Do you know an unsung hero from New Jersey who responded to the challenges of the past year by finding ways to make a difference in others’ lives? Nominations are now open for the 2021 Russ Berrie Making a Difference Award, which honors those who break down barriers, correct injustices and otherwise make New Jersey a better place to live, work and raise a family. Founded by Russ Berrie in 1997, the award includes well-deserved public recognition as well as cash prizes of $50,000, $25,000 and $7,500 for up to ten extraordinary individuals. The deadline for nominations is February 12.

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Even as Yiddish the proverb “Man plans, God laughs” has resonated, 2020 also drove home the profound importance of thoughtful planning, conducted with a view toward the future and in close collaboration with partners on the ground, writes our CEO, Ruth Salzman. “As humans seeking to make a difference in the world, all we can do is plan,” she writes. “When we invest in initiatives that combine good planning with pragmatic and effective execution capability, our grantees are positioned to pivot with agility when the world shifts beneath our feet.”

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The Russell Berrie Foundation mourns the loss of our dear friend and trustee, Yossi Bachar. The first Israeli to join the Foundation's board, Yossi brought a wealth of experience leading several of Israel's most prominent institutions. As Director General of Israel's Ministry of Finance, he initiated the comprehensive reform of the Israeli capital markets that became known as the "Bachar Reform." Yossi served under three finance ministers—Netanyahu, and later Olmert and Hirchson—before becoming Chairman of Israel Discount Bank. “A man of values, Yossi earned the respect and affection of people who were fortunate enough to have experienced his warmth,” writes Angelica Berrie.

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“Sometimes the most rewarding aspect of philanthropy isn’t making grants, but making connections between our grantees—then watching how the sparks of innovation start to fly in new directions,” CEO Ruth Salzman writes in a Letter From Our CEO. “Our team takes great pleasure in our mission of identifying and supporting exceptional organizations doing groundbreaking work. When these organizations find creative opportunities to partner, their impact becomes transformative.”

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Since March, The Russell Berrie Foundation has given more than $5.2 million in emergency COVID-19 grants to organizations responding to urgent medical, economic, societal and educational needs in their communities. In this video, seven of our outstanding Israeli grantees describe how they rose to the challenge. They include changemakers like Ogen, which gives loans to non-profits, small businesses and others underserved by traditional commercial lenders, and The Azrieli Faculty of Medicine at Bar-Ilan University, which developed innovative ways for medical student volunteers to support much-needed health care delivery in the diverse communities of their region.

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Israel’s Sheba Medical Center, a world leader in medical science and biotech, is partnering with Holy Name Medical Center, in Teaneck, N.J., on its latest healthcare innovation effort: the Accelerate, Redesign and Collaborate program, or ARC. It’s the latest development in a decade-long partnership that began after Angelica Berrie introduced the two RBF grantees. “Our role was to do a shidduch”—make a match—“between Holy Name and Sheba,” Berrie tells The Jewish Standard.

READ ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP IN THE JEWISH STANDARD

As COVID-19 and all of the systemic challenges being highlighted unfold, philanthropy has a critical role to play by being “fast, nimble and catalytic,” Ruth Salzman, RBF’s Chief Executive Officer, says in an interview with The Philanthropic Initiative. The interview, which kicked off TPI’s “Adaptable Funders” blog series, came as RBF’s COVID-19 emergency relief grants topped $5 million. “If philanthropy can help get the right people around the table, help them generate solutions and then catalyze action by funding innovative ideas as R&D, we will have made a significant contribution,” Salzman tells TPI. “And we are the sector that can ensure that inclusion, diversity, and equity are consistently incorporated.”

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW

The Russell Berrie Foundation was recently featured in Inside Philanthropy, in an article titled “How a Private Foundation Backed Trusted Partners When Crisis Struck its Home Region.” The piece describes how RBF responded to the pandemic by issuing $4.48 million in emergency grants, to support organizations in the U.S. and Israel that were providing COVID-19 relief efforts. “The funder’s approach is an illustrative case study of a relatively modest private foundation responding to a global crisis—by moving new funds, but also relying on longstanding relationships and knowledge about its existing areas of giving,” the article notes.

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In two Bergen County cities with high rates of diabetes, fresh produce is now delivered regularly to those in need—an illustration of how The Russell Berrie Foundation and our partners have pivoted quickly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to address newly urgent priorities, writes CEO Ruth Salzman. “To make lasting change, we must build the close relationships that enable us to adjust our responses when the landscape abruptly shifts,” Salzman writes. “If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that change is the only constant.”

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