The Ruderman Family Foundation in conjunction with leading international Jewish organizations will bring leaders from philanthropy together to collaborate on new approaches to fostering inclusion in the Jewish community and improving the lives of those with disabilities at ADVANCE 2011: The Ruderman Jewish Special Needs Conference, which will take place on December 6th at Baruch College Conference Center in New York City. The conference will feature an address by Academy Award-winning actress and activist Marlee Matlin, a champion of the rights of people with disabilities, as well as Timothy Shriver, Chairman and CEO of the Special Olympics.

ADVANCE is a project of the Ruderman Family Foundation and the Jewish Funders Network, and is co-sponsored by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the Combined Jewish Philanthropies, and the Jewish Federations of North America.

Attendance is restricted to organizations that donate $25,000 annually or $10,000 to disability related programs and is capped at 100. Details surrounding registration and timing of events can be found on the ADVANCE website.