What We Fund
Jewish Federation of St. Louis is committed to the ongoing development and enhancement of a thriving Jewish community through the support of local, national and international agencies, programs, services and innovative projects. Each year, Jewish Federation of St. Louis’ Annual Campaign, targeted giving, ongoing planned giving opportunities and supporting foundations strategically allocate more than $13 million.
Allocations: Annual Campaign and Unrestricted Endowments
Israel & Overseas Partner Agency Allocations
Jewish Federation of St. Louis, through its unrestricted overseas allocation, funds programs and services of Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), American Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), and supports programs provided through ORT.
Learn more about our Israel and Overseas Partners.
Local Beneficiary Agency Allocations
Jewish Federation has 15 Partner Agencies that receive unrestricted funding each year to help support their capacity to serve the St. Louis Jewish community.
Learn more about our Beneficiary Agencies.
Strategic Program Grants
Strategic program grants support programs and services to engage both young families with children and young adults, support Jewish learning, educate and advocate for a strong Israel and safe Jewish world, and provide a safety net for vulnerable Jews.
National Agencies Allocations
Jewish Federation of St. Louis funds the JCC Association, Hillel Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, American Jewish Committee, Anti-Defamation League, B’nai B’rith Youth Organization (BBYO), Israel Action Network (IAN), Moishe House and JPro Network. Part of the submission of each of these agencies/organizations is a breakdown of how the work that they do impacts our St. Louis community.
Learn more about our National Agencies.
Research Fund
Jewish Federation of St. Louis, in conjunction with local synagogues and other Jewish organizations, launched a study of the St. Louis area Jewish community in 2014 to determine its size, geographic distribution, socioeconomic, religious and cultural attributes. The St. Louis Jewish Community Study will help inform community planning, allocations and programming efforts for Jewish agencies and organizations for the next decade.
Sources of Funding
Endowments
An Endowment is a fund of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis that provides an annual income or a tailored stream of payments to support programs, projects, agencies, organizations or initiatives of particular interest to you and your family.
Contact Lori Wishne, Director of Planned Giving & Endowments, to learn more about setting up your own Endowment.
Donor Advised Funds
A Donor Advised Fund is established exclusively for donor charitable giving. It enables donors to support causes they care about most and offers important tax advantages. The dollars donated to a Donor Advised Fund are invested, therefore maximizing their charitable impact while the donor retains the privilege to make allocations.
Contact Lori Wishne, Director of Planned Giving & Endowments, to learn more about setting up your Donor Advised Fund.
Supporting Foundations
A Supporting Foundation is an independent tax-exempt entity with its own identity and corporate structure. It is governed and operated by its own Board of Trustees and qualifies as a public charity, and therefore, a tax-exempt entity, because of its affiliation with Jewish Federation of St. Louis.
Leadership
NOTE: All names are in alphabetical order by last name.
Planning & Allocations/Transition Committee
Committee Chair: Greg Yawitz
Committee Members: Douglas Baron*, Daniel Friedman, Burt Garland*, Daniel Ginsburg, Randall E. Green, Gerry Greiman, JoAnne Levy, Ruth Raskas, Craig Rosenthal*, Sue Schlichter*, Sherry Shuman*, and Les Sterman
Staff: Emily Bornstein, Mindee Fredman, Lori Kabrun-Berry, Michael Oberlander, Andrew Rehfeld
At this time, we are in the process of developing a model to implement our new Strategic Plan, and we are exploring different methods to look at all our investments through the lens of our new Strategic Plan.
We are also beginning to restructure the framework for lay involvement in the new model. The vision for the new model moves away from thematic subcommittees and towards committees with substantive expertise and experience that can support the processes in needs assessment; planning and review of impactful interventions and programs; community investment; and evaluating the impact of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis’ investments.
*These individuals were past Subcommittee Chairs and play a leadership role in the transition process.