No last words, just lasting legacies

It was a one-two punch that left Philadelphia’s caring community reeling.

You can still feel the aftershocks from the recent losses of civic investor Jeremy Nowak and iconoclastic philanthropist Gerry Lenfest, occurring in just a nine-day span. They are gone but their missions to improve the lives of children remain.

Inventing a new model of community-development finance, Nowak leveraged an initial $10,000 grant in 1985 to spur badly needed investments in the city’s poorest neighborhoods, creating the Reinvestment Fund which today puts a billion dollars to work to improve some of the hardest hit communities in our nation.

He was a prominent champion for aggressive expansion of charter schools in Philadelphia, which alarmed educators and advocacy organizations, including PCCY. While his stance on charters was controversial, there was no doubt that he acted with the best interests of children in his heart.   

Demanding a rigorous approach to data and research to solve seemingly intractable issues stymying revitalization of poor neighborhoods, Nowak earned the respect and loyalty of civic leaders across not only the city but the nation, many of whom publicly mourned the loss of a dear friend and mentor.

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation cofounder Jay Scott credited the foundation’s current standing as a leader in childhood cancer to Nowak, who was its founding board chair.

Jeremy Nowak passed away on July 28. He was 66.

Then, just this past Sunday, we learned that Gerry Lenfest had died at the age of 88.

Former Governor Ed Rendell remembered him as “our greatest citizen,” and the Inquirer declared him one of “Philadelphia’s most dynamic civic leaders of the last century.” His impact will be felt for generations to come.

Lenfest became a billionaire when he sold the cable business he built with his wife to Comcast, then proceeded to give away his fortune for the next two decades.

By the time of his death, he had given away more than $1.3 billion to 1,100 organizations, including PCCY. In 2016, in one of his largest gifts (estimated at $129M), he donated Philadelphia Media Network to a nonprofit in order to create a sustainable business model to safeguard journalism for Philadelphians.

Education was a central cause for Lenfest, investing in the advocacy for pre-K, building early literacy and after-school programs and doggedly funding efforts to expand access to technical education.

As a salesman for the city, he sold hope. As a leader and philanthropist, he delivered it.

As we mourn the loss of Jeremy Nowak and Gerry Lenfest, it behooves us to look to the future, a bright future they worked so hard to shape, and ask ourselves how we might contribute, particularly for our children.

This week, we aren’t aiming to eulogize these titans. Whatever could be written only pales in comparison to the impact they had on every Philadelphian; impact that you can see anywhere you look in the city.

No last words, just lasting legacies.