Page 7 - TTF Board Book Sample

Irene Cooper-Basch
Irene Cooper-Basch has spent the past 20 years in philanthropy focused on the city of
Newark, including 14 years at Victoria Foundation, where she currently serves as the
Executive Officer. Victoria Foundation is a private grantmaking institution founded in
1924, with current assets totaling $265 million. This place-based foundation makes grants
totaling $10 million a year to benefit children and families living in Newark, New Jersey
in the areas of education, youth development, and neighborhood revitalization.

Irene serves as a trustee or advisory board member of many charitable causes, including
the Newark City of Learning Collaborative, the Newark Safety Council, New Jersey
Performing Arts Center, Newark Celebration 350, the Russ Berrie Unsung Hero Awards,
and past Chair of the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers.

Irene is a proud graduate of Rutgers University-Newark, with a Ph.D. in Urban Systems.
She also holds a Master’s of Medical Humanities from Drew University and a Bachelor
of Arts from New York University. Irene taught English, mathematics, and drama to
middle school children in Botswana, Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer in the early
1980s.