Major Gift from Russell Family
George and Dion Russell announced last week that they will give $10 million to Tacoma-based non-profit A Child’s Right.
A Child’s Right, headquartered on Broadway Avenue downtown, is devoted to the principle that all children have the right to safe and clean water.
The gift will support pilot water purification projects in twelve new countries: India, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Laos, Burma, Kenya and Uganda.
Russell is Chairman Emeritus of Russell Investments, and now works with the Russell Family Foundation. This gift announcement comes just weeks after Russell Investments left Tacoma (under different ownership) for good, which may have left many Tacomans feeling more than a little jilted.
It’s nice to see we’ve still got one key Russell in town.
Read more here.
Filed under: General
13 comments
P Point.Dexter November 16, 2010
With.all.due.respect,if.I.had.some.extra.
cash.I.would.invest.in.developing.the.
infrastructure.of.the.United.States.of.America.
A Altered Chords November 16, 2010
5 million people per year die of water related illness.
That’s nearly 1 holocaust per year.
Many more are locked into poverty because of the time it takes to get water (4 hours per day)
Providing the means and knowledge to raise themselves out of one major contributer to povery is a good cause.
Besides – if you have paid any taxes of any sort to any political subdivision in the U.S.A. you have already contributed to infrastructure within the U.S.A.
J jamie from thriceallamerican November 16, 2010
Not to split hairs, but Russell Investments is no longer owned by the Russells. The family’s charitable foundation offices are in Gig Harbor, and I’m sure we will continue to see them give to causes locally, nationally, and internationally.
P Point.Dexter November 16, 2010
IF
C crenshaw sepulveda November 16, 2010
The way this is written it makes it sound like the Russell Company that skipped town was the one that made the generous donation to A Child’s Right.
H Halley November 16, 2010
Thanks guys, let me add a clarification! Sometimes things that seem obvious when you are writing them don’t come out that way when you reread.
C crenshaw sepulveda November 16, 2010
No need to give the vermin at Russell Company any credit for this. Parting Gift?
C crenshaw sepulveda November 16, 2010
I think when your headline is Russell’s parting gift you show your intentions with the article pretty well. Russell is gone, no need to kiss their ass anymore. We are no longer Russell’s bitch.
C captiveyak November 16, 2010
nothing was intended by the title. What would we stand to gain anyway? A generic holiday card at christmas?
Thanks for the corrections, though. I can’t know everything! I mean, I do… but i forget sometimes.
S Squid November 16, 2010
I’ll admit that my first reaction was Wow big gift, but I wish Mr. Russell would include the old home-town in a little more of his philanthropy. I mean, his family foundation gives some money locally, but if you look at their giving profile, most of their money goes to international causes. If you are a local Tacoma organization serving a local constituency, there is a relative pittance available through Jane’s Fund, and then only for pre-selected organizations.
The more I thought about it though, the more I figured Mr. R can spend his money wherever he wants. Moreover, it might be COUNTER-productive to have one large sugar-daddy dropping big dollar bombs on our local agencies. For one thing, it leaves the rest of us more or less off the hook, when it really is us small-fry who should be collectively funding our local service providers. Furthermore, one big funder also tends to consolidate too much power. Back in olden times, you couldn’t do anything in this town unless the head honcho of a local bank blessed your project. Today, no such honcho exists. It makes you hustle harder but that’s ultimately a good thing.
So, after further review, the call on the field stands. Kudos to the Russell Foundation and George and Dion for this generous gift. Our Precious Essence indeed.
D dolly varden November 16, 2010
Great news. Tacoma, with its relatively affordable office space and housing, ought to be the center of the non-profit industry in the Puget Sound area. Kind of like Oakland is in the Bay Area. (Who wants their charity money going to Seattle or San Francisco rents?) Hopefully this grant will help start a virtuous cycle.
S Squid November 17, 2010
Unlike the Dolly Parton line, this one was NOT funny. Welcome back Coma.
A aptly named November 17, 2010
Funny, with some commenters, the usefulness and relevance of their comments is inversely proportional to the frequency at which they feel a need to post.