MBC HISTORY

Founded in 1993, the Mission of The Michael Bolton Charities, Inc. is dedicated to two critical areas: (1) The assistance of children and women "at risk;” and, (2) Through education and effective programs, create social awareness to broaden horizons and expand opportunities for youth across socioeconomic and multicultural lines.

Through the years, our mission has remained clear: We continue to make funds available to organizations providing direct services to those in need as we search for solutions to the issues that put children and women at risk. We work towards fostering dynamic social change - to break the cycle of domestic violence, poverty, abuse and homelessness through innovative initiatives.

The major focus of The Michael Bolton Charities is in the area of violence against women. Five years ago, Michael joined forces with coalitions of women’s groups and members of Congress to pass the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Michael, personally, has continued to devote his time to draw attention to the domestic violence epidemic and to enlist other men to raise their voices for zero tolerance on the issue. He has directed his foundation to do whatever possible to secure continued and additional funding to keep our shelters open, our educational programs functioning, and our children and women safe. Future projects in the planning stages include the creation of a Domestic Violence Legal Advocacy Fellowship, which will train law students to provide legal assistance to domestic violence survivors, and researching the feasibility of creating a Family Justice Center model for Connecticut.

Most recently, in response to the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, The Michael Bolton Charities reached out to an organization working directly with women and children who were already escaping from their own unimaginable tragedy of domestic violence: The Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence-Hurricane Katrina Fund. The MBC's donation of $100,000 is making it possible for these at risk families to rebuild their lives, to live, to hope and to dream again of a decent life for themselves and their families.

Since 1993, over $4.6 million has been disbursed to organizations across the country. A partial listing includes: The National Domestic Violence Hotline (TX); Prevent Child Abuse America (IL); MENTOR-The National Mentoring Partnership (VA); The New York City Family Justice Center; UNCF (CT); Yale Child Study Center (CT); The Domestic Violence Crisis Center (CT); Mt. Sinai Sexual Assault Victims Intervention Program (NY); and The Children's Advocacy Center (NY).

This year, The Michael Bolton Charities is creating "The Michael Bolton Contemporary Music Program" in Hartford, CT, a program for at risk inner city youth to get then off the streets and into a safe, positive and productive environment. This program will become a comprehensive, accredited music program for high school students and will serve as a model for replication across Connecticut.

Board of Directors

Michael Bolton
Louis Levin, Secretary
Robert J. Epstein
Kenneth M. Sitomer
Robert P. Doran

P. O. BOX 936 ·
BRANFORD, CT 06405 ·
TEL: (203) 483-6463 ·
FAX: (203) 483-6531

Recipients of The Michael Bolton Charities Lifetime Achievement Award

	C. Everett Koop, M.D. – former Surgeon General of the United States
	James Koplik – Executive Vice President, Delsener/Slater Enterprises
	Michael Gunn – Senior Vice President of Marketing, American Airlines
	James P. Comer, M.D. – Maurice Falk Professor of Child Psychiatry at Yale Child Study Center
	Eileen Mitzman – AIDS Activist, Member of the Board of Directors for Concerned Parents for AIDS Research
	Ivy Duneier – Co-Founder and former Chairman of the Board of Directors for Mother’s Voices
	David & Jillian Gilmour – Founder and Chairman, FIJI Natural Artesian Water
	Martin Richards – Founder and President of The Producer Circle; Founder of The Mary Lea Johnson Richards Institute; for liver and pancreas transplantation research; Co-Founder of The Children’s Advocacy Center in Manhattan
	Phil Ramone – World renowned music producer; Chairman Emeritus of NARAS; Producer of “Pavarotti & Friends” which raises funds and awareness of children around the world who are suffering from the ravages of war and other forms of violence.
	Chuck Norris, Actor, Founder of The KickStart Foundation for at risk youth. The KickStart program instills discipline and respect and raises self-esteem via the martial arts.