Greentree is the home of the Whitney estate, located in the hamlet of Manhasset. The estate is vast, covering 400 acres, with access from Community Drive. The estate was originally purchased by Payne Whitney for his bride, Helen Julia May, in 1904. The estate was later the home of their son, John Hay Whitney and his second wife, Betsey Cushing Roosevelt Whitney, who remained until her death in 1998. The Whitneys have always been good neighbors, deeding land to the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department, Nassau County Police Department, North Shore Hospital and the Unitarian Univeralist Society now known as UUCSR. In 1982, she created the Greentree Foundation which now runs the estate and is dedicated to human rights issues.
The Greentree Foundation continues its generosity today to the community with its Good Neighbor grants which impact programs from Great Neck to Bethpage and Freeport.
“What this place is about, and what the legacy of John and Betsey Whitney is,” said Greentree Foundation President Nicholas Gabriel, “was to leave this place to do something good into the future, and that’s what we do today.”
“Greentree makes a $185,000 annual contribution to the Manhasset Community Fund,” said Tom O’Malley, Manhasset Community Fund trustee and grant administrator for the foundation. “These Greentree-donated funds are kept separate from the traditional money the Community Fund raises from its appeal to the community.”
The Greentree Foundation has given $2.7 million in Good Neighbor Grants since 2003. This year, 23 programs received grants totaling $186,600 to continue their work in the communities they serve. Those programs include:
• Adventures In Learning received $10,000 and will expand their afterschool STEM/STEAM education for at-risk children.
• Central Nassau Guidance & Counseling Services received $8,500 to provide coordination of care services.
• Child Abuse Prevention Services received $5,000 to expand the anti-bullying program to pre-K through first grade.
• COPAY received $10,000 to provide drug prevention, treatment and education services.
• Family & Children’s Association received $8,000 to provide services to elder abuse victims.
• Health And Welfare Council Of Long Island received $8,000 to provide assistance and referral services to low income households.
• Island Harvest received $10,000 to expand food collection and distribution throughout North Hempstead.
• Literacy Nassau received $8,000 to provide “navigator workshops” for new English speakers.
• Littig House Community Center received $10,000 to expand intergenerational programming.
• Long Island Cares received $7,500 to support the mobile food outreach and referral program.
• Long Island Council On Alcoholism & Drug Dependency received $9,000 to provide drug and alcohol prevention education.
• Long Island Jewish Medical Center received $10,000 for alcohol, tobacco and drug prevention services and training in Great Neck, Westbury and Carle Place schools.
• Manhasset CASA received $10,000 to expand the student mentor drug and alcohol prevention program.
• Manhasset/Great Neck EOC received $10,000 to include STEM education in the 2018 summer program.
• Manhasset High School Model UN received $6,600 to support the Model UN at Manhasset High School.
• NAMI received $5,000 to provide mental health presentations to middle and high schools.
• North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center received $7,500 to support “Good Beginnings for Babies”.
• Port Washington Parent Resources Center received $5,000 to expand the preschool to twice weekly.
• Port Washington Senior Citizens Center received $10,000 to replace the flooring of the senior center.
• Science Museum Of Long Island received $10,000 to improve technology for science education.
• Shelter Rock Church received $6,000 to purchase equipment for their food pantry.
• St. Brigid’s Church received $5,000 to support the Casa Mary Johanna afterschool program.
• The Safe Center Long Island received $7,500 to provide domestic violence and sexual assault outreach and services.
