Legacy Fall 2023

LEG CY Supporting Israel in Crisis

FALL 2023

LEG CY

REFLECTIONS From the President & CEO

Welcome to Legacy, a magazine for the modern philanthropist.

We hope you find it engaging and informative as you consider your charitable planning. For strategic philanthropic advising, please contact our giving experts at development@jewishfoundationla.org

4

FEATURE STORY

9

ASK OUR EXPERTS

Recommendations for Giving in Times of Crisis by Naomi Strongin

What Can I Do to Help Israel?

10 MAXIMIZING IMPACT Donor Advised Funds: Now is the Time

12 RECENT GRANTS 14 CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR DONORS

Q&A with Dr. Burt Liebross

Our Hearts are Aching Israel has profoundly touched so many of our lives. For me, my time b’aretz (in Israel) changed the direction of my life at least twice.

My first encounter with our Jewish homeland was on a Birthright trip with Hillel. The experience solidified my identity as I committed to living a fuller Jewish life. There was just something about being surrounded by Hebrew and the fulfillment of a Jewish yearning to return to the land of our ancestors that made me feel part of a much greater movement.

After graduating college, I returned to Israel, stumbling into a yeshiva experience that taught me to love Jewish learning. And during a year studying at Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, I met the love of my life, Rachel.

My time there overlapped with the second intifada, a terror-filled time in Israel’s history. The hotels were empty. Ben Yehuda Street in downtown Jerusalem was a ghost town. And soldiers, like my younger brother, were fighting terrorists in Gaza and the West Bank.

In response, Israel built a massive separation barrier from the West Bank, evacuated Jewish settlements in Gaza, and began to rely on a security apparatus that was supposed to be the most advanced in the world.

Open a Donor Advised Fund by 12/29 to maximize your tax benefits!

During the relatively calm period that followed, I relished bringing groups to Israel, especially non-Jewish students seeing it for the first time. I vividly recall an Ethiopian Christian crying joyously as we ascended to Jerusalem because she believed that just stepping foot in the holy city guarantees a place in heaven.

And then it all came crashing down on October 7.

Nearly two decades of relative quiet lulled us into a fantasy — that we could live in the most dangerous neighborhood and still enjoy relative security. That our youth could dance at raves next to enemy territory. That the Iron Dome would intercept all rockets. That we could live and travel freely, bring students on Birthright trips, and imagine a future peace.

Israel will recover. It will rise back up. And it will need our help to do so.

The Foundation immediately understood this would be unlike any crisis response in recent history. We started by making institutional grants to assist Israel and quickly marshaled our resources to advise donors on how to help most effectively.

It will need our moral support, our constant words of encouragement, our advocacy, and especially our financial backing.

There are many smart and dedicated experts in nonprofits addressing everything from trauma to combatting pro-Hamas messages on social media. Our job as philanthropists is to identify and support those and many other efforts on behalf of Israel.

“

The Foundation’s donor family has responded so generously to ensure Israel’s recovery and to address the increasingly brazen antisemitism right here at home.

Thank you and todah rabbah! With our help, the days of trips to Israel for college students will return. With our funding, Israeli youth with PTSD will recover. And with our love, we will grow stronger as am echad b’lev echad — one people who share the same heart.

The Foundation’s donor family has responded so generously to ensure Israel’s recovery and to address the increasingly brazen antisemitism right here at home.“

Rabbi Aaron B. Lerner President & CEO Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles

jewishfoundationla.org 3

FEATURE STORY

by Naomi Strongin Vice President, Center for Designed Philanthropy

Recommendations for Giving in Times of Crisis Since the barbaric terror attack perpetrated by Hamas on Israel in the early morning hours of Oct. 7, the collective response and support both domestically and around the world has been heartening. Even as we are overcome by a range of emotions, including a sense of helplessness over the atrocities, many of us feel compelled to help in any way possible.

Guided by both compassionate hearts and the resources to act, The Foundation’s family of donors epitomizes that spirit of generosity. These deep reservoirs of goodwill are particularly evident in times of crisis — consider the war in Ukraine, pandemic response and relief, or past emergencies in Israel — when this willingness to step up and provide support is on full display.

