October 8, 2009 | Read Time: 1 minute
Age at death: 74
Major philanthropy job: Served as vice president of communications at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, in Princeton, N.J., where he worked from 1974 to 1987 and again from 1993 until his retirement in 2001. Mr. Karel, a former newspaper reporter, also held communications jobs at the Rockefeller Foundation, the National Cancer Institute, and the Johns Hopkins University.
How he made his mark: Mr. Karel is credited with innovating how foundations communicate with the public and making sure such efforts were considered a key part of their missions.
Key accomplishments: Under his leadership, Robert Wood Johnson began its sponsorship of health reporting on public radio and public television, and he started a program that helped the foundation’s grantees discuss health issues with members of Congress and other federal officials.
How he will be remembered: David J. Morse, Robert Wood Johnson’s vice president of communications, says, “He pioneered the concept of strategic communications philanthropy and made it an integral part of what we, and our grantees, do every day.”
