Joan Kaplan Davidson, a preservationist and philanthropist who set projects in motion that upgraded the quality of life in New York City, died on August 11 in Hudson, NY. She was 96.

Ms. Davidson served as chair of the New York State Council on the Arts in the 1970s, as New York State parks commissioner in the 1990s, and president of the J.M. Kaplan Fund from 1977 to 1993. The fund often has been the first stop for those seeking grants to save buildings, support cultural institutions or restore landmarks in New York, including Carnegie Hall and Gracie Mansion.

Ms. Davidson often could be seen picketing to save an endangered landmark building. “I’ve always thought we were different because we did not just write checks, we stepped in and got involved,” she told The New York Times in 1997, when the fund celebrated its 50th year of providing grants.