The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation has named Rafi M. Rone as the newest program director for the Foundation. Rone will manage grants to nonprofits that serve low-income and vulnerable older adults in Israel as well as general community grants that provide support to both the Jewish community as well as the community-at-large, primarily in Israel and Baltimore. This newly-created position includes responsibilities previously carried out by Michael Marcus, Program Director, Older Adults, who is leaving the Foundation in February to pursue other interests (details will be provided in a future media release). Aaron Merki, Program Officer, Older Adults, will continue to manage US grants within the Older Adults portfolio. Kate Sorestad, who currently serves as Program Officer, General Community Support & Libraries, will shift her focus to the Foundation’s Library and veterans initiatives as well as grantmaking in Northeastern Pennsylvania, one of the Weinberg Foundation’s hometown communities.
Rone, who most recently served as Vice President of Jewish & Israel Initiatives at the Joseph and Harvey Meyerhoff Family Charitable Funds in Baltimore, will begin his position with the Weinberg Foundation on January 4, 2016. In addition to his work with the Joseph and Harvey Meyerhoff Family Charitable Funds, Rone recently completed a six-year volunteer term, including several as Vice-Chair, with the Governor’s Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs. He is also a founding board member of the Leading Edge, a coalition of foundations and the Jewish federation system formed to respond to the looming crisis of executive succession in the Jewish NGO sector. In addition, Rone serves on the Associated’s Israel & Overseas Commission where he has helped launch the Israel Engagement Center and the Global Connections Commission. Previous roles for Rone include Deputy Director at the Baltimore Jewish Council as well as Director of Education and Training at the United Jewish Communities.
To learn more about the Foundation’s newest program director, please click here.
