On the Passing of Former Mertz Gilmore Foundation President Larry Condon

The staff and board of the Mertz Gilmore Foundation (MGF) mourn the passing of Larry Condon, who died on December 30th.

Larry was a dear friend to many of us, and a guiding presence at the Foundation for over 40 years. Following in the footsteps of Robert Gilmore, a philanthropic mentor, Larry was the first non-family member to serve as president of the Mertz Gilmore Foundation, beginning in 1984 and continuing to 1996. He later served as Chairman of the Board until 2012, and Emeritus Chair after that. Under Larry’s leadership, the Foundation established the following program areas: Human Rights, the Environment, Peace and Alternative Security, and New York City. 

Larry’s leadership spanned a time of incredible change and visionary progress. In 1987, Mertz Gilmore became one of the first foundations to invest in solutions to climate change, focusing on clean energy and public education. In the early 1990s, inspired by board member Bayard Rustin and supported by long-serving Board Vice Chair and dear friend Elizabeth Gilmore, Larry worked with MGF vice president Robert Crane to inaugurate early support for Lesbian and Gay Rights, as well as immigrant rights. A passionate advocate for New York City, Larry ensured that at least one third of the Foundation’s annual giving each year went to arts programming and community efforts to improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers. 

In addition to his staff and board roles at MGF, Larry was also a lead Trustee of the LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust from its inception in 1991 to its closure in 2023. Over the life of the Trust, more than $400 million was given to support organizations including The New York Botanical Garden, The Public Theater, The Joyce Theater, American Civil Liberties Union, Natural Resources Defense Council, Lincoln Center Theater, New York City Ballet, Central Park Conservancy, WNET Channel 13, among others. Because of Larry’s involvement in both the Trust and MGF, the two collaborated successfully for many years, especially in the funding of New York City arts institutions, city parks, and open space initiatives. 

We will miss Larry’s steadfast presence, his admonition to honor the privilege of being a funder, and his example of trusting and partnering with grantees. He set a tone that continues to this day.