Ashley Herman, great-grandaughter of Carl and Ruth Shapiro, cuts the ribbon at the dedication ceremony for the new Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro Cardiovascular Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

News & Events

Staff Changes at the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation

May 2009-- Laura Sherman is leaving the staff of the Foundation as of May 20, 2009. She has accepted a position as Senior Program Officer with the Klarman Family Foundation. We thank Laura for her service and wish her the best of luck as she moves on to this new chapter in her career.

Laura joined our staff in February, 2007 and made an immediate contribution by taking the lead in establishing the Shapiro Family Foundation College Scholarship Initiative which will complete its first year this spring.  She also worked closely with many grantees in our Disability Inclusion, Youth in the Arts and Empowerment Initiatives helping to facilitate the grant proposal process and offering support and advice where needed.  All of us at the Foundation, as well as many grantees with whom Laura worked will miss her warmth, enthusiasm, and willingness to be of help.

As the Shapiro Family Foundation moves forward with efforts to resume its grant making program, we expect to identify an experienced and dedicated Program Officer to join our team. We remain fully engaged in planning for the future and continue to be committed to playing an important role in the region's philanthropic community.

Any questions related to grants, our 2009 work "beyond the grant" or other matters should be directed to the Foundation's staff.

Statement from The Shapiro Family Foundation on Grant Making Status for 2009:

January 30, 2009-- The Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation regrets to announce that it will not award any new grants or make any new capital pledges in 2009.  The Foundation made this difficult decision as a result of losing a significant portion of its assets due to the fraudulent actions of Bernard Madoff, head of Bernard L. Madoff Investments, LLC.   At this time the full impact of the Foundation’s financial losses is still being determined.  We are hopeful that the short-term decision to suspend new grant making will ensure the long-term health and stability of the Foundation. 

As stated previously, the Foundation expects to honor its current grant commitments for both capital projects and multi-year grants including those in our four Initiative areas: Disability Inclusion, Empowerment, Youth in the Arts, and College Scholarship. 

The Shapiro Family Foundation is deeply committed to playing a continued role as a philanthropic supporter of important programs in Greater Boston. Over the upcoming months the Foundation plans to meet with many of its Initiative grantees to determine the best way for it to provide alternative kinds of assistance.
      

Statement from The Shapiro Family Foundation on the Madoff Fraud case:
 
December 16, 2008-- The Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation was shocked and horrified to learn about the allegations against Mr. Madoff, who has long been considered a trusted and effective leader in the investment field. The Shapiro Family Foundation did have significant assets invested with Mr. Madoff.  We are currently reviewing the situation and assessing all options available to recover those funds.

The Foundation plans to fulfill all of its current obligations.  We are committed to building back the resources of our foundation and fully anticipate that the Foundation will continue to be a strong supporter of the region's non-profits for many years to come.

In addition to our well-known capital support of established Boston institutions, over the past several years we have broadened our commitment to a wide range of organizations that work at the community level.  Through grants to more than 70 organizations, we support programs in the areas of inclusion for persons with disabilities, youth arts, domestic violence, adult education and youth development. In the past year, we’ve added a college scholarship initiative.

Empowerment Initiative

October 2008 -- The Foundation is pleased to announce a new round of grants made in the Empowerment Initiative.  The Trustees approved 30 grants totaling $870,000 in the areas of adult education, domestic violence and youth development.  For more information on the new grants, see the Empowerment Initiative page.

Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation Support New State-of-the-Art Cardiovascular Center

July 2008 -- The new Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro Cardiovascular Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital opened its doors in July 2008.  Located at 75 Francis Street, it is the most advanced cardiovascular care facility in the world, designed to support one of the world’s leading teams of cardiovascular experts.  The Center allows Brigham and Women’s Hospital to consolidate and co-locate expert staff and resources in one expanded location.  Moreover, the Center will enhance patient care and convenience in a healing environment that supports both patients and their families. The building features 16 state-of-the-art operating suites, each able to accommodate next-generation minimally invasive technology, including robotic surgery, image-guided technology, and other advanced technology.

The 350,000 square foot Center will be the first hospital facility in New England to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certifications—otherwise known as a “green building.”  The new building will be connected to the hospital’s existing campus through two lower levels and a transparent glass bridge over Francis Street. 

