Our Mission
The Ruderman Family Foundation is an internationally recognized organization that advocates for the full inclusion of people with disabilities in our society. The Foundation supports effective programs, innovative partnerships and a dynamic approach to philanthropy in advocating for and advancing the inclusion of people with disabilities throughout the U.S. and the world. The Ruderman Family Foundation believes that inclusion and understanding of all people is essential to a fair and flourishing community and imposes these values within its leadership and funding. For more information, please visit www.rudermanfoundation.org
Ruderman Family Foundation’s Family Staff
Our Story
The Rudermans followed the pattern of many philanthropic families—starting with generous check-writing at the kitchen table and quickly moving into strategic investment. Founder and successful businessman, Morton E. Ruderman, had long been giving back to the Jewish community in Boston. In the early 2000s, Mort decided to make a major gift to local Jewish day schools. When they learned about the absence of children with disabilities in their classrooms, the family felt this systematic exclusion was an affront to their Jewish values. They agreed to focus on correcting this injustice and from the beginning understood their commitment to the inclusion of children and adults with disabilities as a social justice imperative.
Mort tapped his oldest son, Attorney Jay Ruderman, to lead the Foundation. Jay’s experience with civil rights issues enabled him immediately to understand the disability community as a socially, economically, and politically excluded and segregated class. This is the assumption from which he leads the Foundation and the fundamental perspective we hold today: disability rights are civil rights.
About this Archive
Over the past two decades, we have experienced great success in the areas of field building, changing public discourse, enhancing the provision of services, policy changes, developing a social movement, developing a leadership network of activists, expanding the circle of donors focused on inclusion, promoting a theory of change in the field and a holistic approach. Our mission has been to operate strategically and proactively within the realm of philanthropy. We have worked with dozens of organizations across all sectors, hundreds of experts and professionals, and thousands of activists. Our goal was not to replace the role of the government or non-governmental organizations, but to create an environment where change was possible, where people could change the way they think about inclusion and move toward a better society for all people. In the coming months, we will share several reports on the foundation’s work and achievements, including a comprehensive impact survey, an in-depth case study report and other materials. This archive is a collection of all of the work The Ruderman Family Foundation has done in the field of inclusion over the last eighteen years, highlighting our accomplishments and successes. We’re proud to be able to showcase our long history of dedication to inclusion with you all.
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