TopicalBoost WordPress Demo

Topic: Bernard Marcus

American businessman, philanthropist and political donor (1929–2024)

  • A Critical Lifeline: Israel’s New National Blood Bank

    As Israel’s allies come to its aid during the unfolding Israel-Hamas war, one critical resource that has been years in the making and has proven paramount to Israel’s defenses is the recently completed Marcus National Blood Services Center, funded by hundreds of donors, including Bernie and Billi Marcus of The Marcus Foundation and American Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA).  

    At the grand opening of the blood bank in Ramla, Israel, on May 2, 2022, Isaac Herzog, the president of Israel said, “The Marcus National Blood Services Center … embodies the most moving essence of our shared humanity. To receive a blood transfusion — the irreplaceable gift of life — from complete strangers is a stark reminder that we are one living, breathing tapestry of humanity, now safeguarded in this impressive new center.” Catherine Reed, CEO of AFMDA, called the center of “strategic importance to the people of Israel.”  

    Philanthropy Roundtable recently sat down with The Marcus Foundation to discuss the security features in place at the Marcus National Blood Services Center and the critical role philanthropy played in its founding. 


    Q: On May 2, 2022, the Marcus National Blood Services Center was dedicated in Ramla, Israel. How did the Marcus Foundation learn this was needed in Israel and why was Bernie Marcus inspired to support it? 

    The Marcus Foundation: Bernie Marcus learned years ago, on a trip to Israel, that the blood center at the time, located at Tel HaShomer, had to move its operations into bomb shelters when rockets launched from Gaza targeted the Tel Aviv area. He realized then how delicate and vulnerable the blood system was.   

    “We worked with Magen David Adom (MDA) as it rethought ways to protect Israel’s national blood supply well into the future,” he has said. “Having it in a safe and secure underground facility doubled the blood supply and protects it from harm during missile attacks, chemical warfare and earthquakes, ensuring Israel’s blood supply will be protected for all its citizens, Jews, Christians and Muslims alike.” 

    More than 600 Americans and others around the world also made significant donations. Bernie and Billi donated $35 million to the project. In addition to the Marcuses, major donations were made by the Adelson Family Foundation; Bloomberg Philanthropies; Donna Calcaterra; Kurt and Susan Charm Schwartz; Crown Family Philanthropies; The Deshe, Diamond and Saul Schottenstein families; The Donner and Sznajer families; Judy Fleischer; Barbara and Dr. Bruce Ribner and The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies. A total of 25 of the major gifts were each $1 million or more. 

    Q: The new blood bank was meticulously designed to double Israel’s blood capacity while also being protected from missiles, biological and chemical warfare and earthquakes. Which capabilities and securities are in place in this facility?  

    The Marcus Foundation: Construction of the project required the removal of 11,000 truckloads of soil to excavate the site. Three floors of the six-floor facility are underground and have an even larger subterranean footprint than what is seen above ground. 

    The facility, built at a cost of $135 million, is a first in its concept, design, engineering and capabilities. It was designed and constructed in cooperation with the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Defense, Israel Defense Forces and the National Cyber Security Authority. It is shielded with extra-thick concrete walls, blast doors and airlocks. One of the doors is considered the most secure, largest and heaviest blast door in Israel and, perhaps, the world. To ensure the highest levels of protection and continuity of operations in war scenarios, such as today, each critical system has a secondary system. The center has 375 employees, including hematologists, phlebotomists and lab technicians. 

    Q: What impact has the new blood bank had in the wake of the October 7 attacks on Israel? 

    The Marcus Foundation: Since October 7 through November 26 (seven weeks), AFMDA blood services collected 81,000 blood units. This is 2.3 times the 35,000 blood units collected during its regular activities. Only because they had the new protected, safe, spacious Marcus Blood Services Center, were they able to process, test, store and deliver all the units needed by the civilian and military authorities in Israel.  

    Both the blood inventory and the employees, volunteers and the military brigade of reservists, soldiers and officers, who were recruited to assist during this emergency — all were under 100% protection during the many Red Alert events that were experienced in the last 2.5 months. It can confidently be said that the blood supply of Israel was saved during this war due to the generous, important donation of the Marcus family and foundation. 


    Q: How can donations to this vital project be made? 

    The Marcus Foundation: Donations are especially important now, and ongoing support is needed, as normal blood need is 270,000 units of blood a year, and terrorism continues to take the lives of innocent Israelis. Amazingly, the Blood Center became operational just days before October 7. The Center and ambulances were all called into service on and after October 7. 

    MDA relies on the support of donors to keep its dispatch systems, training and equipment the best in the world. MDA’s site has various ways people can contribute including donations of critical equipment and financial donations online, via text, phone and mail. The blood center has its own donation website. 

    Q: In your opinion, how did Bernie’s approach to philanthropy make a difference in supporting this particular project?  

    The Marcus Foundation: Bernie’s business acumen, combined with his passion for saving lives, culminates in an entrepreneurial approach to giving that is unique and often missing in the nonprofit sector. In his philanthropy, Bernie has helped redefine the metrics philanthropists employ to distribute their wealth. He has said, “Charity is no different from business. There’s a bottom line to it.” 

    The probing questions donors should pose to potential grantees include: What are the deliverables? How will we measure outcomes? What is the organization’s plan for self-sufficiency? How capable is the leadership? 

    Learn more about Bernie Marcus and his charitable giving by watching his interview from our video series Doers to Donors.

