2017 Lifetime Achievement Award Finalist
Anti-Defamation League
Merrill Lynch Private Banking & Investment Group
In the mid-1990s, Ben Sax’s hometown of Larchmont, New York experienced acts of anti-Semitic vandalism. Swastikas and anti-Semitic phrases were spray painted on municipal buildings and the homes of Jewish families. This event inspired Ben to get involved with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), whose mission involves stopping the defamation of the Jewish people and securing justice and fair treatment to all. The organization is responsible for training tens of thousands of people – from law enforcement professionals to students – every year on topics related to civil rights, lessons from the Holocaust, anti-bullying and discrimination. For nearly three decades, Ben has worked with the ADL to fight all forms of anti-Semitism and bigotry while defending democratic ideals and protecting civil rights for all.
Ben is currently a member of the ADL’s National Advisory Committee and also serves as the ADL’s National Chair of Development, where he is tasked with raising $50+ million in annual revenue and $100+ million in endowment funds. Leading by example, Ben successfully encourages individuals to give generously. In addition to serving as a fundraising champion, Ben previously chaired the NY Regional Board, teaches an annual class on financial literacy to ADL’s summer interns, and travels to Washington D.C. each year to meet with legislators on advocacy fly-in days. He’s also passionate about recruiting the next generation of volunteer leadership to the ADL, actively traveling around the country to meet with groups of individuals in their 20s and 30s to encourage them to get involved with the organization.