About the Foundation

The Charles H. Revson Foundation was founded in 1956 by Charles H. Revson, the founder of Revlon, Inc., as a vehicle for his charitable giving. Mr. Revson willed half his estate to the Foundation upon his death in 1975.

The initial board of directors, chaired by Judge Simon H. Rifkind, decided to ground the Foundation's giving in the founder's personal philanthropy, which expressed, as Judge Rifkind put it, Mr. Revson's commitment "to the spread of knowledge" and "the improvement of human life." With Mr. Revson's giving as a guide, the board established four program areas: urban affairs, Jewish philanthropy and education, biomedical research and education.

With a staff and formal grantmaking procedures in place, the Foundation began to make grants in 1978. It has disbursed a total of $180 million in grants; its endowment has grown from $68 million to $193 million.