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Published: 14 March 2013

Created: 14 March 2013

Last Updated: 14 March 2013

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Scarsdale resident Mark Bezos has been selected to receive the "Open Door Award for Community Service" at this year's Gourmet Galaxy fundraiser on May 1 at the Westchester Country Club. To learn more about our exceptional neighbor we asked Mark some questions about his work at the Robin Hood Foundation and why giving back can be personally rewarding. Here is what he shared:

When did you start your work at the Robin Hood Foundation and what did you do before?

I joined Robin Hood as the Managing Director of Communications and Marketing in the fall of 2006. Prior to coming to Robin Hood I had a career in advertising, working at a number of Madison Avenue agencies. In 1999, I started my own agency which I sold early in 2006. At that point I wasn't quite sure where I wanted to focus my efforts until Robin Hood came calling. I'm currently the SVP, Communications, Marketing and Events. I feel very lucky to have found a way to use my marketing and communication skills to try and make the world a better place.

In your experience, what are the big differences in transitioning from the for-profit to the non-profit world?

I found the transition to be quite natural. I think that's because Robin Hood is run so much like a for-profit business. We approach our grant making in much the same way that one might approach making an investment in a for-profit company. We perform due diligence on every group and its leadership; every grant comes with a contract that outlines performance measures for success and we hold our community partners accountable for delivering on those results. Our mission - to fight poverty in New York City - forces us to operate with a sustained sense of urgency. Every night 20,000 children sleep in NYC homeless shelters. Nearly 60% of the babies born in NYC are born into poverty. When you combine Robin Hood's model with its mission, it's well suited to support an easy transition from a for-profit career to a non-profit career.

Do you think that the foundation is establishing a new paradigm for supporting the city's neediest? How do you view the foundation's role vs. that of the government in providing a safety net?

Robin Hood is marking its 25th anniversary this year and we'd like to think that our model of accountable philanthropy - measuring our impact, holding groups (and ourselves) accountable for results - has had an influence on supporting the city's neediest. We have seen that it has inspired similar groups in other cities around the country and the world. There are similar groups in Boston, San Francisco, Chicago and London that are using the Robin Hood model to help fight poverty.

Since Robin Hood was founded, we have raised and distributed more than $1.25 billion to fight poverty in NYC. Last year, Robin Hood made approximately $115 million in grants to 200 different organizations to help our neighbors improve their lives and the lives of their families. On an absolute basis, that's a lot of money. But relative to what the local, state and federal governments spend it's a drop in the bucket. As such, we are very strategic in how we make grants. Our donors look to us to "invest" their donations in such a way as to get the most bang for the buck. We have had a wonderful working relationship with the Bloomberg administration and have - on more than one occasion - acted as the city's R&D division. We're willing to try new things with private dollars and prove that they work so that the city can then follow up - in a big way - with public funds.

How does Robin Hood evaluate requests for funding? What is the process?

It's pretty well known in the non-profit community that it's not easy to get money from Robin Hood. That's not a goal of ours, obviously, but our mission and our limited funds require us to be extremely diligent when making a grant. Every misallocated dollar results in needless suffering for our neighbors. Robin Hood has a staff of about 30 program officers whose job it is to go out into the communities - boots on the ground - to find the most effective poverty fighting groups in the city - from great schools to job training programs to soup kitchens and transitional housing for the homeless. We look into the leadership of the group, the finances and the outcomes. If we make a grant to the group, it comes with very clear performance goals attached. Ninety percent of the grants we make are annual grants which enables us to keep our eyes on results. The groups must reapply for a grant the next year based on results.

Please discuss the foundation¹s response for Hurricane Sandy relief. How did you raise the funds, how much did you raise and who is receiving help?

After Hurricane Sandy came through the area, Robin Hood reactivated the Relief Fund that was created after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The experience we gained with the original relief fund - moving quickly to get funds to those in need - would prove essential after Sandy. Within a week, we had made $3 million in emergency grants to a number of groups in NYC who were helping with recovery. At the same time, we realized that the path of destruction reached far outside of Robin Hood's "normal" jurisdiction - the five boroughs of NYC. We knew that people in New Jersey, Long Island, Westchester and Connecticut were going to need help as well.

