San Francisco, CA — Today, the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund announces that a new, 15-member Board of Directors has been named and will begin its term on January 15, 2025. This newly structured, smaller, diverse board will guide the Federation — the single largest funder of Jewish causes in the state of California — as it continues its evolution as a center for Jewish philanthropy, fostering thriving Jewish communities and responding to 21st century needs in a changing world.
The members of the incoming board of directors are:
- Laura Lauder, incoming chair
- Dan Safier, incoming vice chair
- Jamie Weinstein, incoming treasurer
- Galia Amram
- Melissa Blaustein
- Barrett Cohn
- Aaron Finegold
- David Friedkin
- Jennifer Friedman
- Michael Jacobs
- Lily Kanter
- Guy Miasnik
- Karen Kaufman Perlman
- Dara Pincas
- Jeffrey Zlot
Board members will have two-year terms and are limited to three consecutive terms.
The Federation’s board and advisory committees will all comprise both board members and a wider network of lay leaders engaged in the work across our communities. In addition to the executive, investment, finance and audit committees, the Federation will also have advisory committees including:
- Governance & Leadership – focused on effective governance and advising of the organization;
- Business Strategy & Growth – focused on business growth strategy and fundraising, including establishing new donor-advised funds, assessing the need for new or enhanced philanthropic services, and fundraising through our Annual Campaign and Centennial Campaign;
- Jewish Community Impact – focused on assessing Jewish community needs in the Bay Area, Israel, and globally, addressing them through grantmaking and other strategies. This work is advanced through three subcommittees:
- Capital Projects
- Israel
- Impact Investing
“I am thrilled to collaborate with this extraordinary group to steer the Federation into its new era,” said Joy Sisisky, president and CEO of the Federation. “As we continue to face challenges in Israel and at home, we are stronger for having exceptional talent, backgrounds, and passions on our new board. I am also deeply grateful to outgoing board chair Eileen Ruby, as well as all the board members and volunteer leaders who have helped lead the Federation during this tumultuous moment for Jewish communities. They leave us in a strong position to embark on this new path.”
“Having supported the Federation for decades, I am excited to dive into its governance with this remarkable group of leaders,” said Laura Lauder, incoming board chair of the Federation. “Just as the Federation has been a leader in creating new models for philanthropic giving, it is now creating a new model of governance to meet the needs and challenges of our time.”
The Federation was committed to creating a board that represents the region’s Jewish communities’ extraordinary diversity including members with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives, as well as gender, race and ethnicity, Bay Area geography, and age, with several members under age 40. Members of the incoming board of directors also bring a range of skills and capabilities that the Federation needs to fulfill its mission, including enterprise and investment management, fundraising experience, technology leadership and Jewish community engagement, among others.
The new board structure reflects best practices for nonprofit governance and was decided upon after researching the most effective boards across North America serving Jewish communities and beyond. Its smaller size is intended to ensure that each board member plays a highly active role, while a compact set of committees will be chaired by board members but engage a wider circle of lay leaders.
These governance changes were initiated by the leadership of current Board Chair Eileen Ruby and the existing board, which saw an opportunity to ensure the organization was best equipped to meet the needs of the community today and for generations to come. The Federation has thrived under the guidance of Ruby and the current governing body and is uniquely well situated to meet this unprecedented moment.
About Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund
For over a century, the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund has harnessed innovation, collaboration, and investment to shape diverse and dynamic Bay Area Jewish communities where people find a meaningful connection to Judaism and one another; and where we work together to better lives and communities locally, in Israel, and around the world. Learn more at jewishfed.org.
###