The Genesis Philanthropy Group, the group made up of Russian oligarchs that has become increasingly important in recent months as it continues to dole out huge sums of money to create a better Russian speaking Diaspora, has announced several personnel changes.
The president of Brandeis University, Jehuda Reinharz, and the president of the Jewish Funders Network, Mark Charendoff, have been named to the group’s advisory board, replacing the CEO of The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, Misha Galperin, and the head of the Charities Aid Foundation Global Trustees, Olga Alexeeva.
Genesis also announced that Ken Krug, the Chief Operating Officer of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles who previously served as the CFO of The RAND Corporation, has joined its Audit Committee.
Here is the release from Genesis:
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Presidents of Brandeis University and Jewish Funders Network Join Genesis Advisory Board
COO of LA Jewish Federation Appointed to the Audit CommitteeSeptember 16, 2009 (Moscow, Russia): Genesis Philanthropy Group (GPG) has announced a number of governance and personnel changes involving its International Advisory Board and the Audit Committee. President of Brandeis University Dr. Jehuda Reinharz and President of the Jewish Funders Network (JFN) Mark Charendoff have joined the GPG Board. They succeed Misha Galperin, Executive Vice President and CEO of The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, and Olga Alexeeva, head of the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) Global Trustees.
Other members of the Genesis Advisory Board include Major General (Retired) Elazar Stern, who chairs the board; Natan Sharansky, Chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel; Polina Filippova, Director of Programs and Donor Relations at the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF Russia); Rabbi Irving (Yitz) Greenberg, former president of the Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life; John Healy, former president of the Atlantic Philanthropies; Alan Hoffmann, director general of the Education Department at Sokhnut; Avraham Infeld, president of the NADAV Fund and former president of the Stanley Chais Foundation; and Aliza Shenhar, Israeli ambassador to Russia (1994-1997) and president of Max Stern Academic College of EmekYezreel.
“We wholeheartedly welcome Jehuda and Mark to our Advisory Board,” said Stan Polovets, CEO and one of the five founders of Genesis. “We have worked closely with both of them since the inception of Genesis two years ago, and have benefited greatly from their wisdom, experience, and advice. We are honored to have such distinguished leaders as our partners in strengthening Jewish life in the various communities where GPG operates.”
Polovets added: “We are also very grateful to Misha Galperin and Olga Alexeeva, who were instrumental in the start-up phase of Genesis and who have made a significant contribution to the development of our mission, strategy and grant-making philosophy. Many of our best projects bear their signatures.”
“We are at a pivotal time in the Jewish community, with great opportunities for growth and engagement of the Jewish people throughout the world,” said Dr. Jehuda Reinharz. “Jews in the FSU and Russian Jews living in US and other countries will be a crucial part of our increasingly global Jewish community. Russian-speaking Jews have a great deal to share about their unique history and ties to our heritage. Learning from them and with them about our common bonds will enrich all of us.”
Genesis also announced that Ken Krug, the Chief Operating Officer of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles who previously served as the CFO of The RAND Corporation, has joined its Audit Committee and will work closely with GPG’s external auditors, BDO, to ensure that Genesis and its grantees continue to operate to the highest standards of corporate governance and transparency.
About Genesis Philanthropy Group
Genesis Philanthropy Group was established in the summer of 2007 by Mikhail Fridman, German Khan, Pyotr Aven, Alex Knaster, and Stan Polovets. The mission of the Genesis Philanthropy Group is to develop and enhance Jewish identity among Russian speaking Jews worldwide, with a particular emphasis on the Former Soviet Union, North America, and Israel. GPG is committed to supporting and launching projects and programming in institutions that are focused on ensuring that Jewish culture, heritage, and values are preserved in Russian speaking Jewish communities across the globe.
In the past 24 months, GPG has made over 40 grants, to organizations such as Taglit-Birthright Israel, Moscow State University, the Israel Defense Force’s Education Department, Limmud, Maccabi, and the New York Jewish Museum. Its most significant multi-year grants include $10.8 million to Brandeis University, $6 million to the Jewish Agency for Israel, $4.4 million to the Foundation for Jewish Camp, and $4.4 million to the Yad Vashem Museum. For more information, visit www.gpg.org.