About 10 days after the Sandy struck Robin Hood board members, Harvey Weinstein and John Sykes, together with Jim Dolan decided to put on a benefit concert at Madison Square Garden to raise funds for Sandy relief. A month later, we held the 12/12/12 Concert for Sandy Relief to benefit the Robin Hood Relief Fund. It was a 6-hour concert broadcast globally. We ended up raising about $50 million from the concert. Combined with other donations from individuals and corporations, Robin Hood's Relief Fund grew to about $67 million. The Robin Hood staff went out to every town and village that was affected by Sandy to find and fund those groups that were doing the most to help people recover. To-date, we have granted about 85% of those funds. We expect to grant the remaining funds by the end of March.

What percentage of donations to Robin Hood goes to fight poverty?

Robin Hood operates without an endowment - we start every year at $0. What we raise from donors in any year provides us with the funds we use to make grants the following year. Additionally, the Robin Hood board covers 100% of our overhead. So when a donor gives to Robin Hood, they can be assured that every penny of every dollar goes out the door to the most effective poverty fighting groups in NYC.

Which past initiatives are you most proud of?

In 2011, Robin Hood raised $17 million to start a fund that would focus on helping veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to stay out poverty. The statistics on the unemployment and homelessness rates as well as the mental health challenges and suicide rates for these heroes is tragic. Robin Hood has worked with the local, state and federal governments to create new models for successfully transitioning these deserving individuals back into productive civilian lives. I'm very proud of the work we've done in this regard.

Has Robin Hood expanded its work beyond New York? Are you considering extending your model to other locations?

Through our Sandy Relief effort, for the first time Robin Hood has made grants in New Jersey, Long Island, Westchester and Connecticut. Given the scale of the challenge we face in NYC, where 1.8 million people live below the poverty line, we don't anticipate extending Robin Hood to other locations. That said, we've worked closely with groups in San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, LA and London to start Robin-Hood-like organizations. Nothing we do is proprietary and we're happy to share our playbook with folks who are interested in accountable philanthropy.

How do you suggest that local residents incorporate giving back into their daily lives?

The best advice I can offer is to just take that first step. Too many times, I see people sitting on the sidelines waiting to get involved until they think they can make a huge difference. There's no need to wait. Everyone has something they can offer their neighbor in need. From expertise in a particular field - accounting, law, marketing - to broader volunteering or financial support. The important thing is to get in the game. There is simply nothing more rewarding.

Why did you choose to raise your family in Scarsdale? How does their experience here differ from yours?

I'm originally from Texas and moved around quite a bit as a kid as we followed my father's career in the oil industry. After college, I moved to New York City and fell head over heels for a girl from Scarsdale. When my wife, Lisa, and I decided we were ready to move out of the city, Scarsdale was at the top of our list and it's been a wonderful place to raise our family. So many of Lisa's friends from her childhood have also returned to Scarsdale to raise their families. I think that speaks volumes for what a supportive and engaged community this is. Having moved around so much throughout my life, it feels great to put down roots in a place as great as Scarsdale.

Robin Hood's mission is to fight poverty in New York City. To accomplish this, they find, fund and cultivate programs and schools that prove they are most effective at making a positive impact on the lives of New Yorkers in need. To take action, please click here: 

To get tickets to the Gourmet Galaxy on Wednesday May 1 at the Westchester Country Club, call 914-723-3281, or e-mail info@sfcsinc.org.

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Published: 18 March 2013

Created: 18 March 2013

Last Updated: 21 March 2013

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The Scarsdale Foundation is offering scholarships to Scarsdale students in their sophomore, junior and senior years of college. Students who graduated from Scarsdale High School and/or live in Scarsdale and who have completed their first, second, or third years of college are invited to apply to the Scarsdale Foundation for tuition assistance. For the 2012-2013 academic year, the Foundation awarded $97,000 of need-based grants to 26 students attending private and state-supported colleges in their second, third, and fourth years.

Applications should be submitted online on the Scarsdale Foundation's website, scarsdalefoundation.org (click on the College Scholarships link). Completed applications must be submitted by Friday, June7, 2013. Late applications will not be accepted. Inquiries regarding scholarship applications should be directed to Beverley Sved, bevsved@alum.rpi.edu, 472-8245, or Jackie Irwin, jirwin7464@gmail.com, 472-2311.

