, Newman’s Own, Inc. is a successful food business of which all net royalties and profits after taxes are donated to thousands of charities worldwide through Newman’s Own Foundation. As of November 3, 2010, over $300 million has been awarded to grantee recipients in all 50 states and in 31 countries around the world.
While Paul Newman was a Hollywood star of extraordinary celebrity and a person recognized for exceptional commitment and leadership for philanthropy, he lived his life as an ordinary person, which he always considered himself. He was a man of abundant good humor, generosity, and humility.
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Paul’s Philanthropic Legacy
Paul Newman’s craft was acting. His passion was racing. His love was his family and friends. And his heart and soul were dedicated to helping make the world a better place.
Paul was quick to acknowledge the good fortune he had in his own life, beginning with being born in America, and was acutely aware of how unlucky so many others were. True to his character, he quietly devoted himself to helping offset this imbalance and used his influence to advance many social causes. He accomplished this with an uncanny ability to break new ground.
Paul went from bottling homemade salad dressing as holiday gifts to creating a leading, premium food business – Newman’s Own, Inc. – whose entire net royalties and profits after taxes are donated to charity. Insisting on all-natural products, Newman raised the bar for the food industry. And he set the standard within the business community, defining what it means to give back and igniting other companies to do the same – from mom-and-pop shops to Fortune 100 corporations.
The Pearl of Paul’s Philanthropy
While Paul’s philanthropic donations were wide-ranging, he was especially committed to the thousands of children with life-threatening conditions served by the Hole in the Wall Camps, which he founded in 1988. Paul envisioned the Camps as places where kids could escape the fear, pain and isolation of their conditions, kick back, and “raise a little hell.”
As of 2009, there are 11 Hole in the Wall Camps around the world, with additional programs in Africa and South East Asia and more camps and programs under development in the U.S. and abroad. Camp is free of charge to all campers regardless of their ability to pay and is dependent upon the generous support of hundreds of donors around the world.
Through 2009, over 165,500 children have had the chance to experience what childhood was meant to be.
The Legacy Continues
As of November 3, 2010, over $300 million has been awarded by Paul and Newman’s Own Foundation to thousands of charities around the world.
It’s a legacy we are proud to continue and grow!
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About the Hole in the Wall Camps
While Paul Newman’s philanthropic interests and donations were wide-ranging, he was especially committed to the thousands of children with life-threatening conditions served by the Hole in the Wall Camps, which he helped start in 1988. Paul saw the Camps as places where kids could escape the fear, pain, and isolation of their conditions, kick back, and “raise a little hell.”
When asked why he started the Hole in the Wall Camps, Paul spoke of luck: “I wanted to acknowledge luck; the chance and benevolence of it in my life, and the brutality of it in the lives of others, who might not be allowed the good fortune of a lifetime to correct it.”
Today, there is an Association of Hole in the Wall Camps – eleven member camps around the world in Connecticut, New York, Florida, California, North Carolina, Ireland, United Kingdom, Hungary, France, Italy, and Israel – with additional programs in Africa and South East Asia and more camps and programs under development. Over 135,000 children have attended a Hole in the Wall Camp free of charge since the first one opened. In 2011, it is anticipated that 42,000 more children will attend camp, or will enjoy the magic of camp without leaving the hospital through the Hole in the Wall Hospital Outreach Program, and over 10,000 individuals will volunteer their time.
Laughter is the best medicine.
“The gift of life and living, which you have generously given to each camper fortunate enough to be with you is such a magical gift and will live forever in these children’s dreams.” — Cindy Wofford, parent of a Hole in the Wall camper
To learn more about the Hole in the Wall Camps, please visit:
http://www.HoleInTheWallCamps.org
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