Response to the unspeakable horrors in southern Israel proved to be no exception. Donors reacted with immediate inquiries and grant recommendations.

Within days of the attack, we hosted a webinar led by Center for Designed Philanthropy Senior Program Officer Sara Hahn and Offi Zisser, The Foundation’s Israel consultant, addressing key areas of need. Skilled at grantmaking through adversity, The Foundation is providing donors with vetted funding opportunities to worthy organizations through regular e-communications and updated lists found on our website. Donors also Friends of the Israel Defense Forces 4 jewishfoundationla.org

“

Each of us has the capacity to make a difference, to turn tragedy into action, and in the process, meet the urgent needs of the moment.

It is imperative that support is timely and on target.”

have relied on personalized consultations with Center professionals to create tailored grantmaking opportunities that align with their specific giving priorities.

Results to date are uplifting but by no means surprising.

Through November 30, Foundation donors have directed 800+ grants from their charitable funds, totaling more than $5 million, to numerous organizations in Israel.

Combining our Foundation grantmaking with donor

Friends of Magen David Adom

directed grants, more than $6 million in emergency support has been dedicated to Israel so far.

Challenges to giving in a crisis are always considerable, though. On the one hand, donors often wonder, “How can I make effective contributions to address an emergency?” At the same time, they want to know, “How can I continue to support those affected in the long run? What will future needs look like?”

Adding to this complexity during the current Israel crisis is the plethora of worthy organizations and areas of need — spanning trauma support, direct assistance, medical care, hostage support, aid to the people living in Gaza, combatting antisemitism locally, among countless other categories. New needs emerge daily.

jewishfoundationla.org 5

FEATURE STORY

Donors seek confidence that recipient organizations are capable of managing the influx of funds coming to them, as well as awareness of which causes are most desperately in need of increased funds. It can feel overwhelming.

With that in mind, the following recommendations are intended as helpful guidelines for how to give with purpose and efficacy during the current emergency.

Pace giving to meet evolving needs By all official Israeli and U.S. estimates, the war to neutralize Hamas will be long. Consequently, aid requirements are fluid and continue to evolve. The most urgent requirement immediately following the attacks focused predominantly on emergency medical treatment, food, and shelter for victims. There are also immediate and long-term needs for trauma and grief counseling — both for victims of the attacks and countless others affected across Israel. Longer term, still-unforeseen needs will emerge as the conflict progresses. Each of these stages will require specific support, so donors should take a long view and pace their giving accordingly.

Direct contributions through established organizations Understandably, donors feel inundated right now by countless appeals for support. While the vast majority of these causes are worthy and deserving, it’s nearly

6 jewishfoundationla.org

Roim Rachok (IDF training for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder)

impossible to properly vet them all. Charitable umbrella organizations possess vast knowledge of on-the-ground NGOs and nonprofits, keep their collective fingers on the pulse of where funding need is greatest at any given time, and are often the best clearinghouses for efficiently deploying essential funds. They can also help with pacing expenditures, ensuring that a long duration crisis is funded at every stage.

The attacks have spawned countless GoFundMe and other types of online crowdfunding campaigns. These efforts are often deeply moving, and if you personally know and trust the recipient, then consider directing to such causes a small amount of your giving. Bear in mind that they are generally not tax-exempt 501(c)3 organizations and consequently don’t qualify for charitable gift deductions allowed by law.

People who want to support specific causes and areas of interest can direct contributions to a broad range of highly vetted, well-established organizations, getting the benefit of professional due diligence while still focusing on particular needs. (Visit jewishfoundationla.org for a detailed list of vetted nonprofits addressing the needs in Israel.)

Engage in trust-based philanthropy Vet and select organizations judiciously, but contribute without attaching strings such as tailor-made proposals or complicated reporting requirements. Trust that the organizations are responsibly deploying resources, and help them minimize red tape so that funding can be put

jewishfoundationla.org 7

FEATURE STORY

FOUNDATION DONORS ARE RESPONDING TO THE CRISIS. Since the horrific attacks in Israel, our family of donors has made 800+ grants from their charitable funds, totaling more than $5 million to organizations in Israel addressing urgent needs.

