12 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • JULY 2020
COVER FEATURE
SOUTHAMPTON, NYC PHILANTHROPIST JEAN SHAFIROFF
BY TIMOTHY BOLGER
It’s easy to become disheartened upon
reading news about the coronavirus
pandemic, but for Southampton and
New York City philanthropist Jean Shafiroff,
it’s the most important motivation
for staying positive, spearheading fundraising,
and advocating for her causes.
The former Wall Street investment
banker who’s a board member and
charity gala organizer for an array of
nonprofits, who has penned a book on
benevolence, Successful Philanthropy:
How to Make a Life by What You Give, is
as charitable as ever, despite her fundraiser
galas that she often organizes
being on hiatus due to COVID-19’s social
distancing mandates.
“I’ve switched gears a little and I’m doing
a lot of advocacy work on television and
radio for the charities because most of
the charity events have been canceled,”
she tells the Press. “And of course I cannot
host large cocktail parties for 100
people for charity in my home, because
everyone’s home and everyone’s social
distancing … The actual physical gala
does not exist right now and we don’t
know when it will return.”
Like many not-for-profit fundraisers,
across the region and beyond, most
charitable events she’s involved with
have been postponed to the fall or beyond;
some have been canceled, while
others are moving ahead virtually.
In addition, she recently began hosting
a show called Successful Philanthropy
on LTV in the Hamptons. Regardless
of the format, what’s most important
to Shafiroff is simply giving back. She
serves on the boards of The Southampton
Hospital Association, the New York
Mission Society, the French Heritage
Society, the Couture Council that runs
the Fashion Institute of Technology’s
museum, the Southampton Animal
Shelter Foundation, and Global Strays,
a nonprofit founded by her youngest
daughter. She’s also an honorary trustee
of the The Jewish Board, where she
served as a board member for 28 years.
She is active in women’s issues and is
an alumnus of the New York Women’s
Foundation, where she remains active
with the organization.
Most recently, she was appointed as an
ambassador for American Humane and
its national spokesperson for its Feed
the Hungry program, which aims to
provide food for 1 million animals left
homeless by the pandemic.
Shafiroff spoke with the Press about her
work and why it's important now more
than ever. This conversation has been
edited for length and clarity.
How did your parents influence you?
My dad was a schoolteacher. He would
come home and always talk about the
students and how important their progress
was to him. My dad was involved
in giving and it had an influence on us.
And then my mother was very kind. I
was fortunate to have two parents. My
mother was a stay-at-home mother. She
was originally an artist and when
she became pregnant with me
and we moved to Hicksville, she
stopped working. My father
and mother had strong
family values and they
believed in helping
the underserved.
Their concern for us and their concern
for others left its mark on us.
What are some of your most vivid
memories of growing up on Long
Island? It was a great place to grow up.
I had a supportive family and a good
teacher situation. My dad never made
me feel like, “Oh, you’re a girl, you have
to do this or that or you’re not equal
to a boy.” And I really appreciated
that. My teachers as well. I had
a strong education. I spent 12
years in Catholic school.
When did you decide to
switch from a career on
Wall Street to full-time
philanthropy? My husband
and I both worked
very long hours.
And while I was
pregnant I
realized that
neither of
us would
ever spend any time with our daughter.
So I gave up my career to be a stay-athome
mother. And gradually, I first got
involved with my daughters’ school.
I was class mother. I got involved in
fundraising for the school’s annual
campaign. Although I’m a Catholic, I got
involved on the board of the American
Jewish Committee. I gradually became
involved with different charities.
Where do you see there to be
the most need? We need to feed
America. I think there’s a tremendous
need for food at the
food pantries. Americans have
to help supply the food pantries.
Also, the hospitals and the
frontline workers are in need
of help. We have to continue
supporting all charities.
No one can do everything.
Collectively we
can achieve great results.
Americans are
traditionally very
giving. Charity and
volunteerism are
in our culture. But
“During times like this, never underestimate
the value of compassion.”
Jean Shafiroff says getting dressed up for
charity galas helps draw bigger crowds
and raise more money. (Photo by Michael
Pannicia)
/LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
