Faces of Philanthropy - An Interview with Betsy Schaper

Tell us about yourself:

I am a retired former Marketing/Advertising and Public Relations executive who spent her career in the marketing of luxury goods for some of the top companies in the world. I held senior positions in the following companies or for these American designers: Cartier, Estee Lauder Inc., (where I conceived of and developed the concept of "custom blending foundations" for the Prescriptives brand, which started a trend within the cosmetic industry); Tommy Hilfiger, where Tommy & I developed an entire dog line of products, that sadly were never marketed due to a slump in the company's overall performance at the time and we launched a highly successful home line; re-positioned famed designers Geoffrey Beene and Paloma Picasso as luxury designers, while their goods had begun being sold in mass market stores like J.C. Penney; Conde Nast Publications: Vogue, Gourmet, (where I re-positioned the magazine as a lifestyle publication in 1985) and Conde Nast Traveler magazine, where I created the concept of "Reader's Choice Awards," and implemented them in 1988, as well as the first Environmental Award in 1990, whose first winner, in 1990, was Wangari Matthai of Kenya, who went on to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.

Just recently I came up with a concept for a TV series which was optioned by the Merv Griffin Entertainment Group in LA. I will be Co Executive Producer of that series with Roy Bank, the President of Merv Griffin's TV Division, a challenge I am thoroughly enjoying these days. Hopefully it will be on TV screens next year.

What is the The Ethel & Armin Schaper Charitable Foundation, Inc?

The Ethel & Armin Schaper Charitable Foundation was created by me in 2006-2007, in memory of my mother, Ethel Adelson Schaper, and my father Armin Newton Schaper, my best friends, both of whom I lost suddenly, within thirteen months of each other. They were an extraordinarily devoted couple, dedicated to their family and large circle of friends, as well as to their community. I wanted to honor them and leave a lasting legacy in their memory in a community that they lived in and loved for more than fifty-eight years. The Intensive Care Unit of Greenwich Hospital now bears their name, as the hospital meant so much to both of my parents during the last decade of their life. The Foundation focuses on health care issues, crisis situations in health care, and the training of search & rescue animals and therapy dogs, all causes my parents held dear, in addition to some others held close to their hearts.

When did you start it?

I began work on the Foundation in September, 2006, one month after my father passed away; the Foundation itself was incorporated one year later, one month after my mother suddenly and unexpectedly lost her life while at dinner with us, from a massive stroke.

How did you get involved?

I got involved from the start by leaving the corporate world behind and dedicating my free time to philanthropic causes that were of interest to and concern for my parents, during their lifetime, as well as causes close to all of our hearts, including my older brother, Doug, who I consult about every contribution we make.

What are your goals for the Project?

My goals for the Foundation are to help relieve health crisis situations, as best we can, be it through our donation to the Intensive Care Unit of Greenwich Hospital, a hospital dear to all of our hearts; to help fund some medical research in the areas of the spine (due to my father's and my own critically, challenging times with spine problems), and cancer research in honor, specifically, of my vibrant cousin, Leslie Schlesinger, who is fighting for her life, battling cancer at much too young an age. She is the ultimate inspiration to me these days as she works hard opening hotels she also designs for, while undergoing state-of-the-art treatment for cancer, and never complaining about her condition. I also hope to increase awareness of the benefits of therapy dogs, as well as search & rescue dogs....for the benefit of people needing help in crisis situations (search & rescue dogs) or in difficult health situations.

Do you collaborate with other charities?

I do not collaborate with other charities per se, though I consult with several about their projects, their needs, their hopes and their dreams. Now more than ever all charitable organizations are facing increasingly difficult times. The demand for donations has never been greater. As a donor, I have to take more time researching the organizations I donate to on behalf of our family's Foundation, so the funds go to a place where the money donated actually benefits the recipients, rather than funding administrative costs for an organization.

Do you have any role models for your philanthropic work?

I have many role models for my work in this area. Among them are people like Oprah Winfrey and Bill & Melinda Gates, whose work we are all well aware of; someone like George Clooney inspires me as he brings awareness to the crisis in Darfur, a situation our family donated to because of his focus on this crisis--and will continue to donate to, and Brad Pitt, for his devotion to re-building New Orleans. I am also inspired tremendously by Frank Corvino, the incomparable President & CEO of Greenwich Hospital. His work helps to keep an extraordinary healthcare facility running like a well greased machine, with employees who truly love working there along with a wonderful group of dedicated volunteers, to say nothing of the fine and devoted doctors and nurses affiliated with the hospital. Frank's abilities as CEO of a hospital coupled with his personal strengths inspire me because of his unfailing dedication and devotion to his job 24/7/365. He is a sensational source of inspiration to me on many, many levels, personally and professionally.

Does anyone in particular inspire you?

First and foremost, and the reason I created this Foundation, my parents, who have always and will always be my main source of inspiration. They inspired me as compassionate, caring and giving people, who gave of themselves to their community in so many ways. My father, among other things, was a volunteer for the Town Board, the Zoning Board, and the Architectural Review Board of Harrison, New York for decades. He determined that Harrison needed a public library, fought for it and then raised the funds to build it where it still stands today. He served on the Board of the Neuberger Museum in Purchase, NY, during its earliest years. My mother was, among other things, a dedicated volunteer for over forty years to Planned Parenthood of Westchester (and on its Board of Directors) and to the Sarah Neuman Nursing Home in Westchester; and President of the Westchester Board of Mount Holyoke College. I am inspired by many other people, like my friends and neighbors, Joe Torre, and his wife, Ali, for the work they do through their Foundation for domestic violence; the doctors at ONS (Orthorpedic & Neurosurgery Specialists) in Greenwich, for their tireless work to avoid patient injuries and treat their patients with the latest state-of-the-art surgical techniques. Last, but not least, my spine surgeon inspires me: Dr. Amory Fiore of ONS. His ability as a highly gifted neurosurgeon, on top of all the most minimally invasive surgical techniques, while he also an extraordinary manner with his patients, and a killer sense of humor.

Have you ever worked with them on a project?

I have worked on so many fundraisers, most recently for the benefit of Joe Torre's Safe At Home Foundation for many years, as well as for several animal rescue & shelter organizations. I will help work on any and all projects I believe in that will benefit Greenwich Hospital as well as ONS' Foundation and anything Dr. Amory Fiore may need me for, anytime.

Is there a project you have in mind?

My dream is to find out why my father, his brother (who died in 1994 from complications after spine surgery) and I all had such serious cases of spinal stenosis--though mine was debilitating thirty years earlier in life than theirs; to work with the doctors at ONS to find out why this generational situation occurs, (in a desire to possibly avoid it before it strikes so hard, requiring multiple spine surgeries); my father's total spinal fusion at the age of eighty-three, since he had lost his ability to walk and was in crippling pain. (Dr. Amory Fiore's surgery in 2003 was not only amazingly successful ---it should have killed him, but it gave him three more years of mobility.) I also want to work with the ONS doctors to keep these surgeries as minimally invasive as possible for future patients.