Home / See, Read & Share / Federation News

Russell James, J.D., Ph.D., CFP®

Russell James, J.D., Ph.D., CFP® is a professor at Texas Tech University where he directs the on-campus and online graduate program in Charitable Financial Planning and also teaches Charitable Gift Law at the Texas Tech University School of Law. He graduated, cum laude, from the University of Missouri School of Law where he was a member of the Missouri Law Review. While in law school he received the United Missouri Bank Award for Most Outstanding Work in Gift and Estate Taxation and Planning. He holds a Ph.D. in consumer economics from the University of Missouri, where his dissertation was on the topic of charitable giving. He worked as the Director of Planned Giving for Central Christian College, Moberly, Missouri for six years and later served as president of the college for more than five years, where he had direct and supervisory responsibility for all fundraising. During his presidency the college successfully completed two major capital campaigns, built several new debt-free buildings, and operated in the black every year after having operated in the red for 10 of the 11 previous years.

Dr. James has over 100 publications in academic journals, conference proceedings, professional periodicals, and books including 20 on neuroimaging and neuroeconomics. He has been quoted in a variety of news sources including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, ABC News, U.S. News & World Report, USA Today, the Associated Press, Bloomberg News and the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Inside the Mind of the Bequest Donor

Combining new fMRI neuroimaging results from his lab at Texas Tech University with experimental psychology, psychological theory, and survey research, Dr. Russell James will lead you inside the conscious and subconscious processes engaged by bequest decision-making. Although many fundraisers think that legacy giving is just like any other form of fundraising, these new studies using fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) show just how differently the brain reacts to legacy decisions. This lively presentation by the author of the world's first published peer-reviewed research examining charitable bequest decision-making using fMRI will provide you with intensely practical suggestions for dramatically increasing success in legacy fundraising.

Each participant will receive a free copy of Dr. James’ book.

Yom HaShoah Community Commemoration

Yom HaShoah Community Commemoration

This Sunday, May 5, come together with your Miami community to pay tribute to the 6 million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered during the Holocaust and honor the strength and courage of the Survivors.

Read More

Don’t Miss The 86th Annual Meeting

Don’t Miss The 86th Annual Meeting

During this important event, taking place at the Jungle Island Ballroom, Federation will install our 2024-2025 Board of Directors, Trustees, Leadership Council and Council of Jewish Organizations, including incoming Chair of the Board Lily Serviansky and incoming General Campaign Chair Mojdeh Khaghan Daniel.

Read More

Federation Helps Kibbutz Or HaNer

Federation Helps Kibbutz Or HaNer

As communities across Israel struggle to recover from Hamas’ brutal terrorist attacks of October 7, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation is partnering with one affected kibbutz to provide vital financial and emotional support.

Read More

The Last Ones: Holocaust Survivors Share Their Stories

The Last Ones: Holocaust Survivors Share Their Stories

The Last Ones, a multidimensional project incorporating video, podcasts, books and more, received a Federation grant to further its mission of creating a link between the last living Holocaust Survivors and younger generations

Read More

Stay in Touch

Receive news about Greater Miami Jewish Federation events and more.