- Press Releases
SAN FRANCISCO—March 6, 2017—Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS) will present Tad Taube with the Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award for Lifetime Achievement for the remarkable and lasting success of his philanthropic endeavors. The award will be presented at the annual Fammy Awards Gala on April 1 at the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco.
The Fammy Awards honor individuals who contribute significantly to the community through service and leadership. JFCS’ highest honor, the Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award for Lifetime Achievement, is reserved for those whose lifelong commitments and achievements have helped improve societal challenges.
Tad Taube, Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award for Lifetime Achievement Recipient
“Tad’s dedication to strengthening social, educational, and cultural institutions has left an indelible imprint that benefits all of us in the Bay Area,” said JFCS Executive Director Dr. Anita Friedman. “His generosity toward Bay Area charities and educational institutions is immense, and his tireless work to deepen the appreciation of the Jewish community and its contribution to Polish culture will endure for generations. In appreciation for his indefatigable activism and his generous, thoughtful support of causes that make a difference in so many lives, we are delighted to present him with the Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award for Lifetime Achievement.”
“I am honored to be recognized by an organization so deeply devoted and so immensely effective in important humanitarian work,” said Taube. “I view philanthropy as an investment in the future—a response to social and communal needs that mandate support. I’ve been fortunate in my life and feel privileged to be able to share the blessings I’ve been accorded.”
Taube’s inspired philanthropic initiatives over the last 40 years have injected enormous energy into a wide range of causes and organizations in the Bay Area, Israel, and his native Poland. He has focused on civic and cultural life, education, youth and sports initiatives, public policy research, and the strengthening of Jewish Peoplehood. Taube’s approach to philanthropy focuses on collaborative giving, which seeks to amplify and enhance the impact of collaborative grants by engaging additional donors and incremental funds. He has overseen hundreds of millions of dollars in charitable gifts through his leadership of several charitable organizations, including nearly 35 years as board president of the Koret Foundation and founder-chairman of Taube Philanthropies. The latter is comprised of the Taube Family Foundation and the Taube Foundation for Jewish Life and Culture. He is a signatory to the Buffett/Gates Giving Pledge, whereby Taube has committed to donate the bulk of his wealth to philanthropic causes and charitable organizations.
Among the numerous organizations Taube has supported in addition to Jewish Family and Children’s Services of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties are: all Bay Area Jewish Community Federations, Ronald McDonald House at Stanford, the Commonwealth Club of California, the Bay Lights, the San Francisco Opera, Touchdowns for Kids, Hoops for Kids, Goals for Kids, the Exploratorium, Stanford University, his alma mater, as well as University of California, University of San Francisco, and Notre Dame de Namur University. In Poland, he has supported Jagiellonian University, and in Israel, Hebrew University, Hebrew Union College, Technion University, Ben Gurion University, Weizmann Institute, and Haifa University.
Throughout his life, Taube has supported Jewish causes with a commitment to the advancement of the Jewish people and preservation of its culture and traditions. He has been a benefactor to such institutions as the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life at UC Berkeley, the Contemporary Jewish Museum, and all six Bay Area Jewish Community Centers. Taube was also a founding benefactor of Warsaw’s award-winning POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews—arguably the world’s most significant museum of Jewish history and culture—which celebrates the cultural and social achievements of Poland’s Jewish community, for centuries the heart of European Jewry.
The Fammy Awards Gala, whose proceeds will provide assistance to economically disadvantaged individuals and families, will also honor distinguished community members Henry Lasky, Yogev Azulay, and Jim Gefen.
About Jewish Family and Children’s Services
For more than 165 years, Jewish Family and Children’s Services of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties has served the Bay Area’s children, families, and older adults. As the problem-solving center for our community, JFCS is the oldest and largest family services institution in the United States, serving more than 78,000 annually who are facing life transitions and personal crises. JFCS has earned a national reputation for offering the highest-quality compassionate care. With more than 40 programs, JFCS is a leader in developing research-based social services and educational programs that strengthen individuals, strengthen families, and strengthen community. To learn more, visit www.jfcs.org.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Christine Coleman / JFCS / [email protected] / 415-209-8506
Amy Scarlett / Taube Philanthropies / [email protected] / 415-392-1000