Steven Nathaniel Wolkoff Foundation
Dear Friends,
It has been three years since we started the Steven Nathaniel Wolkoff Foundation as a way of remembering Steven’s life. We are glad to write this annual summary to let you know about the work of the foundation.
Because of your contributions we were able to begin donating money from the Foundation at the end of 2008.
Our Foundation grant awards for the 2008-2009 year were the following:
2] 826 Valencia Foundation, started by David Eggers, author of the best selling book, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. Steve lived around the corner from 826 Valencia Street and we had walked by it many times. He told me to read David Eggers’ book, which I did and loved as well. Steve always had his head in a book and loved good writing. We thought that 826 Valencia, a leader of literacy and creativity for the students and writers of San Francisco, would be an appropriate grantee.
In 2010-2011 the Foundation increased our grant awards as follows:
1] The San Francisco Free Clinic: The Free Clinic was founded by physicians who were committed to making sure that lack of insurance did not mean lack of access to quality care. Steven had his share of serious medical issues and knew he was fortunate to have a safety net that assured that the best medical care was available to him.
2] 826 Valencia Foundation: This organization continues to impress us and we are pleased to be able to support their work in Steven’s memory.
3] The Fender Music Foundation: All the Wolkoff kids have found a love for music and expressed it in many different ways. It wasn’t until college that Steven picked up a bass guitar and he and his Fenders became good friends. Steven went on to start bands, to play (yes, a gig at CBGB) and record music for about ten years. The Fender Foundation is committed to making sure that young students can bring music into their lives and provides instruments to local schools in the Bay area.
The Foundation grants for the current year 2011-2012 are:
826 Valencia Foundation is a non-profit organization in San Francisco that teaches writing skills, promotes a love for literature, has wonderful community events and even offers tutoring, free of charge, for children in the Bay area. Steven lived around the corner from 826 Valencia and was excited about their programs. Their website is : http://www.826valencia.org/.
The Fender Music Foundation is a private non-profit charity, serving the Bay area, that believes music participation is an essential element in the fabric of an enduring society. Our grant will be used to buy instruments for schools to have for children that need them most, so they, too, can develop their love of listening to and making music. Their website is : http://www.fendermusicfoundation.org/
In addition, this year we are giving a one -time grant to the Wantagh High School Band. Steve, Matt and Jess all learned how to read, play and perform music with others while they were in school and it seemed appropriate to recognize that.
The school band director used the donation to work with nationally acclaimed band and orchestral composer, Gary Gilroy, and featured his composition, Steven’s Song, at the annual Wantagh High School Spring Concert on May 22, 2012. The students received a heartfelt standing ovation and the piece is now part of the anthology of band music throughout the world. We will place a link to the audio recording of the performance when it is ready.
Making a Donation to the our Foundation
For your convenience, you can make a tax deductible contribution online, using ANY major credit card, by simply clicking the Donate button below.
An online electronic detailed confirmation receipt with our Foundations name will appear in your e-mail within minutes of your transaction specifying the amount of your contribution. The confirmation will be sent to you from PayPal, a secure, encrypted online service that the Foundation uses to process online donations.
You do not need to have a PayPal account to use your credit card. After clicking on the donate button, to use any credit card, fill in the Contribution form, simply look for the section titled “Don’t have a PayPal account?”, located near the lower left hand part of the screen, then click “CONTINUE” to fill in your own credit card information.
You can also mail a check, payable to the SNW Foundation, to the following address: SNWF c/o Sandy Wolkoff, 29 The Circle, The Knolls, Glen Head NY 11545.
With gratitude.
June 30, 2008 at 5:52 pm
[...] hope that not only Steve’s name live on through this gift, but that it enables others to find the Foundation set up for him easily, and to express and communicate their feelings on how he has touched all of our lives in [...]