The Foundation has also allocated significant funding for Israel, in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Greater LA’s Israel Emergency effort.

The first round will go to nine organizations addressing trauma, hostage rescue, the needs of kibbutz members, food distribution, and more.

Combining our Foundation grants with donor directed grants, over $6 million in emergency support has been dedicated to Israel so far.

Top recipients are: n

Jewish Federation of Greater LA’s Israel Emergency effort

n

Magen David Adom

n

Israel Defense Forces

n

United Hatzalah

n

Jewish National Fund

United Hatzalah

into action as quickly as possible. Often you can expressly earmark your donation for emergency relief during the crisis or, alternatively, the recipient organization can use the funds for general operating or other purposes.

We recommend allowing the nonprofit to decide where funds are needed most.

Contribute cash not goods While well-intended, physical items are not the most practical method for providing support, as they can be costly to transport and quickly become outdated or no longer needed. Better are cash contributions to humanitarian and aid organizations in constant touch with what is needed and where.

The preceding recommendations are offered in conjunction with our experts on the ground in Israel, where in the last decade alone, we have directed $180 million in funding to about 500 causes.

Each of us has the capacity to make a difference, to turn tragedy into action, and in the process, meet the urgent needs of the moment. As we seek to bring healing and solace to our brothers and sisters in Israel, it is imperative that support is timely and on target.

Scan here to see a list of vetted nonprofits in Israel 8 jewishfoundationla.org

What Can I Do to Help Israel? ­

“

Give to vetted Israeli nonprofits making a real impact on the ground. You can find a list on our website at jewishfoundationla.org” – Sara Hahn, Sr. Program Officer, Center for Designed Philanthropy

“

Increase your resources by donating appreciated stock or other assets to your Donor Advised Fund now.”

ASK OUR EXPERTS

“

Pace yourself, the needs in Israel will change and emerge.

Be prepared to give generously in the coming months.”

– Naomi Strongin, VP, Center for Designed Philanthropy

“

Invest your Donor Advised Funds in Israel Bonds. You’ll earn a guaranteed return on your investment while helping Israel strengthen its economy and infrastructure.”

– Natella Royzman, VP, Charitable Gift Planning

– Steve Gamer, VP, Advancement

jewishfoundationla.org 9

Donor Advised Funds: Now is the Time

MAXIMIZING IMPACT

A Donor Advised Fund (DAF) is a powerful tool to manage your philanthropy, especially when urgent needs arise, like the crisis in Israel.

If you don’t yet have a DAF, now is the time to think seriously about the benefits and take action before year-end.

Fastest Growing Charitable Tool DAFs are a powerful approach to giving that has attracted considerable investment. Notably, they are the fastest-growing planned giving tool, with more than 2 million created as of 2022, and $85 billion in contributions to DAFs last year, an all-time high. They’re even more popular than private family foundations today.

Why do so many people turn to The Foundation to distribute their charitable gifts through a DAF? Because it’s one of the smartest ways to enhance your charitable giving. It’s a more efficient and strategic way to give tzedakah, and you’ll get an immediate charitable tax deduction when you establish a fund.

You can recommend grants 24/7 from your mobile phone or computer to a nearly unlimited amount of nonprofits, Jewish or secular, on your own schedule. And you may also select investment options to potentially grow your fund (minimum level required).

Use Multiple Assets for a DAF You can fund a DAF with a variety of assets such as cash, appreciated stock, and real estate. A popular donor trend is to transform a stock (or stocks) that has increased in value into charitable currency. You’ll get a tax deduction for the full value, pay no capital gains tax, and have charitable resources available to support your favorite causes.

Steve Gamer, VP, Advancement

10 jewishfoundationla.org

Advice from Philanthropic Experts With a DAF at The Foundation, you’ll have complimentary access to experts at our Center for Designed Philanthropy to help you fine-tune your charitable goals, including crafting meaningful giving strategies in areas you’re passionate about.

Join a Community of Funders

Natella Royzman, VP,

With a deep understanding of the Charitable Gift Planning nonprofit landscape across LA and Israel, we offer insightful educational programs on numerous philanthropic topics. Our events allow you to build valuable partnerships with other like-minded funders. With a DAF at The Foundation, you join a larger community of funders working to improve our society.

