John R. Taylor is the managing partner of the private philanthropy consulting firm Wellspring Advisors and the founder of its associated left-of-center foundation, Wellspring Philanthropic Fund. Taylor previously worked for Berger & Montague P.C. from 1989-1997 and as a litigator for Dechert LLP from 1986 to 1989. [1]
Taylor was formerly a board member for the abortion clinic network and pro-abortion advocacy group Planned Parenthood Federation of America and a board member for the left-of-center Human Rights Watch. [2] [3] [4]
Contents
Background
John R. Taylor and his brother Myles Taylor co-founded Wellspring Advisors in New York in 2000. [5]
Taylor has sat on the board of directors at a number of social-liberal organizations, including the Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights, the Attic Youth Center, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Survivor Corps/Landmine Survivors Network, and Human Rights Watch. [6] Taylor also previously sat on the steering committee for the International Human Rights Funders Group. [7]
A third Taylor brother, Fred Taylor, is a left-of-center philanthropist in California who donates to various human rights causes. [8]
Wellspring Company and Philanthropy
Wellspring Advisors is a for-profit limited liability corporation created to manage the Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, a major left-of-center nonprofit funding organization. [9]
Philanthropy News Digest described Wellspring Advisers as a “consulting firm for anonymous donors.” [10] Wellspring Advisors was incorporated in Delaware in May of 2001. The Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, was incorporated in New Jersey in 1999. [11]
The Wellspring Philanthropic Fund was previously called the Matan B’Seter Foundation. “Matan B’Seter” is a Hebrew phrase meaning “anonymous gift.” [12]
The Wellspring Philanthropic Fund is a member of the Funders Committee for Civic Participation. The Funders Committee for Civic Participation is a project of NEO Philanthropy, a left-of-center pass-through funding organization. The Funders Committee is a donors’ roundtable for major left-wing funders interested in voter engagement and redistricting efforts. [13]
Legal Career
Taylor graduated from Haverford College in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in history. [14] After graduating from Haverford, Taylor attended the University of Pennsylvania and received a law degree from Cornell University in 1986. [15] [16]
After law school, Taylor went to work for Dechert, Price & Rhoads, a Philadelphia law firm. While there, Taylor represented a corporate client in civil matters. [17]
In 1989, Taylor moved to Berger & Montague, another Philadelphia law firm. There, Taylor represented plaintiffs in class-action lawsuits against companies that allegedly violated federal securities, anti-trust, and environmental laws. [18]
In 1997, Taylor left Berger & Montague for the firm of Sandals, Langer & Taylor where he focused on plaintiff-side class-action litigation until he left the firm in 2000. [19]