Forrest Berkley and Marcie Tyre:

Philanthropists who value collaboration

Forrest Berkley and Marcie Tyre consider themselves relative newcomers to the practice of philanthropy, but they’ve already learned the importance of strategic grantmaking and building nonprofit capacity — and the role that networks and collaboration play in achieving them. Impact is important to them and their recent gift of $50,000 to Common Good Ventures recognizes the potential of CGV’s work building intentional nonprofit networks to maximize results for Maine at-risk youth and rural seniors. Their thinking in making this gift reflects their overall approach to philanthropy; another recent gift established the Berkley Endowment for the new Land Trust Accreditation Commission with the goal of dramatically improving how conservation is done.

Forrest and Marcie are summer residents of Swan’s Island and have long been involved in Maine life. Forrest retired in 2006 as partner and Head of Global Product Management at global investment management firm Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co. to devote himself to philanthropy; a former chairman of the Investment Committee of the Maine Community Foundation, he is on the boards of the Maine Coast Heritage Trust and the Appalachian Mountain Club and recently joined the board of TIAA-CREF. Formerly a professor at MIT Sloan, Marcie is a Scholar at the Women’s Studies Research Center at Brandeis University. They have two young sons and live in Wayland, MA.