Russell Berrie

Created to express the values, passions and ideas of the late Russ Berrie, the Russell Berrie Foundation supports individuals and nonprofit organizations that respond to the unique challenges of a rapidly changing world and create a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

Philanthropic initiatives of the Russell Berrie Foundation include fostering continuity and enrichment of Jewish communal life and the encouragement of religious tolerance; issues of health, either research or treatment, with emphasis on diabetes and humanism in medicine; recognition of individuals who have made a significant difference in the lives of others, and support for the arts, especially as it relates to strengthening the arts in the community. In addition to his business accomplishments, Berrie devoted endless time, energy and resources to numerous charitable causes.

His support of philanthropic organizations earned numerous awards and public recognition. Fortune magazine honored Berrie as one of the 40 most generous Americans in its February 6, 1998 edition. In November 2002, the New York Chapter, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, honored him and his wife, Angelica, as Humanitarians of the Year. He passed away on December 25, 2002.