2017 ANNUAL REPORT

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Introduction


Thanks to our generous donors, Federation and Foundation work to support, sustain, and revitalize Jewish life here at home and around the world. Your contribution is what makes everything possible, enabling us to meet the needs of people in ways no other organization can or will.

Goodness is not a single act. It’s the sum of many parts. Which is why Federation and Foundation are always at work, powering the Jewish community in ways you might not think of, in places you’d never suspect. We’re there in times of crisis, sowing the seeds of hope. We’re there to create connections and encourage philanthropy throughout our community. We’re there, acting on the Jewish traditions and values that unite us in standing up against intolerance and protecting those who are vulnerable.

Right now, thousands of people need us in a multitude of ways. Together, we are creating a safer, more just world for everyone.

THANK YOU.

Our Work


Our Mission

Guided by the Jewish values of tzedakah (charity), chesed (loving kindness), tikkun olam (repairing the world), and klal yisrael (the unity of the Jewish people), we are dedicated to building and sustaining a vibrant and inclusive local Jewish community, and to supporting Jewish life in the East Bay, Israel, and throughout the world.

Our Approach

We fulfill our mission in two ways: by grantmaking to our organizational partners and providing community services to support and enhance Jewish life in the East Bay.

Federation and Foundation also directly provide a variety of community services. These services include programs and initiatives that enhance Jewish education, connect families to Jewish community, strengthen relationships with Israel, convene the community for remembrance and celebration, encourage and power philanthropy, and make Jewish life affordable.

Our Impact

We engage youth and families through Jewish life and learning.

We care for the vulnerable here, in Israel, and around the world.

We build Jewish community and peoplehood.

Engaging

Together, we engage youth and families through Jewish life and learning by:

Educating the next generation – We invest in education through financial aid at Jewish day schools and programming at Berkeley Hillel, Urban Adamah, and Wilderness Torah.

Reaching out to families – Through Sprout, we connect families with young children to Jewish life in the East Bay. Our Sprout Grants encourage families to take their first step into formal organized Jewish life. We send free, Jewish books every month to children in the East Bay age six-months to eleven-years-old.

Supporting youth programs – We provide financial aid so East Bay kids and teens can form lifetime memories and friendships at Jewish summer camp. We empower teens to grow as leaders and take pride in their Jewish identity through programs provided by BBYO, midrashot (Hebrew High School), and NCSY.

Cultivating thoughtful family philanthropy – We help funders choose the best vehicles for their family giving and involve their children in their gift planning, helping to create a generation-to-generation tradition of giving.

Sprout Family of the Month (August 2017)

Ann and Samba live in Richmond with their two boys, Abdu (age 4) and Youssou (age 2). Ann was born in Oakland and raised Jewish and Samba is from Senegal and was raised Muslim.
Read more…

A PJ Library Mitzvah for Houston

When Liora Brosbe saw that the Houston chapter of PJ Library was requesting books for their families, she jumped into action.
Read more…

Turning Teens into Philanthropists

As a high school junior, Lia was looking for an opportunity to connect with Jewish friends and make the world a better place. When she found the Teen Philanthropy Board, now called the Hamsa Fund, at Contra Costa Midrasha, it was a great fit.
Read more…

Our Grantmaking and Community Services - Engaging

  • BBYO – General operating support to connect 300 East Bay teens to Jewish programs
  • Berkeley Midrasha – Supplemental tuition for 250 teen participants
  • Contra Costa Jewish Day School – Needs-based financial aid for 75 students
  • Contra Costa Midrasha – General operating support for programs and financial aid, touching 120 teens
  • Israel Travel – Financial assistance to 35 teens and young adults to take educational Israel trips
  • Jewish Camp – Financial assistance for 450 campers to attend Jewish summer camp
  • Jewish Community Center of the East Bay – General operating support to serve 10,000 community members through the JCC
  • Oakland Hebrew Day School – Flexible tuition program for 150 students
  • Oakland Midrasha – Programmatic support to make formal and informal Jewish education affordable for 82 teens
  • PJ Library and PJ Our Way – Free Jewish books and music for 3,600 children each month
  • Sprout Grants – Grants to 41 Jewish families to encourage first-time participation in Jewish learning
  • Tehiyah Day School – General operating support to advance Tehiyah’s Bridge to the Future initiatives
  • West Coast NCSY – General operating support for 110 teens to celebrate their Jewish heritage, connect with Israel, and develop leadership skills
  • Youth and Family Concierge Services – Services to connect 50 families with young children to Jewish organizations and resources in the East Bay

