Strengthening foundation

New status, new board among changes

BETH OLSON
Staff Writer

The start of the Jewish Community Foundation's grant cycle is the latest in a series of new beginnings for the organization.

From moving into a new home at the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus to attaining independent nonprofit status, and from hiring of a new full-time staff member to installing a new board of directors, the foundation has experienced an abundance of changes in the past year.

Originally the Jewish Community Foundation of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, the foundation was granted separate 501(c)3 status in October.

Last month, Barbara Chandler joined the foundation staff as director of development and professional services. She formerly served as the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona's associate vice president, responsible for the women's campaign and programming, community leadership development and missions to Israel.

On Feb. 14, the foundation began accepting applications for grants from The Fund for Jewish Philanthropy and various discretionary funds totaling $109,500. Proposals for new and innovative, or one-time event or series programs will be considered. Applications must be received or postmarked by March 31.

The Jewish Women's Endowment Fund received eight grant proposals by its own earlier deadline for the $7,700 it will distribute this year.

Marcia Weisberg, executive director of the foundation, said that committees, when examining proposals, look for a collaborative effort or "a program that will benefit a large sector of the community."

She pointed out that the original proposal for Raw Kaballah was submitted last year by Beth El Congregation, but upon the recommendation of the grant committee, the program expanded to Temple Chai, to involve the larger Jewish community.

The difference between The Fund for Jewish Philanthropy and the Women's Endowment Fund is the types of programs they fund.

"For the women's endowment there needs to be a specific benefit that Jewish women and girls would receive," explained Sheryl Quen, director of grants and programs for the foundation.

Each fund committee is made up of 10-15 members who participate for at least three years, Weisberg said. Evaluating proposals is "a fairly in-depth process," she explained. "We like the committee members to have a lot of experience on evaluation."

The grants program of the foundation allows local Jewish organizations to start new programs that usually couldn't be funded through an organization's general budget, according to Weisberg. Many become core programs of the organi-zations.

Becca Hornstein, executive director of Council for Jews With Special Needs, said the foundation has provided grants for several programs, including last year's $1,800 grant for the Jewish Genetic Disease Project, a grant for the b'nai mitzvah of adults with special needs, and a grant for sign-language interpreters.

"To a Jew who is deaf, the opportunity to have an interpreter at High Holiday services or at the Challenges luncheon or at an adult education program ... can make a world of difference. It literally means that a person who is deaf can participate," said Hornstein.

"That's the essence of the kind of funds you get. It sustains some programs, but it also provides the opportunity to develop things that are really crucial but aren't going to fall in your typical annual budget - one-time projects or the beginning of a new project," Hornstein said.

Linda Feldman of the Bureau of Jewish Education said she's grateful for the grants her programs have received over the years, including $6,000 last year for Jewish Marriage University.

"It's for engaged and serious couples and the recently married," she explained. "I've had really wonderful speakers and presenters who really help the couples prepare for marriage and stem the tide of divorce."

In addition to the un-restricted funds distributed through the grant process, the foundation is responsible for administering various types of endowment funds for the Jewish community.

With donor-advised funds, donors retain the right to recommend how the funds are distributed. Designated funds are set up to benefit a specific organization.

Some local synagogues and constituent agencies of federation have endowment funds administered by the foundation through Leave a Legacy, a national program through the Planned Giving Roundtable - an organi-zation of professionals in the planned-giving field, including Weisberg - which is a three-year initiative designed to promote planned giving. As one of the lead sponsors of the program, the foundation contributed $10,000 "on behalf of any of our agencies or synagogues, so they would have the benefit of the program and the marketing," explained Weisberg. Marketing includes radio, television and print advertising.

"None of our agencies, I believe, has an endowment department or planned giving officer, so the found-ation is filling that role for them," said Weisberg. "We're here to help them. It's important that the entire community is endowed for the future - that the programs ... have permanent resources that they can count on."

On March 30, the foun-dation will hold an Endow-ment Book of Life signing ceremony. The Endowment Book of Life, now in its fifth year, now has a permanent home in the lobby of the Jewish Community Campus.

"The Endowment Book of Life honors those people who have already left or intend to leave a gift or legacy to the community. Their dollars are the ones we're making the grant (distribution) from. They really provide the resources for the community," explained Weisberg.

Weisberg said the program serves to identify those who plan to leave contributions to the community and to honor them during their lifetime. She cited the example of Alvin Kraus, who bequeathed $1.2 million to the foundation prior to the creation of the Endowment Book of Life.

"Unfortunately, no one knew his intent," said Weisberg. "The income from that fund was used to fund the Commission on Jewish Continuity and Community. So many changes in programs in this community were a result of his generosity, (but) there is no page (from him) in the Book of Life, and people were never able to thank him."

Each person who leaves a gift to the community is given a page in the Book of Life to record personal thoughts on Judaism, the community, family and tzedakah. Each page contains a picture of the individual, sometimes with family members. The inter-active book includes an introduction and a feature allowing the user to browse or search on a first or last name. There are currently 160 entries.

Also eligible to sign the Endowment Book of Life are participants in the United Jewish Communities' PACE (Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowments) program and the Lion of Judah Endow-ment, which ensure perpe-tual contributions to fed-eration's annual campaign. This year the two endowment funds have contributed $230,000 to the local 2003 annual campaign.

Call the foundation 480-699-1717.

Contact the writer at beth_olson@jewishaz.com.

Details

What: Endowment Book of Life signing ceremony
When: 10 a.m. Sunday, March 30
Where: Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale.
Call: Jewish Community Foundation, 480-699-1717

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