What We Fund
Community Investments
Each year, the Jewish Federation of St. Louis works with our volunteer and professional community leadership to assess the needs of our community and establish strategic plans to sustain our vibrant Jewish ecosystem. Through our partnerships with thousands of donors, we then raise over $15 million each year to meet those needs. Our volunteers then lead a community investment process to get those funds working to fulfill our mission through agencies, congregations, organizations, and programs. Our team then evaluates those investments based on the impact they are having here in St. Louis, in Israel and wherever there is a need. This community impact and philanthropy work has been done since our inception in 1901 and remains the core of our work.
Community Investment Opportunities
We have many funding opportunities available to nonprofit organizations and types of support available to individual community members.
Learn more about our Community Investment Opportunities.
Total Community Investments Chart
Sources of Funds
Data from the 2017 Annual Report
Leadership
Planning & Allocations/Transition Committee
NOTE: All names are in alphabetical order by last name.
Committee Chair: Greg Yawitz
Committee Members: Douglas Baron*, Daniel Friedman, Burt Garland*, Daniel Ginsburg, Randall E. Green, Gerry Greiman, JoAnne Levy, Craig Rosenthal*, Sue Schlichter*, Sherry Shuman*, and Les Sterman, Thomas A. Stern
*These individuals were past Subcommittee Chairs and play a leadership role in the transition process.
Staff
Michael Oberlander, Chief Philanthropy Officer
Mindee Fredman, Director, Community Investment
Nikki Weinstein, Director, Community Assessment & Planning
Emily Bornstein, Manager, Impact & Evaluation
Lori Kabrun-Berry, Senior Associate, Community Impact
Nava Kantor, Associate, Community Impact
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.