The Scarsdale Foundation is the presenter of the Scarsdale Bowl Award, given annually to a resident(s) who has contributed outstanding voluntary service. William Miller will receive this year's award at a dinner to be held at the Lake Isle Country Club on Wednesday, April 17. All members of the community are invited to attend.

The Foundation welcomes contributions from the community to augment funds available for distribution each year. Contributions may also be donated to a specially earmarked Scholarship Fund of the Scarsdale Foundation, enabling the Foundation to carry on the Scarsdale tradition of helping our students in need to pursue a college education. Donations may be made online by visiting the Foundation's website, scarsdalefoundation.org, or mailed to the Foundation at P.O. Box 542, Scarsdale, NY 10583.

The Scarsdale Foundation was established in 1923 to raise funds for the family of a slain Scarsdale police officer. Since that time it has grown and expanded activities as a nonprofit community trust.

In addition to the granting of college scholarships, the Foundation provides aid to Scarsdale families who need assistance in sending their children to the Scarsdale Rec Camp.

In past years, the Foundation has granted project assistance and seed money for other community organizations, including the Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corp., the Scarsdale-Edgemont Family Counseling Service, Scarsdale Citizens for Senior Housing, the Scarsdale Public Library, the Task Force on Drugs and Alcohol, Partners in Youth, Scarsdale Student Transfer Education Plan (STEP), the Scarsdale Historical Society, Friends of Music and the Arts, the League of Women Voters, the Tercentenary Celebration Committee, and Hoff-Barthelson Music School. The Foundation also helped to fund the WESTHAB "Make a House a Home" project that refurbished the former Village Hall Annex building on Post Road for continued occupancy as a residence for a homeless family.

The Foundation administers several funds, including the Luella B. Slaner Scholarship Fund, the Scarsdale School Personnel and Family Assistance Fund, the Kathy Froelich Memorial Scholarship Fund, the Stefan E. Corbin Fund, the Robert Delany Memorial Scholarship Fund, the Frank J. and Ruth P. Galvin Fund and the Billy Safian Humanitarian Fund.

For more information regarding the work of the Foundation, please contact Foundation President Richard Toder at 723-6291 or visit the website, scarsdalefoundation.org.

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Published: 11 March 2013

Created: 11 March 2013

Last Updated: 11 March 2013

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Scarsdale Synagogue on Ogden Road opened its newly reimagined Youth Engagement Center, at a dedication brunch and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sunday morning, March 10th. The completely refurbished youth lounge is part of the Synagogue's Youth Engagement Initiative named in honor of Rabbi Emeritus Stephen A. Klein, who retired last year after serving this leading Reform Jewish congregation as its senior rabbi for 32 years.

Ellen Baken, the Synagogue's president said: "With generous contributions of both time and money from all parts of our congregational family, Rabbi Klein's vision and the tireless efforts of our Youth Engagement Initiative task force, we were able to completely renovate, decorate and fully furnish a section of our building, giving our teens and pre-teens a special place to gather, plan activities and simply have fun."

Most important," Ms. Baken noted, "the rest of the funds raised support programs that fulfill our commitment to create the fresh, innovative congregational and communal activities that are the heart of our Youth Engagement Initiative. That programming," she added, "is already in full swing, under the leadership our Director of Youth Engagement Ivy Cohen, supported and assisted by Senior Rabbi Jeffrey Brown, Cantor Chanin Becker and many active members, of all ages, who understand that successful lives are built on a foundation of the humanistic values Reform Judaism teaches."

Scarsdale Synagogue's youth group recently hosted a major gathering of more than 150 teen members of the North American Federation of Temple Youth's New York-area Region. Teens attending the gathering in January came from Westchester, Fairfield, New York City and Long Island, and programming included study and fun. In also fulfilling their commitment to tikkun olam, Hebrew for "repairing the world," the teens raised over $6,000 for the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation, an organization that strives to eradicate pediatric cancer.

For more information on SSTT, contact, Executive Director Gary Katz at (914) 725-5175 or by email at GaryKatz@sstte.org.