Robert Russell Memorial Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Robert Russell Memorial Foundation’s grantmaking supports Jewish organizations in the U.S. and Israel with a strong focus on Miami-Dade County in Florida.
IP TAKE: The Robert Russell Memorial Foundation provides ongoing support to the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, the Jewish Community Center of Miami and the University of Tel Aviv. It also makes grants of up to $30,000 to a broad range of Jewish organizations working in the areas of education, religion, arts and culture and human services.
This accessible foundation accepts applications through its online portal with an annual deadline of March 31 and disburses grants in September of each year. It’s a supportive funder that provides support beyond funds across it’s areas of giving. Grantmaking is mainly limited to the U.S. and Israel, with a strong focus on the Miami-Dade County in Florida.
PROFILE: The Robert Russell Memorial Foundation began making grants in 1984, after the death of its founder, Robert Russell. Russell served in leadership roles in many Jewish organizations in the U.S. and Israel, including the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, the United Jewish Appeal and the Jewish Agency for Israel. He was also a “principal force” in the establishment of the Michael-Ann Jewish Community Center of Miami, which is named for his daughter, who died in a plane crash in 1972. He established his foundation with the aim of supporting “nonprofit organizations, primarily for programs in Israel and in the Jewish community of Miami.” Today, this funder continues its support of Jewish causes with grants for a broad range of organizations involved in Jewish religious education, higher education, religion, culture, social services, advocacy and Zionist initiatives.
Grants for Jewish Causes
While the Robert Russell Memorial Foundation gives exclusively to Jewish organizations, its giving within this area is broad, spanning the areas of religion, arts and culture and social services in both the U.S. and Israel. In the U.S., the foundation’s largest recipient in recent years has been the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, a human services organization that serves the Miami area, Israel and other Jewish communities around the world.
Other grantees in Miami-Dade County include the Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center, the Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education of Miami, the Jewish Museum of Florida, the Friendship Circle of Miami Beach and North Dade and the South Florida Jewish Academy.
Elsewhere in the U.S., the foundation has supported Faces Media, “the largest and most diverse Jewish media organization in North America,” and the national B’nai B’rith Youth Organization, which engages teens in meaningful Jewish cultural experiences.
A significant portion of the Russell Memorial Foundation’s grantmaking supports U.S.-based organizations and funds working in Israel. Through the National Jewish Fund, the foundation made a five-year commitment to support the construction of a new fire station in the Carmel region of Israel. The foundation also gave to the Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind, Friends of Yad Sarah, which supports an Israeli home health care service, and the P.E.F. Israel Endowment Fund, which supports the construction and renovation of community centers, libraries and other public spaces throughout Israel.
Grants for Higher Education
The Robert Russell Memorial Foundation has demonstrated a strong commitment to Jewish higher education in the U.S. and Israel, as well as programs for Jewish students and Judaic studies at public and private U.S. colleges and universities that are not specifically affiliated with the Jewish faith.
In Israel, the foundation has provided ongoing support to Tel Aviv University. Other higher education grantees in Israel include the Hebrew University and the Sami Shamoon College of Engineering.
In the U.S., the foundation has given to the Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies at the University of Miami, the American University Center for Israel Studies, the Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Florida and the Talmudic University of Florida.
Important Grant Details:
The Robert Russell Memorial Foundation’s grants range from $1,000 to $30,000.
This funder supports a broad range of organizations that serve Jewish communities in the U.S. and Israel, including national organizations and small, community-based groups.
Areas of interest include education, human services, arts and culture and community development.
For additional information about past grantmaking, see the foundation’s recent tax filings.
This funder accepts applications for funding from organizations serving Jewish communities in the U.S. and Israel through its online application portal. The due date for applications is March 31, and decisions are usually made in May for disbursement in September of each year.
Applicants are advised to read through the foundation’s guidelines before applying. Questions may be directed to Karen Seneff via email or telephone at 305-789-5397.
Questions may be directed to Karen Seneff via email or telephone at 305-789-5397.
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