Walter Kaitz Foundation
Encyclopedia
The foundation raises funds from cable industry participants and disburses them through three independent not-for-profit organizations: The Emma L. Bowen Foundation, which prepares minority
Minority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
youth for careers in the media industry; the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Cable, which helps people of color identify mentors and advance their careers; and Women in Cable & Telecommunications, which provides career guidance and training for women in the communications field. In 2008, the Foundation announced it awarded more than $1.5 million dollars to the three organizations.
Much of the funding for the Walter Kaitz Foundation comes from an annual dinner the organization presents to celebrate Diversity
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
Week, a series of meetings and events sponsored by cable industry organizations in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The dinner honors individuals from within and outside of the cable industry who have demonstrated a commitment to diversity.
History
The foundation was established in 1980 in honor of Walter Kaitz,, a Russian immigrant who was president of the California Cable Television Association (CCTA) from the early 1960s until his death in 1979. Kaitz graduated from Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
after attending on a scholarship for newspaper carriers, and later graduated from the University of California Boalt Law School. He was a vocal advocate of equal opportunities for individuals in business. His son, Spencer Kaitz, succeeded the elder Kaitz as President of the CCTA, and started The Walter Kaitz Foundation after receiving contributions in his father’s honor from industry colleagues.
Activities
In addition to raising and distributing funding to not-for-profit organizations, The Walter Kaitz Foundation presents seminars and conferences designed to assist minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs) in doing business in the cable telecommunications industry.Organization
With offices in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, the Walter Kaitz Foundation is co-located with the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, a cable industry public affairs organization. The foundation’s executive director is David Porter, who was previously Director of Graduate Programs for the Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
School of Business from 2003 – 2006, and before that, was an assistant professor at the UCLA Anderson School.