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John R. Taylor

Image via Human Rights Watch (archived page)
Occupation:

Managing Partner, Wellspring Advisors

Founder, Wellspring Philanthropic Fund

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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

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

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

References

  1. “John R. Taylor.” ZoomInfo. Accessed August 27, 2019. Original URL: https://www.zoominfo.com/p/John-Taylor/1449159272. Archived here: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2019/08/John-R.-Taylor.-ZoomInfo.-08.2019.pdf 
  2. “Planned Parenthood Federation of America: Annual Report 2005-2006.” Planned Parenthood. Accessed August 27, 2019. Original URL: https://www.stopp.org/PPFAReports/PPFA200506001.pdf. Archived here: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2019/08/Planned-Parenthood-Foundation-Annual-Report-2005-2006.-08.2019.pdf.
  3. “Search Results: John R. Taylor.” ProPublica. Accessed August 27, 2019. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/name_search/index?utf8=✓&q=John+R.+Taylor
  4. “Board of Directors (archived).” Human Rights Watch. Archived July 11, 2015. Accessed August 27, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20150711035720/https://www.hrw.org/about/people/board-directors
  5. About Us. Wellspring Philanthropic Fund. Accessed November 14, 2020. https://wpfund.org/about-us/
  6. About Us. Wellspring Philanthropic Fund. Accessed November 14, 2020. https://wpfund.org/about-us/
  7. About Us. Wellspring Philanthropic Fund. Accessed November 14, 2020. https://wpfund.org/about-us/
  8. Mider, Zachary. “The $13 Billion Mystery Angels.” Bloomberg News. May 14, 2014. Accessed November 14, 2020. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-05-08/three-mysterious-philanthropists-fund-fourth-largest-u-dot-s-dot-charity
  9. “Wellspring Advisors, LLC – File No. L08493.” District of Columbia, Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. Accessed August 15, 2019. https://corponline.dcra.dc.gov/BizEntity.aspx/ViewEntityData?entityId=2865739
  10. “Anonymous Donors of More Than $1 Billion Revealed.” Philanthropy News Digest. May 9, 2014. Accessed July 18, 2019.https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/anonymous-donors-of-more-than-1-billion-revealed
  11. “Wellspring Advisors, LLC – File No. L08493.” District of Columbia, Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. Accessed August 15, 2019. https://corponline.dcra.dc.gov/BizEntity.aspx/ViewEntityData?entityId=2865739 
  12. Ghermezian, Shiryn. “Dozens of Jewish Charities Supported by Newly Revealed ‘$13 Billion Mystery Angels.’” The Algemeiner. May 27, 2014. Accessed July 18, 2019. https://www.algemeiner.com/2014/05/27/jewish-charities-heavily-favored-by-newly-revealed-13-billion-mystery-angels/ 
  13. “Members.” Funders Committee for Civic Participation. Accessed August 26, 2019. Original URL: https://funderscommittee.org/about/#member-organizations. Archived here: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2019/08/Funders-Committee.-Members-and-Staff.-08.2019.pdf.
  14. John Taylor. Spoke. Accessed November 14, 2020. https://www.spoke.com/people/john-taylor-3e1429c09e597c10080dcc5b
  15. John Taylor. Spoke. Accessed November 14, 2020. https://www.spoke.com/people/john-taylor-3e1429c09e597c10080dcc5b
  16. John Taylor. Spoke. Accessed November 14, 2020. https://www.spoke.com/people/john-taylor-3e1429c09e597c10080dcc5b
  17. John Taylor. Spoke. Accessed November 14, 2020. https://www.spoke.com/people/john-taylor-3e1429c09e597c10080dcc5b
  18. John Taylor. Spoke. Accessed November 14, 2020. https://www.spoke.com/people/john-taylor-3e1429c09e597c10080dcc5b
  19. John Taylor. Spoke. Accessed November 14, 2020. https://www.spoke.com/people/john-taylor-3e1429c09e597c10080dcc5b
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