A Foundation for Life’s Journeys

As Larry Kaplan was graduating high school in Long Island in the early 1970s, he was determined to study journalism. Fascinated with newspapers since he was a kid—he started reading The New York Times when he was in third grade—his dream was to become a journalist.

But finding a college with a journalism program back then wasn't easy. None of the State Universities of New York offered one, and those that did were too costly.

Kaplan found what he wanted at Rider and even received a full scholarship. Today, he credits his Rider experience with giving him a foundation for success, and that's why he has included the University in his will.

"It was a formative experience for me. It's that simple," he explains. "You pay back the folks who help you. I had a full scholarship when I attended, and that helped immensely. I'm not someone who can offer a huge gift. But I have accumulated assets over the years, and so I want to give back to Rider…when I can."

Taking a different road
The irony is that Kaplan's career didn't follow the path of journalism. After earning his journalism degree, he moved to California and attended graduate school at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. After graduating, he worked in broadcast journalism for about six months and then changed directions.

"For about 20 years, I worked in politics, either for elected officials, running campaigns or lobbying," Kaplan says. His career has included working as Regional Director for Barbara Boxer, a California senator.

He got involved in the political and civic culture of Los Angeles. In the late '90s, he decided it was time to head in a different direction.

"I always had an interest in the nonprofit world, so that's what I ended up doing," he says. Kaplan managed a Los Angeles' urban park program as the Area Director for the Trust for Public Land, a national land conservation group. He also served as the Executive Director of Workplace Hollywood, which improves diversity in Los Angeles' entertainment industry.

Today, he runs Larry Kaplan Consulting, providing advocacy services to nonprofits.

"When I hung my shingle, I focused on my functional expertise, which is public affairs, advocacy, government relations, community relations and lobbying," he says. "I took my knowledge of nonprofits and my understanding of how government works, or doesn't work, and put that together."

Of his gift to Rider, Kaplan says, "I want it to go wherever it will be most beneficial for students. Rider gave me a great start in a diverse career, so I want to be able to do the same for future students."