OUR STORY
The Wittcoff Foundation was established in 2019 by Mark Wittcoff to honor his father Raymond Wittcoff’s legacy of civic leadership and contribution. Raymond Wittcoff is remembered for his longtime volunteer service as a university trustee, medical center board chair and community leader in addition to his accomplishments in business. Raymond Wittcoff was the volunteer co-founder and head of public television in the United States.
Mark Wittcoff is Chairman of Forward One Real Estate Investment Fund who continued his father’s tradition of volunteer service as a member of nine nonprofit boards where he helped raise substantial funds from others wherever he donated. The Wittcoff Foundation’s operating principles of allowing recipient organizations to determine how its funds are used, not putting its name on things and volunteering to raise more than it gives for its recipients is a continued expression of Raymond Wittcoff’s values. Mark has helped raise funds for and lead charitable efforts in his own community for four decades. He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards for his civic service and community leadership.
Nancy Christiano joined Mark as Managing Trustee of the Wittcoff Foundation in 2024. Nancy’s professional practice is rooted in many years of volunteer service helping organizations and donors find each other to improve their reach and further their mission. Her father was an Air Force Officer, and her mother a pharmacist. Nancy and her six siblings have lived abroad and she continues to travel extensively. Her philanthropic work with organizations on four continents reflects the values of the Wittcoff Foundation.
We believe in the butterfly effect—that small, intentional actions can spark far-reaching impact. By connecting donors with organizations in thoughtful, often unexpected ways, the Wittcoff Foundation helps create ripples of good that extend far beyond the moment of giving.
Mark Wittcoff,
Founder & Trustee
Mark Wittcoff is Chairman of Forward One Real Estate Investment Fund with 40 years of experience in investment real estate management, serving as a principal, asset manager, broker, and property manager of syndicated commercial property portfolios nationwide.
Beyond his professional achievements, Mark was nominated by President Biden to serve as U.S. Special Representative to the Council for Ukraine Reconstruction and is the recipient of the World Children’s Transplant Fund’s Heart of Gold Award. He is also the founder of the Wittcoff Foundation, which supports initiatives aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, reflecting his lifelong commitment to ethical leadership, service, and global impact.
Mark established KW Commercial Landmark, a commercial property investment and brokerage firm affiliated with Keller Williams Beverly Hills. Previously, he served as Managing Director of Investor Relations for Standard Management Company, a prominent real estate syndication firm founded by his mentor, Sam Freshman. Earlier in his career, Mark held the role of Senior Portfolio Manager at Black Equities Group and began his professional journey with Tishman International Companies. He holds both the Certified Fund Manager (CFM) and Real Property Administrator (RPA) designations, earned his B.S. in Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis, and received the Public Leadership Credential from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Nancy Christiano is a global philanthropy advisor who creates partnerships in social impact areas of human rights, empowerment of women, climate change, protection of wildlife, and global healthcare, all with an emphasis on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
She is the Co-Founder and CEO of Pacific West Ventures, a consulting firm that advises major corporations, family foundations and nonprofit organizations connecting resources, products and services that benefit humanity. Nancy serves as a senior advisor to Amini.ai empowering farmers with satellite data for resilient, productive farming; co-founder of Africa’s health data AfyaRekod.com; a consultant to PopulationMedia.org “Storytelling for the Global Good”; advisor to wildlife film platform Ecoflix.com; and an associate producer of ArtistsForAmazonia.org in support of Indigenous People. Additionally, she is a member of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Dean’s Council Leadership Circle; an advisor to the Nelson Mandela Institute of Technology in Tanzania; a former member of Medicines for Humanity’s Board of Directors; and served as co-producer of TEDx Los Angeles. Nancy is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Chapman University, where she was named Most Inspirational Student in the School of Communications.