Youth in the Arts Initiative

July 2008 -- The Foundation is pleased to announce a new round of grants made in the Youth in the Arts Initiative.  The Trustees approved 25 grants in Boston, Cambridge and Somerville totaling $527,000.  For more information on the new grants, see the Youth in the Arts Initiative page.

Shapiro Family College Scholarship Initiative

June 2008 -- The Foundation hosted a celebration at the Artists For Humanity EpiCenter to honor the inaugural class of Shapiro Family College Scholars on June 24th. In this first year, the Foundation awarded a total of nearly $150,000 in college scholarships to seventeen recent high school graduates. Each Scholar received a renewable four- year college scholarship of up to $12,000 annually.  In addition to receiving  financial assistance, all Shapiro Scholars will connect monthly with an advisor who will assist them with  navigating  the inevitable challenges they may face throughout their colleges years.  The goal of the Shapiro Family College Scholarship is to help students attend and graduate from four-year colleges with minimal educational debt.

The Scholars, who will be attending colleges across the country, represent promising, accomplished Boston young people who have demonstrated the motivation and potential to be successful in a four-year college.  In order to be eligible for the scholarship youth needed to be nominated by organizations funded through the Shapiro Family Foundation’s Youth in the Arts, Empowerment and Disability Inclusion Initiatives.  This year’s Scholars participated in a range of excellent Boston organizations including Artists for Humanity, Piers Park Sailing, Hyde Square Task Force, West End House, ZUMIX, and Summer Search. Click here to learn more about the Shapiro Family College Scholarship Initiative. 

Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation Donates $15 million to Boston Medical Center

June 2008 -- The Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation has pledged $15 million to the Boston Medical Center (BMC) to support a part of its Building the New BMC facilities expansion plan; including the new 245,000-square-foot ambulatory care center The Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro Ambulatory Care Center.

Building the New BMC will be a major multi-year capital expansion project that will create approximately 500,000 square feet of new clinical space to consolidate services, upgrade and expand services and improve access to care. To support and fund the effort, the hospital anticipates launching a major capital campaign.

The nine-story Ambulatory Care Center will be located at the corner of East Concord and Albany streets and will provide outpatient care. Experiencing consistent annual growth in patient volume, existing facilities are no longer adequate to meet the increasing demand for services.

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, BMC Board Chair Marshall Carter and BMC Board Vice Chair Alan Solomont joined BMC President and CEO Elaine Ullian and hundreds of BMC physicians, nurses, staff and supporters for the announcement of the donation in early June.  “We are deeply grateful to the Shapiro Family for their generosity,” Ullian said. “This gift will have a lasting impact on our patients and the care they receive and will ensure that we continue to provide exceptional care without exception.”

“Our family is very pleased to be making this investment in Boston Medical Center and the people of our city,” said Ronny Zinner, President of the Shapiro Family Foundation. “Over the years we have come to know much more about the critical role that BMC plays in caring for the underserved and underprivileged in our community.  

“In our estimation BMC is doing an extraordinary job fulfilling its mission of providing “exceptional care without exception” for so many Bostonians, Zinner said.

New Support for the Dana-Farber / Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center

March 2008 -- As part of the foundation's committment to improve healthcare The Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation has pledged $27 million to Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center in Boston to substantially upgrade and expand its facilities for cancer care services.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital jointly operate the Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, a national leader in cancer care. The Shapiro gift will make possible the renovation of several patient floors into a state of the art facility for cancer care and surgical services offering "comfort to patients as well as resources and support to their families."  A portion of the gift also will underwrite a floor in the new Yawkey Center for Cancer Care and establish a new Shapiro Center for Patients and Families, both at Dana-Farber.

This gift will help make possible the eighth floor of the 275,000 square foot Yawkey Center for Cancer Care at Dana-Farber (slated to open in 2011) which will house chemotherapy infusion, medical examination, and other essential medical services. In addition, the Shapiro Center for Patient and Family Services will serve as a gateway to a wide range of specialized resources available at Dana-Farber, some of which will be located or delivered throughout the Institute.

Disability Inclusion Initiative

March 2008 --  The Trustees of the Carl and Ruth Shapio Family Foundation approved twenty-four grants in the latest round of the Disability Inclusion Initiative.  The grants, totaling $690,000 support organizations throughout the Greater Boston area.  For more information on the new grants, see the Disability Inclusion Initiative page.