Cornell University
$136,900
To support research on pension costs for public school employees in the state of New York.
Source: http://www.arnoldfoundation.org/grants/Manhattan Institute for Policy and Research
$67,412
To publish a report about the defined contribution retirement systems used by the State University of New York and the City University of New York.
Source: http://www.arnoldfoundation.org/grantsResearch Foundation of the State University of NY
Up to $1,000,000
To expand information about public retirement system.
Source: http://www.arnoldfoundation.org/grantsWNET
$3,500,000
To finance Pension Peril. Grant returned in February 2014.
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/15/business/media/wnet-to-return-3-5-million-grant-for-pension-series.html?_r=0New York
In late 2013, PBS’ New York Flagship, WNET, launched “Pension Peril” – a one sided weekly series that blamed public employee pension for fiscal woes in cities and states all across the country. Three months later, an investigative report by PandoDaily revealed that with a $3.5 million contribution, Arnold was the series sole financier.
The contribution broke PBS guidelines that prohibits contributions from a benefactor who is “pre-ordaining the conclusion the viewer should draw from the materials presented.” The PBS Ombudsman panned the series, leading WNET to return Arnold’s $3.5 million contribution and pull the series from the air.