About
The RJE Foundation is a network and community hub for creative expression
Our Mission
The mission of The Russell J. Efros Foundation is to empower creators by sprouting and nurturing creativity by providing support, resources, education and community events.
Founded in loving memory of Russell J. Efros, affectionately known to his friends and family as ‘Russell Sprouts’, the foundation is dedicated to empowering creators and artists to express their creativity and spotlighting the value of art and culture in our society. We do this by providing wellness and mental health resources, financial support and creating a network for collaboration and exposure through events, programming and community outreach.
Core Values
Inspired by Russell – an artist who engaged in creativity across mediums and used his network to inspire his work – the Foundation is committed to the core beliefs that:
+ Collaboration is key to our shared success. Artists benefit immensely from the power of community and cross-disciplinary empowerment.
+ Inclusiveness is critical to our community of artists. The best ideas are imagined and realized with the power of diverse voices. We are committed to engaging marginalized artists.
+ Compassion helps build strong communities and meaningful relationships. Our community is best served when we understand our shared and individual stories.
+ Innovation and adaptability are central to artists and the foundation. We endeavor to support artists to express their creativity and spotlight the value of art and culture in our society.
+ Dependability and reliability are essential in a community, particularly a community of creatives. We rely on one another and provide support to our peers.
+ Passion brings purpose. Passion is the reason you do what you do and the reason that we strive to keep Russell’s spirit alive.
About the Foundation
The Russell J. Efros Foundation sprouts creativity by providing direct support and community access to artists. We are fiercely pursuing Russell’s dreams, which have now become ours, to build a safe, warm and nurturing community for creatives to express themselves, share their talents, create and collaborate with other artists and gain access to the resources that they need to sprout and flourish.
In just two short years the RJE Foundation has made a meaningful impact. Creating the Russell J. Efros Memorial Award Fund at the School of Visual Arts; hosting the Battle of the Bands and the Annual Russell Sprouts Celebration of Life; and engaging and supporting numerous artists through direct financial support are just some of our immediate accomplishments.
As the foundation looks to the future, efforts are focused on building a professional staff, refining the needs of the organization, and most importantly creating the network and support that artists need.
The Russell J. Efros Foundation is a not-for-profit organization under Internal Revenue Service code 501(c)(3). All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.