Caring

Together, we care for the vulnerable — here, in Israel, and around the world — by:

Providing aid, food, and medicine – Through our support of Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay, we care for vulnerable Holocaust survivors in the East Bay. We also provide domestic violence prevention, education, and intervention programs with Shalom Bayit.

Fostering Jewish identity and enriching Jewish lives – Around the world, where Jewish expression has been suppressed, we rebuild community infrastructure, help Jews reconnect with their heritage, and empower the next generation of promising young Jewish leaders. In Eastern Europe, North Africa, and the Caribbean, we help burgeoning synagogues and groundbreaking community centers. At workshops, retreats, and summer and winter camps, we support thousands of young Jews as they forge new paths for their communities.

Responding in times of crisis and opportunity – We give a lifeline for Jews and non-Jews in distress everywhere from Oakland to Haifa. Whether it’s missiles raining down on Israel’s south, a violent conflict in Ukraine, or a fire in the North Bay, we are there to help build — and rebuild — Jewish life.

Facing Unexpected Trauma: One Family’s Journey to Recovery from Harvey

The home Judi and Roger shared with their four sons in Houston had never been flooded before — neither had their street — and they were unprepared for just how quickly the effects of Hurricane Harvey would devastate their homes and lives.
Read more…

Dror Israel: Shiran’s Story

Shiran is from a working-class neighborhood in Akko, Israel. After her grandmother died tragically, she closed herself off. Mirit spent many hours with Shiran, encouraging her to join team building activities, helping her with homework, studying for tests with her, and eventually, bringing Shiran to overnight camp.
Read more…

Shalom Bayit: Vera’s Story

When Vera moved to the Bay Area with her five-year-old, it wasn’t by choice; she was running from her abusive husband, who was chasing her across 3,000 miles. She had nothing, knew nobody, and had nowhere to turn to for help.
Read more…

Our Grantmaking and Community Services - Caring

  • Dror Israel Akko Kibbutz – Programs for 7,000 Akko residents with a focus on at-risk youth
  • Holocaust Remembrance and Education – Yom HaShoah commemorations reaching 400 community members
  • Jewish Agency for Israel – Refugee resettlement and Aliyah
  • Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay – Programs serving the Jewish community, including holiday and Shabbat meal delivery to 495 clients, the Senior Information Line which reached 500 individuals, and Project Ezra which distributed 30 emergency financial grants to individuals in need
  • Joint Distribution Committee – Crisis response for vulnerable Jewish populations around the world
  • Shalom Bayit – Healthy Jewish Families Project, a wraparound service package of domestic violence prevention, education, and intervention for 602 East Bay community members
  • Jewish LearningWorks – Consultation services and training workshops totaling over 100 hours of learning for 12 East Bay organizations in the areas of Israel education, teen engagement, inclusion, and experiential education
  • World ORT – Global education, training, and aid program

Building

Together, we build Jewish community and peoplehood by:

Creating a culture of generosity – We train Jewish organizations throughout the East Bay to engage donors, steward supporters, and build a culture of giving in their communities.

Making Jewish organizations more inclusive – We bolster Jewish institutions’ accessibility to families and children with special needs, support LGBTQ professionals working in Jewish organizations through Keshet, and encourage Jews of color to engage in the community through Bechol Lashon.

Creating connections with Israel – We send East Bay young adults on a Birthright Israel trip every summer to strengthen their Jewish identities and build connections with Israel. Working with our partners from Dror Israel, we foster relationships between Jewish communities in the East Bay and in Israel.

Training Jewish educators and leaders – We provide professional development for Jewish educators, and secure the Jewish future by empowering people to take charge of their Jewish lives and be leaders for their communities.

