February 10, 2014 | Read Time: 2 minutes
Amount donated in 2013: Approximately $212-million
Beneficiary: Jeffrey Carlton Charitable Foundation
Background: Mr. Carlton founded Press Forge, a Paramount, Calif., company that processes metals, steel, and titanium for aerospace, nuclear, oil, and gas companies and the military.
Mr. Carlton, who died in 2012 at age 61, left about $212-million to a trust that will eventually become the Jeffrey Carlton Charitable Foundation. Before he died, Mr. Carlton stipulated that the foundation’s sole purpose would be to provide support for four nonprofits: American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (the fundraising arm of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital), Hoag Hospital Foundation, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Principles Inc. (the nonprofit side of Impact Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center).
Each will eventually receive about $53-million.
Described by those who knew him as a modest and private man, Mr. Carlton was not much involved with those organizations but instead focused most of his time and attention on the business he created in 1978.
His father, Allan Carlton Jr., was a friend of the Hoag family and had been a patient at Hoag Hospital. Allan Carlton donated more than $1-million to the hospital during his lifetime, but hospital officials said they had no interactions with Jeffrey Carlton and have been told by the Carlton estate that the son’s bequest was his way of honoring his late father.
Hospital officials said they plan to use some of the gift, which is unrestricted, for a heart and vascular institute and will name it for Jeffrey Carlton.
Both St. Jude and Impact declined to say whether Mr. Carlton had any involvement with their organizations.
David Fanning, senior development officer at Paralyzed Veterans of America, said his organization did know Mr. Carlton but not well. He said the two had met through a Press Forge employee and that Mr. Carlton began donating $200 to $500 a year to the nonprofit around 1993. He even attended some of the group’s events but generally kept to himself. While Mr. Fanning said Mr. Carlton had notified the charity it would receive a bequest but did not hint at its size.
“I knew it was going to be significant but not to this extent,” said Mr. Fanning. “We’re going to do a lot of great things for our veterans with the money, and we’ll be working with the foundation to make sure we honor his memory.”
The Philanthropy 50: Browse the full list of America’s most generous donors in 2013.
Learn more: See this donor’s listing in our database of major gifts, America’s Top Donors.
