Bay Area Jewish Philanthropy: Jewish Federation and Foundation Systems Move Toward a More Collaborative Model
San Francisco, CA – The Jewish Federation and Jewish Community Foundation of the East Bay are coming together with the San Francisco-based Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund in order to better serve the Bay Area Jewish community.
The Jewish Federation of the East Bay will transition its core activities to the San Francisco-based Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund, including the Sprout initiative (which encompasses PJ Library, PJ Our Way, and Youth and Family Concierge services), Early Childhood Education, and security support for East Bay Jewish organizations and synagogues. The East Bay Federation will wind down its operations on June 30 and dissolve the non-profit entity over the coming months.
“Our organizations have a history of effective collaboration,” said Rabbi Andrew Kastner, Interim Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of the East Bay. “We previously launched a joint initiative to provide professional development to every teen educator, created the Synagogue Security Initiative, and raised more than $1.1 million for North Bay Wildfire relief. This latest announcement marks the next evolution of collaboration between our organizations.”
The other significant component of this integration is that The Jewish Community Foundation will be moving its back-end operations and transferring its assets ($136 million under management) to the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund. This includes donor and account administration, finance, assets, asset management, grantmaking and grant management. The process to transfer operations and dissolve the non-profit entity of the Jewish Community Foundation will take place over the next several months.
“We’re excited to increase efficiency and better serve our donors with this move,” said Lisa Tabak, Executive Director of The Jewish Community Foundation. “We will be able to offer our donor-advised fund holders and supporting foundations a whole team to give personalized philanthropic advice and guidance, access to more robust investment monitoring, and a greater connection and ability to network with the wider Bay Area philanthropic landscape.”
East Bay funders will become part of a networked movement to maximize Jewish philanthropic resources in the Bay Area. The Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund manages $2.1 billion earmarked for future giving, and annually grants out $200 million into the community. Its philanthropy advisory practice, Federation Philanthropy Partners, will be provided to the East Bay philanthropic community. This will include opportunities for community building through local events, philanthropic education, engagement on points of view in Jewish philanthropy, and access to specific funding opportunities, including impact investing.
“We are thrilled to welcome East Bay donors to our philanthropy advisory practice,” said Sue Reinhold, Managing Director of Philanthropy at the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund, which focuses on providing philanthropic expertise to funders, including strategic grantmaking, Jewish community needs, and multi-generational family philanthropy. “This change will strengthen our broader philanthropic community, helping to ease collaboration and develop relationships in and among our network of donors.”
The San Francisco-based Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund will maintain an office in the East Bay and retain several professionals focused on the East Bay Jewish community and philanthropy. Staffing decisions are forthcoming. The East Bay Federation and Foundation are securing an additional three years of funding for East Bay Community Impact grantees in order to continue support during the transition.
These decisions are reinforced by the findings of the Portrait of Bay Area Jewish Life and Communities, released in February 2018 by the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund. The study revealed a highly mobile, transient Jewish community. Overall, 29% reported that they will definitely or probably move in the next two years. And of those planning to move, 45% will move within the Bay Area.
“This is a great opportunity for our Bay Area Jewish community overall,” said Danny Grossman, CEO of the San Francisco-based Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund. “We know that our Jewish community is different than it was in the past. When our organizations were founded over 100 years ago, there was no Bay Bridge. It made sense to have distinct entities in the East Bay and in San Francisco. Today, we need more collaboration, more networking, and more cross-bay communication. We are eager to continue being a steadfast partner of the East Bay Federation and Foundation.”
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About The Jewish Community Foundation of the East Bay
As the East Bay's primary resource for Jewish philanthropy, The Jewish Community Foundation helps committed East Bay Jewish donors make a lasting difference through creative and effective giving. Foundation advises families on smart giving strategies, legacy gift planning and intergenerational philanthropy. It also functions as the endowment arm of the community, working with East Bay Jewish institutions to build their long-term financial resources.
Founded in 1962, The Jewish Community Foundation currently manages over $136 million in charitable assets for 150 families. In 2018, Foundation made over 1,500 grants to support Jewish and secular charities locally, nationally and internationally.
About Jewish Federation of the East Bay
Jewish Federation of the East Bay is dedicated to building and sustaining a vibrant and inclusive local Jewish community and supporting Jewish life in the East Bay, Israel, and throughout the world. Federation works with East Bay Jewish donors to create a rich and supportive community guided by the Jewish values of tzedakah (righteous giving), chesed (loving kindness) and tikkun olam (repairing the world).
About The Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund
The Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund (serving San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties) connects people of all ages, backgrounds, and perspectives to the power of the Jewish community to improve the world. We partner with donors, organizations, and foundations to address pressing issues facing our community, and develop innovative strategies that result in deep and lasting impact locally, in Israel, and around the world. Learn more at www.jewishfed.org.
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