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Foundation Focus FALL 2021

Bill, Mark & Pam Kanter

A Family Tradition of Giving

One of the most fulfilling aspects of the Jewish Community Foundation’s work is the opportunity to help generous people accomplish their charitable goals. Pam Kanter has been a longtime board member and dedicated volunteer and shared the following anecdote:

Even though our son Mark hasn’t lived in Kansas City for about 15 years, my husband Bill and I like to find little ways to keep him connected to the community. As he has gotten older, we have also struggled to find meaningful gift ideas and a friend suggested contributing to a Donor Advised Fund. Mark had often talked about donations he was considering, and we thought this would be a good way for him to show more support for agencies for which he had passion; make him aware of more areas of need; and because he is very busy, make his gift-giving easier as the JCF staff can help him research agencies and causes.

Mark was excited by the idea and said, “Having maintained a B’nai Tzedek Fund since my Bar Mitzvah and getting to work as an intern with the JCF to further young adult involvement with their own funds, I’m thrilled to continue my philanthropic journey on a greater scale thanks to my parents’ generosity. I look forward to helping various organizations as my experiences and interests continue to develop.”

We decided to move forward and in our discussions with Josh Stein we learned we could transfer money to Mark’s Donor Advised Fund from our own Fund into which we had recently donated appreciated stock to benefit from the stock market gains of recent years. Mark was also able to transfer the balance of his B’nai Tzedek Fund into his Donor Advised Fund.

Since we thought this was a good idea, we wanted to share the idea as others might find it helpful for their families, too.

To learn more about supporting your children’s or other loved one’s charitable efforts, or to start a fund of your own, contact Josh Stein at (913) 327-8121 or jstein@jcfkc.org. To increase the impact even further, take advantage of the Fund Your Favorite match (keep scrolling for details).

Happy New Year from the Foundation

Dear Friends,

Hello and Happy New Year to you and your families! We’re extremely proud of the way the Foundation Family and the Kansas City Jewish community more broadly have responded to the continuing challenges presented by Covid-19. Thanks to all of you, your generosity and resilience, we’ve helped navigate these uncharted waters together beautifully. As we move into 5782, may our commitment to tzedakah and our wonderful community continue to guide us.

Of course, we are all disappointed that we have had to postpone our celebration of return to in-person operations on the Campus, but we have always prioritized the safety of the Board and Staff of the Foundation, as well as our members and guests. We will continue to monitor the situation and will hope and pray that we’ll be able to return soon. In the meantime, as we hope you are aware, be assured that we continue to be fully and effectively operational remotely, and that special arrangements can always be made to have specific in-person meetings conducted with appropriate safety protocols, as desired.

As Alice prepares to take on her new role as Immediate Past President and we look forward with great anticipation to welcoming new Board members and a new Board President in December, we hope all of you enter the new year with an appreciation of the tremendous impact we, as a community of givers, have had over the past year and with a sense of excitement about the many mitzvot we will perform together in the future.

With best wishes for health and happiness,

Alice Jacks Achtenberg, President, and Lauren Mattleman Hoopes, Executive Director

A Sweet High Holiday Gift for Partners

In celebration of the New Year, the Foundation prepared and delivered nearly 100 high holiday gift baskets to our nonprofit and professional advisor partners. The baskets contained fresh apples, honey from the Mitzvah Garden, and a card expressing warm wishes for a sweet and fruitful New Year.

The project was generously made possible by the Sanford L. Cohn Family Foundation, in loving memory of Sanford & Barbara Cohn.

Celebrating a Chai Anniversary

On August 26, Foundation leadership gathered for a celebratory lunch to honor Lauren Mattleman Hoopes’ 18th anniversary as executive director of the Foundation. Under Lauren’s tutelage, the Foundation has grown into an award-winning, multi-faceted and dynamic center for creative philanthropy, and an international leader in innovative and collaborative programs.

Pictured, left to right, Michael Schultz, Frank Lipsman, Josh Sosland, Lauren Mattleman Hoopes, Irv Belzer, Stanley Bushman, Susie Goldsmith and Merilyn Berenbom.

