Our condolences go to the family and loved ones of Steve Viederman, who passed away on December 11th.
"Upon finishing his degree Steve was recruited to the first of what became a career of pioneering roles that intersected American institutions with the imperatives of equity, peace and cross-cultural understanding. In 1959 he became staff director of the Inter-University Committee on Travel Grants, a deceptively bland title for the organization that managed the tricky first-ever academic exchanges with the Soviet Union.
Steve's most satisfying career period came when he was named President of the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation, the perfect opportunity for him to blend his creativity, leadership, ability to listen and learn, willingness to challenge his own beliefs, and commitment to have an impact on the world around him. Steve was instrumental in redirecting the Foundation's giving to focus on under-served geographies and communities. Under his leadership, the Noyes Foundation pioneered grant-making in support of environmental justice, reproductive rights, and labor/community/political organizing, mostly in the South and Southwest of the United States. The Foundation also introduced a program to support environmental justice in the New York area. He loved the community members he worked with, took on their causes as his own, and continuously learned from them.
Steve's signature achievement while at Noyes [Foundation] was to build a mission-aligned investment program to, as he put it, ''reduce dissonance." The Foundation owned stock in some of the corporations whose policies and practices its grantees opposed. Under Steve's leadership the Noyes Foundation was the first philanthropy to file a shareholder resolution - at Intel-- on behalf of its grantee - the Southwest Organizing Project. As part of this work the Foundation made commercial investments from its endowment in mission-oriented businesses. Other foundations have built on this initial effort, though to Steve's frustration this obvious and impactful practice has not yet spread as widely as he hoped.
He is survived, celebrated, and deeply missed by Gretchen, his wife of 66 years; his two children, Laura and Dan, and their spouses Michael Caton-Jones and Mary Jo Laffey Viederman; his adoring grandchildren: William, Hannah, Romy, Charlie, Daisy and Molly; by his brother Milton and sister-in-law Nelly; by nephews and nieces Eric and Amanda Beldoch, Anne and Matthew Viederman and their spouses; and by Buddy the dog. Steve's entire family takes great pride in his life; inspiration from his warmth, dedication and sense of purpose; and joy from his delight in those around him."
His obituary mentions: In lieu of flowers, donations maybe made to an organization that meant a great deal to Steve: the New Mexico-based Southwest Organizing Project at https://www.swop.net/donate
Thank you to these kind people who donated in honor of Mr. Viederman:
Diane Allan
Lisa N Peterson
Joyce Laudon
Trish
!Stephen Viederman Presente¡ | 