Transfer an Existing DAF to The Foundation If you have a DAF with another institution, consider transferring it to The Foundation as a way to help our community and Israel because the more resources at The Foundation, the more grantmaking we can provide to help strengthen our community.

To learn how to enhance your giving with a Donor Advised Fund before year-end, please call us at 323.761.8704 or visit jcfla.org/donor-advised-funds

An account with us is like a mezuzah on the door.

A DONOR ADVISED FUND with us tells your story.

It’s a sign of all you believe in.

We’re the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles.

We’re a reliable partner, helping to guide you through strategic planning, charitable giving and complicated tax laws.

With over $1 billion of assets and 1400+ donor families, we’ve helped people like you develop tax effective charitable accounts for nearly 70 years, like a Donor Advised Fund. You can use it to support numerous nonprofits, including those providing emergency relief for the crisis in Israel.

Contact us for more information. It couldn’t hurt. jcfla.org

jewishfoundationla.org 11

RECENT GRANTS

Cutting Edge Grants ­2.0

Jewish Studio Project

$2 million to Combat Antisemitism, Support Diverse Jewish Communities and Vulnerable Populations The Foundation is investing $2 million in eight organizations committed to fostering a more vibrant and inclusive Los Angeles Jewish community. These grants will support programs addressing increased antisemitism and anti-Zionism in progressive spaces; uplifting and empowering Latin Jews, Asian Jews, and Mizrahi and Sephardic Jews; and promoting the health, well-being, and safety of Jewish youth, people with disabilities, and educational and spiritual leaders.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles convenes and leads the Jewish community and leverages its resources to assure the continuity of the Jewish people, support a secure State of Israel, and care for Jews in need here and abroad. The grant, in partnership with Project Shema, will offer antisemitism workshops and trainings to hundreds of Jewish communal and corporate stakeholders across LA. Friendship Circle provides Jewish children and young adults with special needs with a full range of social, recreational, educational, and Judaic experiences, including Sunday Hebrew School, weekly playdates, and holiday programs. The grant provides seed funding to launch a program that will provide Jewish adults with developmental disabilities with meaningful employment opportunities and social engagement through various creative activities.

12 jewishfoundationla.org

JIMENA

Jewish Studio Project works to cultivate creativity as a Jewish practice for spiritual connection and social transformation through immersive retreats, facilitator training, leader development, and more. The grant will increase its network in LA by training facilitators, spiritual leaders, and educators who will collectively impact thousands of individuals.

Jewtina y Co. nurtures Latin-Jewish community, identity, leadership, and resiliency. The grant will enable the organization to engage hundreds of Latin-Jewish community members in leadership, community-building, and education, inspiring them to embrace their multicultural identity, expand their network, and assume local leadership roles. It also widens the LA Jewish community’s understanding of the Latin-Jewish experience.

Jewtina y Co.

JIMENA educates and engages students and adults about the heritage and histories of Jewish refugees from the Middle East and North Africa and their Mizrahi and Sephardic descendants. The grant will support the launch of an LA-based fellowship program to train emerging Jewish leaders of Middle Eastern and North African descent.

The LUNAR Collective

The LUNAR Collective cultivates connection, belonging, and visibility for Asian American Jews through intersectional community programming and authentic digital storytelling. The grant will increase its LA presence by engaging hundreds of Asian Jewish young adults through programs, mentorship, and immersive experiences, uplifting their voices and supporting mental health.

The Organization for Social Media Safety works to protect the public from social media-related dangers, including cyberbullying, antisemitism, depression, selfharm, eating disorders, hate, substance abuse, and more through education, advocacy, and technology. The grant will enable it to provide thousands of Jewish students, their teachers, and caregivers from Jewish day schools with interventions to protect themselves from social media threats.

Zioness is a progressive Jewish organization that works to change how the term Zionist is perceived in progressive spaces by building a national grassroots movement, creating partnerships with non-Jewish progressive organizations, and engaging with different groups of Jews. The grant will support it in launching an LA-based organizing fellowship program that will train dozens of Jewish participants to organize for social, racial, economic, gender, and environmental justice as Zionists.

jewishfoundationla.org 13

CONVERSATIONS With Our Donors

“

Opening a Donor Advised Fund was the best way to honor my wonderful wife.