JCF Shares Expertise on Multigenerational Philanthropy

In September, JCF Executive Director Lauren Mattleman Hoopes presented at the annual Mid-America Charitable Gift Planners’ Building Blocks conference for fundraisers and professional advisors. In her presentation, titled, “From Generation to Generation: Understanding Family Dynamics in Planned Giving for Effective Communication,” Hoopes shared how today’s idea of planned giving reaches far beyond wills, trusts, and gift annuities, and now comprises a broad spectrum of gift arrangements and dynamic giving platforms. The presentation included how generational perspectives, values, and life cycle stages influence planned giving, and how family communication about money matters can be important drivers.

Hoopes is a 21/64 certified philanthropic advisor and is experienced in working with multiple generations of families to enhance philanthropic engagement and reach charitable giving goals. For more information about multigenerational giving or planned giving, contact Lauren at (913) 327-8120 or lhoopes@jcfkc.org.

JCF Helps Kosher Meals on Wheels Receive Prestigious Grant

When the JCF Board adopted its previous Strategic Plan in 2016, it was decided to focus the majority of the Community Legacy Fund grant dollars on core operating expenses for local Jewish agencies. The goal was to strengthen Jewish organizations by helping pay for expenses that help them thrive. Recently, Esther Friedman, the Director of Kansas City’s Kosher Meals on Wheels program, called to thank JCF’s Board and staff for having the vision to support core operational expenses, including funding for the program to conduct a financial audit each year. This support from the Community Legacy Fund has been invaluable to Kosher Meals on Wheels’ fundraising efforts.

Friedman credits both the Jewish Community Foundation and Menorah Heritage Foundation staff with helping her realize how helpful a financial audit could be. As a religious institution, Torah Learning Center (the fiscal sponsor of KMOW) is not required by the IRS to file a 990 tax information form. However, for many granting entities, an annual audit is a basic requirement that organizations must have in order to apply for funding. Having a professional audit has allowed TLC/KMOW to apply for funds for which the organization was not previously eligible.

Recently, Torah Learning Center launched a $1.7 million campaign to support the expansion of its building in order to increase the number of clients it serves. To date, $800,000 has been raised toward that goal, including a prestigious $250,000 Mabee Foundation challenge grant. According to Friedman, having an annual audit helped prove the financial accountability of the institution and helped them prepare their financial information in a readily accessible format for potential funders. For more information about how the Community Legacy Fund supports the community, contact Beatrice Fine at (913) 327-4618 or bfine@jcfkc.org.

Engaging Teens in Giving

The 2021-22 B’nai Tzedek Youth Council had its first meeting of the school year on September 13. At the meeting, members began writing to nearly 600 B’nai Tzedek account holders to encourage them to make their annual grants. The response to the mailing has been swift and positive. Hundreds of dollars have been granted as a result of their efforts. Top grant recipients include Jewish Vocational Service and Jewish Family Services. For more information about B’nai Tzedek, JCF’s youth philanthropy program, contact Beatrice Fine at (913) 327-4618 or bfine@jcfkc.org.

Rake in Your Gains!

Now is a great time to take advantage of the long-running bull market and make a gift of appreciated stock into a new or existing JCF Donor Advised Fund. Giving stock is simple, convenient, and giving appreciated stock (held for one year or longer) offers greater tax benefits than donating cash. Contact Josh Stein at (913) 327-8121 or jstein@jcfkc.org to learn more.

Introducing the Fund Your Favorite match

Open a new Donor Advised Fund and we’ll match one charitable gift to your favorite nonprofit - up to $1,000!

A Donor Advised Fund is a charitable giving account through which you can easily and efficiently support all of your favorite charities (Jewish AND secular). And with the Fund Your Favorite match, your support will have an even greater impact.

Start giving smarter today! Visit jcfkc.org/FundYourFavorite or contact Josh Stein at (913) 327-8121 or jstein@jcfkc.org.

New Funds

Donor Advised Funds

  • Loren B. Brown Charitable Fund
  • Megan & Michael Grossman Family Charitable Fund
  • Mark L. Kanter Donor Advised Fund
  • Catherine R. & Leslie L. Liebenau Charitable Fund
  • Sara Brown Sher Charitable Fund
  • Slackjaw Donor Advised Fund

Restricted Funds

  • Sandi Fried Lion of Judah Endowment Fund
  • Katianne’s Sunshine Fund for the Benefit of Special Needs Programming

Custodial Funds

  • HappyBottoms Fund