  • Nonprofits Transforming Civics Education Worth Celebrating on Presidents Day

    Presidents Day was originally a commemoration of George Washington’s birthday. He considered civic virtue to be essential, saying in his famous Farewell Address, “Virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government,” and to Marquis Lafayette that the government “can never be in danger of degenerating into a monarchy, an oligarchy, an aristocracy, or any other despotic or oppressive form; so long as there shall remain any virtue in the body of the people.”  

    This Presidents Day, Philanthropy Roundtable is celebrating by highlighting donors and organizations that are championing civics education that inform citizens, protect democracy and create a safe, enduring society. 

    Equipping Teachers: While schools traditionally incorporate civics education as part of their curriculum, many teachers lack opportunities to gain expertise in civics content or ideas for how to best engage their students with it. Here are two initiatives that are working to fill this gap. 

    • American Civics and History Initiative (ACHI), is an ambitious initiative by three major civic education organizations: the Bill of Rights Institute (BRI), the Jack Miller Center (JMC), and the Ashbrook Center. ACHI’s purpose is to reach 680,000 students by training 6,800 teachers in Florida over the next two years. ACHI’s trainings are designed to “empower educators through rich, content-based programs and resources” they can use in the classroom. ACHI would not be possible without the involvement of the Jack Miller Family Foundation, which is funded by Florida-based philanthropist Jack Miller. Miller brought together BRI, JMC and Ashbrook, and now is facilitating ACHI not just by writing checks, but by acting as a partner in the initiative, along with the Marcus Foundation, funded by philanthropist Bernie Marcus. 

      Learn more in the Roundtable’s interview with ACHI’s funders and grantees. 
    • Georgia Center for Civics Engagement (GCCE), “has been working to help fill gaps in civics education among the state’s young people through programs that promote self-esteem, leadership skills and a sense of responsibility for oneself and the greater community.” First, GCCE uses a train-the-trainer approach in providing quality professional development and curricular resources that are aligned with the state educational standards to enhance quality instruction. Secondly, they provide students with opportunities to participate in simulated governmental proceedings like mock elections, model United Nations and legislative meetings. The success and popularity of GCCE’s programs has inspired other states, including Kansas and Arkansas, to replicate GCCE’s model. 

      Learn more about GCCE by reading the Roundtable’s interview with GCCE’s CEO, Dr. Randell Trammell. 

    Student Opportunities: While acquiring civic knowledge is essential, students also need engaging ways to apply their knowledge to the real world. These donors and organizations are partnering to provide students with these experiences:  

    • The National Civics Bee is an annual competition that encourages young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. Supported by the Daniels Fund and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Civics Bee challenges middle school students to apply their civics knowledge for a chance to win recognition and prizes provided by the local community. The goal is to awaken the possibility that civics engagement can make this country a better place. Instead of being organized by schools, civics bees live at local chambers of commerce who encourage the entire community to get involved in this important effort. 

      Learn more from Daniel’s Fund President and CEO Hanna Skandera on how civics bees can help today’s students get excited about our nation’s history. 
    • JA BizTown, a Junior Achievement USA program (JA USA), blends teacher-led sessions with experiential learning. The fourth through sixth grade students prepare for their JA BizTown experience by participating in a series of classroom lessons where they learn about financial literacy, community and economy, work readiness and business management, all through a civics lens. Each student selects a career, creates a business plan, develops a marketing campaign and elects a mayor. The students then take their newly acquired skills to JA BizTown. At the “town,” which consists of a variety of businesses, a municipal building, a radio station and banks, the students get hands-on experience as employees and consumers by paying rent, buying insurance, depositing paychecks and more. Due to the encouragement of longtime supporter The Marcus Foundation, JA USA added content to their program to increase the civics knowledge and experience for those who participate in JA BizTown programming.  

      You can learn more about JA BizTown and their partnership with The Marcus Foundation here. 

    Building a Healthy Civic Culture: Civic knowledge and skills obtained in the classroom are important, but all citizens also need to be equipped with a mindset to constructively engage with those with whom they disagree. Here are organizations and initiatives focused on this uniting effort. 

    • Braver Angels seeks to unite America by bridging the divide among liberals, conservatives and others by helping these groups understand each other as fellow citizens, beyond the stereotypes. To reduce the “vitriol that poisons our civic culture,” Braver Angels hosts workshops, debates, campus engagement and other positive activities at the grassroots level to form community alliances. The Sumners Foundation is a key supporter of the Braver Angels work in Texas.  

      Read more about Braver Angels and their depolarization efforts here. 
    • Constitution Drafting Project, created by the National Constitution Center with support from philanthropist Jeff Yass, brought together three teams of leading constitutional scholars in 2020: team libertarian, team progressive and team conservative, to draft and present their ideal constitutions, according to their website. The National Constitution Center later reconvened the teams for a virtual constitutional convention to draft and propose a series of amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The result was five new amendments adopted by representatives from all three teams. The project demonstrates how those of opposing viewpoints can civilly disagree as well as work together to find points of consensus. 

      You can watch the Roundtable’s interview with Jeff Yass, NCC president Jefferey Rosen and the leaders of the respective drafting teams. 

    Philanthropy Roundtable believes a robust civics education is essential to promoting and preserving good citizenship, which is crucial for the health and future of our nation. In 1776, future President John Adams warned of the importance of enduring virtue in a letter to his cousin, Zabdiel Adams: 

    “The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our people, in a greater measure than they have it now, they may change their rulers, and the forms of government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty. They will only exchange tyrants and tyrannies.”