About

Established by the endowment of banking heiress and dedicated women’s rights advocate, Annie Renssalaer Tinker, the mission of The Annie Tinker Association for Women has evolved since its founding during the Great Depression. The Tinker Association was originally intended to be a home for retired women, but the urgent financial burdens of the Depression prompted the trustees of Tinker’s will to begin issuing monthly allowances to a small group of needy beneficiaries.

This legacy of giving back is continued today on a much larger scale, as the Tinker Association now supports more than 85 retired women. Although the majority of the beneficiaries we support are retired artists living in the New York metropolitan area, the Association also assists a handful or women scattered throughout the country and Europe. The Association provides a monthly “make a difference” check to each of the beneficiaries, and hosts regular social and cultural events to encourage communication among members and active involvement in the community.

Our Board of Trustees and National Advisory Council are composed of women and men who share Annie Tinker’s concern for those who contributed so much in their working years and yet are inadequately provided for in their later years.

Board of Trustees – Biographies

R. Dyke Benjamin
Chairman, President, and CEO

Frederic K. Howard
Treasurer

Carolyn J. Smith
Secretary

Suzannah Chandler
Vice President/ Social Programs

Landon Fuhrman
Vice President/ Outreach

Leeds Hackett
Vice President/ Strategic Planning

Louise Valdes-Fauli
Vice President/Development

JoAnn Wellner

Honorary Trustees
Mary Hartwell Rogers
Phyllis Ross Schless
Claire Whittaker

Beneficiaries Manager
Isabel Spencer

Business Manager
Michèle Randall

National Advisory Council – Biographies