Shining a Light on Philanthropy

During the week of November 10th, the Advancement Team hosted National Philanthropy Week to showcase the power of philanthropy in the world and at Friends. A highlight of the week included a keynote address to the Upper School by Neil Blumenthal '98 (P'29, '33), the co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker, a direct-to-consumer lifestyle brand focused on vision for all. 

Neil, who was a member of Men's Varsity Soccer, Basketball, and Tennis teams and served on the Agenda Committee, recalled vivid memories of bags for God’s Love We Deliver being hung in the Meetinghouse, a longstanding tradition that started during his time.

Neil described how lessons learned early in his career as the director of Visionspring, a nonprofit social enterprise that trains low-income women to start their own businesses selling affordable eyeglasses to individuals in developing countries, influenced his path to co-found Warby Parker. Today, Warby Parker works with partners worldwide to ensure that for every pair of Warby Park glasses purchased, a pair of glasses is distributed to someone in need. Neil serves on non-profit organizations including Robin Hood, Tech:NYC, the Partnership Fund for New York City, and the Warby Parker Impact Foundation.

During the course of the week, the community exceeded a fundraising challenge by giving more than $450,000 in gifts and pledges to the 2025-26 Fund for Friends. The Director of Annual Giving, Ashley Warmack, comments, “This is a thrilling result, which breaks all historical records for giving challenges. We are grateful and inspired by so much generosity!”