Our Board of Directors brings distinguished governance experience, dedication to community service, and diverse professional expertise to the leadership of the Koret Foundation.
The program staff collaborates with the Board to identify, create, and execute impactful grants that align with the Foundation’s priorities. The finance staff works to ensure that the Foundation’s assets are appropriately managed and that the general business of the Foundation runs smoothly.
Since 1979, the Koret Foundation has been elevating the quality of life in our San Francisco Bay Area, and strengthening the Jewish Community at home and abroad.
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Board
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History
Joseph Koret was born in Odessa, Russia, in 1900, and his family emigrated to New York about the time of his first birthday. The family of Stephanie Shapiro, who would become Joe’s wife, emigrated from Romania to California when she was a small child. Both families, and many thousands like them, left their homelands in search of a more prosperous and secure future. Stephanie and Joe went on to achieve the American dream, building a successful business and a very good life.
During their marriage, Stephanie and Joe became entrepreneurs in the San Francisco tradition, designing and selling women’s sportswear, and, most importantly, developing a new process for permanent press fabrics. Because the Korets had no children, creating the Foundation became their legacy. Stephanie passed away in 1978, and Joe followed in 1982. Tad Taube, a close friend and business partner of the Korets, was instrumental in leading the Foundation and growing its assets from around $35 million to the nearly half a billion dollars it is today. Mr. Taube served as the Foundation’s board president until 2016, retiring from the board in early 2017.
The Koret Foundation is led by a highly involved Board of Directors comprised of community and business leaders, and a seasoned professional staff.