Emily Tow

Emily Tow (she/her/hers) is the president of The Tow Foundation, a family foundation that envisions a society where all people have a voice in their community and the opportunity to enjoy a high quality of life. Emily joined the Foundation’s Board of Directors at its inception in 1988 and has served as the Foundation’s president since 1995. The Tow Foundation funds innovative programs and system reform in the fields of youth and adult criminal justice, medicine and public health, higher education, journalism and culture.  

The Tow Foundation is deeply invested in New York-based nonprofit theater. Under Emily’s leadership, The Tow Foundation developed a playwright residency program that offers playwrights a full-time salary and immersion into their sponsoring New York–based nonprofit theater’s day-to-day operations. The goal of the Tow Playwright Residency program is to offer artists the opportunity to focus on their craft, gain experience and insight into all aspects of the nonprofit theater world and debut their work. The Tow Foundation has also supported linking New York institutions of higher education with nonprofit theaters for collaborative partnerships.  

In addition to serving on the Advisory Committee of the American Theatre Wing, Emily is a trustee of  New York Public Radio and  The Marshall Project. She was appointed by New York’s governor to serve on the  New York State Juvenile Justice Advisory Group and engages with numerous other local, state and national committees and coalitions. Emily formerly served as board chair of  Philanthropy New York and as a trustee of  Barnard College. 

Emily speaks nationally and internationally about the Foundation’s work, its commitment to advocacy as a key to achieving social change, and the value of family philanthropy.