Sinking economy casts shadow over philanthropists’ parley | JTA - Jewish & Israel News

Sinking economy casts shadow over philanthropists’ parley | JTA - Jewish & Israel News: "Sinking economy casts shadow over philanthropists’ parley

By Jacob Berkman · March 31, 2009

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK

ST PETERSBURG, Fla. (JTA) -- It was a telling moment at the annual conference of the Jewish Funders Network, a gathering of philanthropists who give away at least $25,000 per year to Jewish causes and, in most cases much, much more.

Harold Grinspoon and his wife, Diane Troderman, who have donated tens of millions of dollars to Jewish and non-Jewish causes over the past two decades, had just received JFN’s Sidney Shapiro Tzedakah Award. For Grinspoon and Troderman, it amounted to a lifetime achievement award, recognizing the huge sums of money allocated by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation to dozens of programs and organizations."