Suzanne Cohen, a fierce advocate for equity and the arts and a longtime supporter and Advisory Board member at Open Society Institute, died last week at the age of 83.
“All of us at OSI-Baltimore benefited from Sue’s talents, passion and many contributions,” said OSI-Baltimore director Diana Morris. “We will miss her.”
Cohen supported many Baltimore organizations, both as an advocate and as a philanthropist, including the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Enoch Pratt Free Library, and Johns Hopkins University, in addition to OSI. She often focused her support on building the capacity, leadership, and governance structure of organizations she believed in, hoping to help them sustain themselves for the long haul. When Open Society Institute began fundraising 10 years ago, Cohen was among the first supporters and, soon thereafter, became a member of the Advisory Board.
“Sue chose carefully which boards on which she served, so it was an honor that she chose to serve on our board for so many years, including to the present as Trustee Emerita,” says Morris. “We benefited from her rigorous thinking, experience in the non-profit world, hands-on approach, and deep commitment to Baltimore and to justice.”
