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Greenwich-based Philanthropists Launch New Organization

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Barbara and Donald Jonas.

Barbara and Donald Jonas, founders of The Jonas Center for Nursing and Veterans Healthcare, unveiled the organization’s new strategic vision and announced the launch of Jonas Philanthropies. Building on more than 10 years of high-impact investments in nursing scholarship, leadership and innovation, Jonas Philanthropies will expand the organization’s scope to include funding for other scalable solutions aimed at the most vulnerable and neglected.

In 2006 Barbara and Donald Jonas made a personal and philanthropic commitment to address the healthcare needs of underserved populations by tackling the country’s nursing shortage. Since then, the organization has expanded to support impact areas that include veterans’ care, low vision and blindness, and children’s environmental health. The timing for growth and expansion is critical as aging demographics, provider shortages, and shifts in healthcare reform are leaving these populations at even greater risk.

“With quality healthcare often out of reach for our nation’s most vulnerable citizens, Barbara and I wanted to build upon what we began 12 years ago and expand our areas of impact,” said Donald Jonas, Co-founder and President of Jonas Philanthropies. “Jonas Philanthropies is an evolution of our work and personal passion, but it also reflects the broader needs of the healthcare industry, which will help ensure its impact and scalability for generations to come. We are incredibly excited to celebrate this next chapter.”

The new name, Jonas Philanthropies, represents the organization’s expansion beyond its core focus on nursing and veterans healthcare. All areas of impact will continue to be grounded in research, supported with collaboration, and focused on meaningful and scalable solutions:

  • Jonas Nursing and Veterans Healthcare: Jonas Philanthropies’ signature investment continues to be its Jonas Scholars, the more than 1,000 doctoral nursing scholars who are committed to meeting the greatest health needs of our time and advancing the care of the country’s most vulnerable populations through leadership in research, policy and practice. Jonas Nursing and Veterans Healthcare programs will now reside at Columbia University School of Nursing.
  • Jonas Low Vision and Blindness: With a more than $6 million investment, Jonas Philanthropies is supporting programs to promote cutting edge research and the highest quality care for children and at-risk populations, such as Jonas Children’s Vision Care, a new, multi-faceted initiative jointly sponsored by the Department of Ophthalmology at Columbia University Medical Center. The initiative will prevent and treat blindness and other serious eye disorders among children through patient care, education, scientific research and advocacy.
  • Jonas Children’s Environmental Health: Through collaboration with partners, Jonas Philanthropies is educating the medical community, parents and families about the impact of toxic chemicals on children’s health.

To lead these initiatives, the following board members will direct the newly formed organization:

  • Donald Jonas, FAAN(h), FAANP(h), Co-founder and President of Jonas Philanthropies
  • Barbara Jonas, MSW, FAAN(h), FAANP(h), Co-founder and Director of Jonas Philanthropies
  • Lendri Purcell, M.Ed., Vice President and Director of Jonas Philanthropies, Founder, FACTS (Families Advocating for Chemical and Toxics Safety)
  • John Jonas, Treasurer and Director of Jonas Philanthropies, Founder and CEO, The Jonas Group
  • Adam Purcell, Director of Jonas Philanthropies, Founder and CEO, Esoteric Distribution and PPC Print and Design

To learn more about Jonas Philanthropies, please visit jonasphilanthropies.org

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