Encouraging innovation – We help people in our community to explore earth-based Judaism, Jewish environmental justice, and create their own experimental communities and programs through Urban Adamah, Wilderness Torah, and Moishe House.

Ensuring our partners’ future through legacy giving – Through Create a Jewish Legacy, we provide East Bay Jewish organizations with the training, motivation, and support to cultivate legacy gifts from their donors. These gifts will become endowment funds, ensuring the organizations serve the community for generations to come.

Federation and the East Bay Stand Together Against Hate

As this country reckons with a newly-ascendant Nazi fringe — grimly manifested during the hate rally in Charlottesville that killed three people and left vulnerable communities reeling — East Bay residents of all faiths and backgrounds are taking a stand for the spirit of inclusion that feels increasingly under threat nationwide.Read more…

One Week Later: The Impact of Birthright

It has been a week since I got back from Israel. I’m mostly recovered from exhaustion and jetlag, so I want to take this chance to share some final thoughts.
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Moishe House: Creating Community

When Ellie moved to the East Bay, she knew she wanted to live in a Moishe House, which supports peer-led, home-based Jewish engagement for young adults.
Read more…

Our Grantmaking and Community Services - Building

  • Bechol Lashon – Jewish engagement for 500 East Bay multiracial families, single parents, and children of color
  • Berkeley Hillel – General operating support for Shabbat dinners and programming reaching 1,919 students
  • Birthright Israel – A fully subsidized, 10-day Israel experience for 40 East Bay young adults
  • Create a Jewish Legacy – Training and support for 19 organizational partners to cultivate legacy gifts, which will sustain them for generations to come
  • Jewish Community Relations Council – General operating support
  • Jewish Federations of North America – General operating support
  • J. The Jewish News of Northern California – General operating support reaching 4,200 East Bay subscribers
  • Keshet – Leadership training for LGBTQ inclusion and engagement programs touching 185 individuals
  • Moishe House – Jewish engagement for 1,766 young adults in the East Bay
  • Philanthropic Services – Services for donors to create giving plans for their families and the community
  • Professional Development for Jewish Educators – Monthly professional development meetings, an annual conference, and individual grants for 29 East Bay Jewish educational organizations
  • Urban Adamah – Youth programs, public programs, and program development serving 6,000 individuals in the East Bay
  • Wilderness Torah – Youth and festival programs for 500 East Bay individuals

The Jewish Community Foundation


At Federation and Foundation, we bring together like-minded people who are invested in building a better world through the core Jewish values of compassion, justice, and learning.

We build a stronger community by helping donors make a bigger difference. Using a highly personalized approach, we match donors with tax-friendly giving vehicles that help them best support the causes that are most important to them. We manage charitable investments that maximize long-term impact. And we provide oversight of legacy gifts and endowment funds, ensuring that donors’ wishes are honored in perpetuity.

In 2017, our funders contributed $15.2 million to Foundation funds. We have about $130 million assets under management.

OUR GIVING VEHICLES


Donor Advised Fund – a charitable giving account with a high degree of flexibility and convenience

Supporting Foundation – a great alternative to a private family foundation, with better tax benefits and fewer constraints

Legacy Fund – a permanent source of funding created by your estate to continue your support of the causes you value, for the benefit of future generations

Endowment Fund – a permanent source of funding for a specific community need, chosen by you

Donor Profile: Sy Lapporte’s Family Tradition of Giving

Seymour “Sy” Lapporte has always understood that giving back is important. You could say it is a family thing  —  his grandmother would give money to hospitals during the Great Depression.
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Create a Jewish Legacy: Securing Temple Israel’s Future

Like all synagogues, Beverly’s congregation faces financial challenges. That’s one reason why Create a Jewish Legacy has been valuable.
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Foundation Grant Leads to Innovative Album

Jeff Kasowitz, co-founder of the Jewish Studio Project and recipient of the 2015 Fromer Award, has just released his first studio album, Arba’im Shanah(40 Years).
Read more…

Financials


2017 Foundation and Federation Impact

2017 Foundation and Federation Expenses

Leadership