Elizabeth Cribbs

At Neuberger Berman, passion for art is embedded in our culture and we believe that art is a critical and inspiring form of expression. Roy Neuberger, our co-founder, had a deep appreciation for both art and artists. Supporting living artists brought him great joy.

Roy also felt that art should be accessible to everyone and donated much of his personal collection, creating the Neuberger Museum of Art. The Museum is located on the Purchase College campus and is open to all. We continue to honor Roy’s legacy by maintaining a vibrant collection of contemporary art in our offices, much of which was purchased under his direction, adding character, color, and richness to our workplace.

Chosen by our employees, the mission of the Neuberger Berman Foundation is to support educational enrichment for underserved children and youth. Arts-related programs play a role in this giving strategy. Art can add much to the lives of those who create it and experience it – by developing creative thinking, enhancing mental and emotional wellness, and increasing cultural awareness and understanding – just to name a few ways.

Our recent grantees have included arts organizations that enrich the lives of thousands of youth who otherwise may not have had exposure to arts programming.

• American Ballet Theatre invites children in to observe their amazing performances and also works in schools with teaching artists who assist students in creating and executing their own productions.
• Highbridge Voices, located in the South Bronx, marries an intensive choral music program with academic support, inspiring excellence in the lives of the children they serve. These children have performed everywhere from Yankees Stadium to Disney World to Lincoln Center – but equally important, their academic gains have been extremely strong.
• Arts Connection works in all five boroughs to bring New York City public school children in-school instructional programs in music, dance, theater, and the visual arts. Our funding goes to their Young Talent Program – a comprehensive program to keep at-risk students engaged in learning through achievement in the arts.
• And one of our own employees co-founded A Broader Way, an organization that uses arts-centered programming as an outlet for self-expression and creativity for girls ages 10 to 16 living in underserved communities. A Broader Way helps to build self-esteem and the leadership qualities necessary for personal and academic success. These are just a few of our excellent partners.

Just as these grantees help us carry out our mission of promoting academic success, independence, and economic sustainability for youth in need – our other critical partners in the equation are our employees. 60% of our employees volunteer with Neuberger Berman’s corporate programs and, together, we volunteer with 80% of our Foundation grantees.

All of the organizations above have opened their doors to our employees. Volunteers have assisted with American Ballet Theatre student performances; helped to facilitate Highbridge Voice’s “Math Olympics”; assisted in a first grade puppetry class at PS 130 with Arts Connection; and participated in arts projects with the students from A Broader Way. We have also shared our firm’s collection with our partners – and have given art tours to students from Arts Connection and A Broader Way – among many others.

We thank Americans for the Arts for allowing us to spotlight the important role the arts plays in our philanthropic mission and we deeply thank our community partners for the important role they play in the lives of the children they serve.