Award named for philanthropic leader recognises projects helping diaspora Jews

The Ilia Salita Excellence in Research Award – funded by GPG – is inspired by his passion for data-driven philanthropy and promotion of innovative applied research techniques.

 Nominated projects must be related to concrete issues affecting Jewish communities, be accessible to lay leaders, professionals and clergy who are not researchers and display creativity.

 The award was announced nine months after Salita’s untimely death by GPG CEO Marina Yudborovsky, Jewish Funders Network President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny and Josh Salita, Ilia’s eldest son.

Yudborovsky said: “Ilia would be proud to have a hand in continuing to help the Jewish community make decisions armed with more information and to help reward, as well as incentivise, the work of researchers in this space.”

 JFN’s Andrés Spokoiny recalled said he “was a beloved friend and supporter” who “married the rigour of the engineer to the passion of the activist. This award, which we established in his honour, will aid Jewish philanthropy worldwide to move ever closer to his ideal—strategic and kind, mentschy and collaborative.”

Paying tribute to his father following the award’s announcement, Joshua Salita said Ilia wanted “to drive impact and to do so in a way that would most positively benefit the greatest number of people.”

I know he would be proud and humbled that two organizations so close to his heart are working together to launch this award in the field of philanthropy, based not just on altruism, but on facts and on evidence.”