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Our Foundation
A Vision With Purpose…
Our mission is to find our niche where we can help deserving people and Improve the quality of their life…perpetually.
Our foundation tends to focus on Sub Saharan Africa where parts of the continent have not benefited from the modernization that has happened throughout the world.
We would like to find areas where we can help, whether it be in education, jobs, economy, health, sports, or most important, birth control.
A Personal Note From Barry…
Friends, Family And Visitors…
Thanks for your interest in The Segal Family Foundation.
I’ve had the great privilege to be successful in business both financially and with enduring friendships with those I’ve worked with and served. Now, I am involved in what is likely the most important organization and experience in my life: The Segal Family Foundation.
A life changing experience began with our participation in the Clinton Global Initiative conference in 2006. During this event we met with Anne Heyman by accident and two years later I followed up with a call, then we met in New York and arranged to go to the ASYV in Rwanda.
The Foundation will focus throughout Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Dolly and I plan to visit Africa every year and we will try to visit our major projects at least every two years. Our challenge is to perpetuate the Foundation. We are forever grateful for the team at the Foundation and the efforts and support of our Board. We are always searching for young people with some experience to help be arms and legs for us as we try to help others help themselves.
FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES HAVE ASKED IF WE ARE OPEN FOR DONATIONS. I TELL THEM, “YES, ON 2/14/2015.” WHEN THEY ASK WHY, I TELL THEM IT’S VALENTINE’S DAY AND WE DON’T HOLD POST-DATED CHECKS. THE FOUNDATION IS CURRENTLY FINANCIALLY HEALTHY AND IS NOT IN NEED OF EXTERNAL FUNDS. IF YOU ARE INSPIRED BY THE THINGS THE SEGAL FAMILY FOUNDATION IS DOING, YOU CAN USE OUR WEBSITE TO HELP YOU LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ISSUES, CAUSES, AND PEOPLE THAT ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA.
There is a tendency of foundations to throw large amounts of money at problems without assuring that these investments deliver meaningful results. We don’t subscribe to this philosophy and approach. We believe that it is often not the amount of dollars, but the focus and effectiveness of the dollars invested that is most important. Therefore, we will focus on getting more directly involved with foundation investments to try to assure a “bang for the buck.”
The Segal Family Foundation is committed to being a role model for other organizations in approaches to assure efficient investments and effective charitable solutions that if improves the lives of others. We know we won’t have a hundred percent success. Our focus is more to stop the problems than cure the problems.
Sincerely,
Barry
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Our Approach
The Segal Family Foundation has been around for a few years, but in August of 2008 we sold our business and enhanced our focus.
Overall, we gained important insight into building a successful foundation from a book Philanthropy written by Bill Gate’s. Mr. Gate’s discusses the importance of focus, sharing “you can’t be all over the lot.”
Our Mission Statement will serve as the core criteria to help focus selection of projects we become involved in. Our leadership team is committed to constantly refining our processes and criteria in choosing initiatives to support. Initially, the Foundation worked in all of Africa, but is now focused in Sub-Sahara (SSA), Africa.
We have been fortunate to identify a variety of causes that meet our criteria and are in line with our Mission Statement. The Segal Family Foundation prefers direct involvement at the local level and specific causes that where we can help assure efficient investments in highly effective charitable solutions. Our focus always is to improve people’s lives with efforts that improve capabilities and helps people assume greater responsibility and effect on their quality of life.
Insights And Inspiration
We continue to be encouraged by the efforts and initiatives of so many people we meet.
A life changing experience began with our participation in the Clinton Global Initiative conference in 2006. During this event we met with Anne Heyman by accident and two years later I followed up with a call, then we met in NY and arranged to go to the ASYV in Rwanda.
Our first day in Rwanda involved traveling rural areas and observing the realities of life in this region. We witnessed many difficulties and hardships. While most homes provided shelter for 5-10 active kids, they were only the size of a living room. We saw 5 year olds were carrying water on their heads to the gardens; they had no toys, no possessions and no chance for opportunities or a decent education. Some of the 12-14 year old girls were pregnant. We saw first hand what is clear in demographic data: early parenthood was prevalent in SSA. I shared with Anne that first night “with all of these hardships, these people didn’t seem unhappy.
The book “ A Thousand Hills” by Stephan Kinzer provided great insight into the issues and how our Foundation could be helpful. In the forward of the book, the former President of the Rwanda, Paul Kagame questions “How can it be that we are no better off than people living two hundred years ago?” Many philanthropists focus solely on Rwanda based on their belief in Paul Kagame and his disturbing observation. They rationalize that “if we will fix Rwanda, the rest of Africa will follow.”
While this approach to focusing on Rwanda is based on best intents, the Foundation believes that this strategy is flawed and that the development plan to revitalize each nation is too slow. That’s why the Foundation will focus throughout SSA with a goal of increased equality combined with the reduction of disease, corruption and Tribal outbreaks. We can’t wait for the success of Rwanda; these are issues that have to be dealt with now.
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