University establishes its Global Emergency Response Fund

A gift from the University’s Board of Trustees chair, Rich Handler ’83, and his company, the Jefferies Group, makes the fund possible

The University of Rochester has established its Global Emergency Response Fund, made possible through its Board of Trustees chair, Rich Handler ’83, and his company, the Jefferies Group. The Jefferies Group recently raised $6M for 45 charities to help Afghan refugees, military heroes, and victims of the Haiti disaster, and this generosity extended to the University. All new gifts made to this fund will be matched in a dollar-for-dollar Jefferies Challenge, up to $150,000.

The Global Emergency Response Fund will have broad utility and will support students, faculty, scholars, and others in the University community who are dealing with an international crisis. For instance, the University will draw on the fund to help those who face hardship due to conflict, political destabilization, and other geopolitical risks; human or natural disasters; or health crises or travel disruptions in or to their home countries or territories including emergency situations affecting UR travelers abroad.

“Emergencies vary—as we’ve seen so much of this past year—but they all have one thing in common: they all need to be addressed quickly, in real time,” says Jane Gatewood, vice provost for Global Engagement. “This fund provides us a mechanism to do this. Because of it, we will be better resourced to respond to urgent needs.”

Gatewood notes that the fund has true global application. “We will use it to help get our University students, scholars, and faculty home if they are stuck abroad during an emergency situation; to support them financially if their homeland is in a crisis that affects their education, their research, and even their immigration status,” she says.

“I can’t imagine what it is like for our students and those in our University community who are dealing with a crisis situation,” she says. “There are real costs associated with these emergencies, including what’s needed to support our students’ emotional, academic, and daily needs. I encourage everyone to get involved and give what they can to this fund. Doing so will make a tremendous difference.”