It’s a legacy that spans many generations, and this gives me a sense of peace.”

The Liebross family

14 jewishfoundationla.org

Scan to learn how you can honor a loved one through philanthropy

MEET

DR. BURT LIEBROSS Dr. Burt Liebross established the Ivy Liebross Memorial Fund to honor his wife, who passed away in 2022. Ivy was passionately involved in the work of Na’amat, the largest women’s organization in Israel, as were Burt’s mother and grandmother before her. Continuing this legacy of support after Ivy’s passing was of utmost importance to Burt and their three children, so they turned to The Foundation for help. Experts at The Foundation provided philanthropic guidance and structure, and

Ivy Liebross

Burt decided to open a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) in Ivy’s name.

Q

Why was it important to you and your children to honor Ivy’s life?

We had such pride in the work Ivy had done and did not want it to end with her passing. We believe that it’s crucial to continue a legacy of tikkun olam and try to help create a better world. She asked me to continue supporting Na’amat after she passed, and I feel like she’s looking from above and saying, “You’re not letting me down.”

Q

You created a Donor Advised Fund at The Foundation instead of giving directly to Na’amat. Why was this the best option?

The idea came from the director of Na’amat. She mentioned the importance of working with a foundation because they can provide the expertise needed to set up a fund that will be easy to use and can grow over time.

After my first meeting at The Foundation, I felt at home.

They gave me a sense of direction and confidence that opening a DAF was the best way to honor my wonderful

Na’amat

wife, my children’s mother, and my grandchildren’s grandmother. It’s a legacy that spans many generations, and this gives me a sense of peace.

Q

Aside from providing funds to Na’amat, what were other motivating factors for you to create the Ivy Liebross Memorial Fund?

Many of my friends and family are anxious to step up and participate by giving to the DAF. My children were crazy about their mom, and the idea that we can do more to keep her memory alive and flourishing is important to all of us. jewishfoundationla.org 15

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION US POSTAGE

PA I D

6505 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1200 Los Angeles, CA 90048

LEG CY

PERMIT NO. 4330 LOS ANGELES, CA

JEWISH COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF LOS ANGELES

Be Ready. Have a Donor Advised Fund when a crisis hits.

Chair

Executive Vice President

President & CEO

Chief Financial Officer SVP, Finance & Administration

Evan Schlessinger Rabbi Aaron Lerner Vice Presidents

Wendy Marantz Levine and her family could give swiftly and smartly at the very start of the crisis in Israel because they had charitable resources at the ready in their Donor Advised Fund (DAF). As Foundation donors, they also had access to our expertise and immediately learned where their support was needed most in Israel.

Open a DAF before year-end for quick access to funds in emergencies and to support your favorite causes at your convenience. Contact our giving experts at development@jewishfoundationla.org today.

“

We went through The Foundation’s list of organizations to support in Israel with our kids at dinner, and our 11-year-old and 13-year-old chose Tzedek Centers.

They were especially moved by how they are helping children and families and how families in safer areas are taking in others. They talked about where a family would stay in our house and how they would give up their rooms. It was very moving for Eric and me.” — Wendy Marantz Levine

Abby L.T. Feinman Marcia Weiner Mankoff Mark N. Schwartz Eugene Stein Adlai W. Wertman Secretary

Selwyn Gerber

Dan Rothblatt

Deborah Johnston

Vice President, Finance

Robert Avery

Vice President, Advancement

Steve Gamer

Vice President, Marketing & Communications

Lew Groner

Vice President & General Counsel

Treasurer

Ellen Rosen

President & CEO Emeritus

Vice President, Charitable Gift Planning

Anthony Chanin Marvin I. Schotland

Natella Royzman

Vice President, Center for Designed Philanthropy

Naomi Strongin TEL 323.761.8700

jcfla.org

Please send your comments and suggestions to the editors.

Executive Editor: Janet Keller Senior Editor: Lily Gengo Design: Maxine Mueller

FALL 2023 ©2023 Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or used without permission.

Scan to learn about opening a DAF at The Foundation