Jean Shafiroff
First Lady Of Philanthropy
By Brian Finn
In the New York City-Hamptons scene, the name Jean Shafiroff is synonymous with philanthropy. Named the First Lady of Philanthropy by Hello and Hola! Magazines, Jean has heard her calling and uses her vast professional and personal network to bring aid to individuals and organizations.
Jean Shafiroff’s philanthropy and advocacy span far and wide, both in regional and national positions, to make sure that the causes she finds deserving have a voice resonating with donors, influencers, and the less fortunate.
Jean’s beginnings, though, could be most aptly described as humble. Beginning her journey in a middle-class community on Long Island, Jean was influenced by her father—a music teacher—and the nuns at her Catholic school to begin a life of good works. She spent twelve years in Catholic school, where she was encouraged to start helping others.
GATHERING SUPPORT
This motive compelled her to enroll at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons to study physical therapy. After graduating, Jean proceeded to work as a physical therapist at St. Luke’s Hospital in New York. Subsequently, Jean decided to return to the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University. During this time, she earned an MBA in finance. She then applied her combination of innate business skills and keen attention to detail to succeed on Wall Street—an industry that was, and largely remains, male-dominated.
Managing Director of a top Wall Street investment firm, she was further encouraged to dedicate her life to her works of charity. She and her husband give generously to charity—and this is just the tip of the iceberg, as she remains on six charity boards and hosts approximately eight charity galas yearly.
“I have had a good life, and with that comes a responsibility to give back,” says Jean. “Beyond the giving, though, comes hard work, advocacy, organizing, leading, and gathering support for a given cause,” she continued.
REACHING THE PUBLIC
This motive compelled her to enroll at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons to study physical therapy. After graduating, Jean proceeded to work as a physical therapist at St. Luke’s Hospital in New York. Subsequently, Jean decided to return to the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University. During this time, she earned an MBA in finance. She then applied her combination of innate business skills and keen attention to detail to succeed on Wall Street—an industry that was, and largely remains, male-dominated.
Since the dawn of the pandemic, Jean has been interviewed on major broadcasts such as Good Day New York with Rosanna Scotto, CBS Evening News, NBC News, WGN News, and the nation’s highest-rated cable news morning show Fox & Friends, among other programs with millions of viewers every broadcast. Her insight has been valued and largely credited with raising awareness about the shortages of supplies in food pantries, the fair treatment and adoption of animals, and the unique challenges that face the non-profit sector during this time of great need. She has also advocated for racial justice.
This summer, Jean decided to spread her message further by hosting and producing a television show. While she was familiar with the medium for many years, this was her first endeavor as a host and executive producer of a show based on her book, Successful Philanthropy. Her show broadcasts on LTV in the Hamptons four times weekly. Through interviewing charity-world leaders, she hopes to spread the word to others on how to donate the time, resources, and knowledge needed to succeed in helping others. This TV show is a must-see for anyone seeking to make an imprint in the giving scene. Jean convinces her audience that anyone can be a philanthropist—and that everyone has something to offer.
This motive compelled her to enroll at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons to study physical therapy. After graduating, Jean proceeded to work as a physical therapist at St. Luke’s Hospital in New York. Subsequently, Jean decided to return to the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University. During this time, she earned an MBA in finance. She then applied her combination of innate business skills and keen attention to detail to succeed on Wall Street—an industry that was, and largely remains, male-dominated.
Before the pandemic, Jean’s influence included hosting large gatherings and parties at her homes in the interest of raising funds for countless charities. These efforts placed her on Salonniere’s “Top 100 Party Hosts” in America as reported in Town & Country. Jean has been on many “Best Dressed” lists, from Hamptons Magazine to LookOnLine, a revered fashion website, where she was listed on the international best-dressed list with Meghan Markle, Anna Wintour, and others.
Jean serves on a host of charity boards including the NYC Mission Society, Southampton Hospital Association, French Heritage Society, Couture Council (Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology ), Jewish Board (Honorary Trustee), Southampton Animal Shelter Honorary Board and Global Strays, a charity founded by her youngest daughter. For her philanthropic work, Jean has been honored countless times. Some of the organizations that have honored her include The American Heart Association, The American Cancer Society, The Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, NYC Mission Society, Surgeons of Hope, The Ellen Hermanson Foundation, The Jewish Board, The Hadassah, and even Al Sharpton’s National Action Network.
A FASHION SENSE
Jean is passionate about fashion and has a designer and couture ball gown collection, archived with Clio Archivist, that will one day be donated to a museum. The gown collection focuses on American fashion designers, including Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, Zac Posen, Mary McFadden, B. Michael, Zang Toi, Victor de Souza, and Malan Breton.
Jean will return to hosting and chairing in-person charity events when the coronavirus pandemic eases. In the meantime, Jean has been dedicating her efforts to virtual galas. While just a few months ago, the concept of virtual fundraising galas would have seemed far-fetched, they have become the norm and are also extraordinarily successful. Jean recently served as a host and chair of virtual fundraisers for the Stony Brook Southampton Hospital and the Ellen Hermanson Foundation. The philanthropist believes these events are a great way to stay involved and support charities in need. Jean is chairing a “Matching Fund” program for the Southampton Animal Shelter. “We all miss the big galas, but we are grateful to stay virtually connected,” Jean explains. “Non-profits face the precarious challenge of providing the most needed services, to more people than ever before, with significantly fewer resources. In many ways, giving is more important than ever, and this is a modern way of doing it.”
Jean’s quest to help those in need is far from finished, and her drive to do more is as strong and persevering as ever. This passion has also transpired into the desire to mentor, advise, and guide aspirational philanthropists, through social and traditional media. With approximately 492,000 followers on Instagram and thousands more across Twitter and Facebook, philanthropy is just a click away.
As the author of Successful Philanthropy: How to Make a Life by What You Give, she has toured the nation to speak about philanthropy on television and before thousands of aspiring philanthropists.
Jean Shafiroff can be described as a kind-hearted, selfless benefactor who stops at nothing to improve others’ lives. If a rising tide raises all ships, Jean Shafiroff is that rising tide.