Sugar Rautbord Appointment to The Board of Directors
A Friendship of Decades. A Shared Commitment to Philanthropy
The Moore Family Trust Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Sugar Rautbord to its Board, formally welcoming a woman whose friendship, counsel, and philanthropic perspective have been part of the Foundation’s history for decades.
A prominent American socialite, philanthropist, author, and patron of the arts, Sugar Rautbord was for many years one of the most recognizable figures within Chicago’s celebrated Gold Coast social and philanthropic circles. Now permanently residing in Palm Beach, Florida, she has remained closely engaged with the charitable, cultural, and philanthropic interests that have distinguished much of her life.
Her relationship with the Moore Family Trust Foundation, however, is an especially personal one.
Sugar and the Foundation’s Chairman, Randal “Ran” Moore, share a friendship spanning more than four decades—a relationship characterized by affection, candor, loyalty, and an uncommon degree of trust.
Long before joining the Board, Sugar was a valued voice behind many of the ideas and conversations that helped shape initiatives ultimately endowed and supported by the Moore Family Trust Foundation. Her perspective has been sought not because she held an official title, but because her judgment mattered.
For Ran Moore, it mattered particularly.
Over the course of their friendship, he has relied upon Sugar for the quality perhaps most valuable among old friends: the willingness to speak candidly, coupled with the loyalty to remain steadfast through changing times and circumstances.
As Ran once observed:
“We should all be fortunate enough to have that one person who truly knows us—and loves us despite knowing us so well. For me, that person has always been Sugar Rautbord.”
Her appointment to the Board therefore represents something more meaningful than the addition of a new director. It formally recognizes a relationship with the Foundation and its philanthropic mission that has existed, quietly and substantively, for many years.
Sugar brings to the Board a lifetime of experience in philanthropy, the arts, civic life, and the stewardship of institutions and causes she believes worthy of preserving for future generations.
The Moore Family Trust Foundation welcomes her with great affection and profound respect.
Observation; By Phyllis Bennett
Throughout the history of the Moore Family Trust Foundation, our philanthropic commitments have been guided by a fundamental belief: that thoughtful giving carries with it both an opportunity and a responsibility to create meaningful and lasting change.
Over the years, I have had the extraordinary privilege of witnessing this work firsthand—watching initiatives conceived with purpose grow into enduring commitments that have touched lives, strengthened communities, and created opportunities that extend far beyond what could have been envisioned at their inception.
The Foundation’s work has encompassed educational advancement, healthcare and medical research, humanitarian outreach, the arts, and community well-being. Although these endeavors are diverse in their purpose and reach, they share a common philosophy: meaningful philanthropy should not simply respond to the needs of the moment; it should seek to create the foundation for a better future.
Some initiatives have grown quietly over decades. Others have emerged in response to an immediate need or an opportunity to make a consequential difference. In every instance, our objective has remained consistent—to identify where our resources, relationships, and commitment can have a genuine and enduring impact
The passage of time provides a remarkable perspective. Programs that once began as ideas have become established traditions. Commitments made many years ago continue to provide opportunities today. Investments in people, institutions, research, and communities continue to produce benefits for individuals whom we may never have the privilege of knowing personally.
That continuity is perhaps among the Foundation’s greatest accomplishments.
As I reflect upon the work I have been privileged to witness, I do so with enormous gratitude—for the remarkable individuals and institutions with whom we have worked, for those who have entrusted us with their aspirations, and most importantly, for the countless lives that have been touched along the way.
The work of the Moore Family Trust Foundation has always been about more than philanthropy. It is about stewardship: preserving what has been entrusted to us, using it thoughtfully, and ensuring that its capacity to do good extends well beyond our own generation.
That responsibility has guided us throughout our history, and it will continue to guide the Foundation in the years ahead.
Phyllis Bennett
Chief of Staff
Director to the Chairman
Moore Family Trust Foundation