Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine’s Historic Impact
The Lavine family’s historic pledge
In 2021, Cycle for Survival received a $5 million pledge from Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine — the single largest gift ever made to the official rare cancer fundraising program of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). We are so grateful for this monumental multiyear commitment and for the life-changing impact that every dollar will make.
Jeannie and Jonathan have been dedicated Cycle for Survival supporters and partners since 2009, helping drive the movement’s success and serving as role models for their peers for more than a decade. Over the course of the MSK–Lavine family partnership, Cycle for Survival has experienced exponential growth in participation and revenue.
Marc Lavine, Jonathan’s brother, is also a prominent force in the Cycle for Survival community. As a leader and key advocate for the cause, Marc captains top fundraising teams and participates in events as an Extreme rider — cycling for four hours nonstop. In 2018, Cycle for Survival presented Marc and his wife, Lori, and Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine with the Game Changer Award in recognition of their fierce determination and dedication to Cycle for Survival.
The Crimson Lion / Lavine Family Foundation’s gift amplifies every dollar raised by the Cycle for Survival community. Funds from the historic pledge support annual fundraising challenges that inspire participants to engage their donor networks in new and impactful ways. These challenges build on the foundation’s past sponsorship of the yearly Million Match Challenge, which generated nearly $30 million in new and increased giving between 2015 and 2020. Cycle for Survival is deeply thankful for the Lavine family’s leadership in the movement to beat rare cancers.
Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine
Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine are founders of the Crimson Lion / Lavine Family Foundation, which has sponsored an annual fundraising challenge for the Cycle for Survival community since 2015. Jonathan is Chair of Bain Capital. He founded Bain Capital Special Situations and Bain Capital Credit, formerly Sankaty Advisors, in 1998. Jeannie is a former management strategy consultant with Boston Consulting Group and is a trustee of the Crimson Lion / Lavine Family Foundation alongside Jonathan.
Through the Crimson Lion / Lavine Family Foundation, Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine are involved with several charitable causes, especially civic, education and healthcare nonprofit organizations. In addition to their relationship with Memorial Sloan-Kettering, Jeannie and Jonathan have close relationships with Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. In the past, the Lavines have worked with organizations such as the American World Jewish Service and Combined Jewish Philanthropies, which support human rights and people of the Jewish faith.
Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine are dedicated to educational organizations that support underserved students and families, such as City Year, a non-profit focused on equipping students with healthy learning environments and the proper resources to thrive. In 2015, the couple made a generous donation to uAspire, an organization they’ve supported since 2011, which helps students gain financial access to post-secondary education.
The Lavines also established the Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film with the Better Angels Society in 2019, which awards excellent historical documentarians.
The Lavine Family Lounge
We are thrilled to announce that with the Lavine family’s historic 2021 pledge, the reception and main waiting area at the Josie Robertson Surgery Center (JRSC) will be named the Lavine Family Lounge. The core mission of the JRSC goes beyond rapid recovery, aiming to be an innovative center with a focus on superlative patient experiences and engagement, efficiency, and data-driven continuous improvement. More than 230 MSK employees who work at the JRSC have participated in Cycle for Survival since the center was established in 2016.
