Types of Funds
With over 700 funds, The Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven can help you explore any number of charitable opportunities that will work for you and your family.
There are many different ways in which you can establish an endowment fund for what is important to you. Below are some of the types of funds you can establish through a current gift, a bequest, a gift of insurance or retirement assets.
In 2023, the Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven distributed
to charitable organizations
Areas of Need
Funds are vital resources that can address a myriad of pressing needs, from supporting community development to fostering innovation and empowering individuals.
UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
Unrestricted Funds allow the Foundation to meet the changing needs of the Jewish community through our grants process, the planning and allocations process of the Jewish Federation, and community initiatives. Many community members have established such funds in honor of a special anniversary or birthday, or in memory of a loved one.
FUNDS FOR SYNAGOGUES
You can establish a restricted endowment fund at the Jewish Foundation for the benefit of your synagogue. Your fund can be designated for specific purposes such as religious school scholarships, adult education or to subsidize membership for those in need, or it can be for general purposes. Your fund can be named after loved ones or in honor of a special occasion. Every year your synagogue will receive a distribution from your fund.
FUNDS FOR LOCAL JEWISH AGENCIES
You can establish a restricted endowment fund at the Jewish Foundation for the benefit of the Towers, the JCC, UCONN Hillel, the Jewish Cemetery Association, Jewish Family Service, the Jewish Historical Society, or for any program or organization that is important to you. Your fund can be designated for specific purposes or it can be for general purposes. Your fund can be named after loved ones or in honor of a special occasion. Every year the organization will receive a distribution from your fund.
FUNDS FOR WOMEN'S PHILANTHROPY
The Women of Vision Society was created in 1996 in order to ensure that a permanent, restricted endowment fund would forever be available to enhance the quality of life for Jewish women and their families in Greater New Haven, in Israel, and around the world. One hundred women contributed $1,000 each to establish the original endowment from which grants have been made annually since 1998. The Women of Vision Society Too initiative was launched in 2002 to allow additional members of the community the opportunity to increase the monies available for grants, which support speakers for Jewish women’s programming, and projects of concern to the Jewish home and family. Since 1998 the Women of Vision Society has distributed over $200,000 in grants.
Women of Vision 2022 Grant Recipients
Women of Vision 2022 Brochure
YOUTH PHILANTHROPY AND BUILD A TZEDAKAH FUNDS
The Build-a-Tzedakah program allows young adults to engage in charitable giving by contributing $600 from their Bar or Bat Mitzvah gifts, with a match of $400 from a community donor. With this, the young adult now has a $1000 named charitable fund at the Jewish Foundation—they, or others, can add to the fund at anytime and in honor of special occasions- and, every December (Hannukah time), they will be given the opportunity to choose to which charity(ies) they want to make a distribution (distributions are based on the Jewish Foundation’s spending policy but most comply with IRS regulations which inlcludes that they must be charitable and may only be made to US based public charities).
OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS, BUILD A TZEDAKAH FUNDS HAVE DISTRIBUTED OVER $40,000 TO MORE THAN 60 ORGANIZATIONS!
PACE AND LOJE FUNDS FOR THE JEWISH FEDERATION
How can you provide for Jewish education, camps, schools, the frail elderly, those in need, the JCC and for Jews in need abroad and in Israel? By your annual gift to the UJA-Federation of Greater New Haven. And how can you Create a Jewish Legacy to provide for future generations of Jews in Greater New Haven, Israel, and throughout the world? By establishing an endowment for the benefit of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven’s Annual Campaign.
Endowments for the benefit of the Jewish Federation’s Annual Campaign are called “PACE” (Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowment) or “LOJE” (Lion of Judah Endowment). A PACE fund is a restricted named fund at the Jewish Foundation which endows your UJA-Federation annual campaign gift. A LOJE fund is a type of PACE fund which provides a permanent endowment to perpetuate a woman’s annual Lion of Judah campaign gift.
PACE and LOJE funds allow our community, through permanent endowment funds dedicated to the Jewish Federation Annual Campaign, to insure that we have funds available that will continue to provide for vital programs and services both in Greater New Haven, in Israel and overseas… for present and future generations.
FUNDS FOR JEWISH EDUCATION
You can establish a fund or add to an existing fund for Jewish education. Your fund can be for your scholarships to synagogue schools, Jewish day schools or pre-schools or for March of the Living. You can also add to an existing fund or establish a fund for Jewish special education or for the many programs sponsored through the Center for Jewish Life and Learning.
FUNDS FOR JEWISH CAMPING
You can establish a restricted endowment fund at the Jewish Foundation for the benefit of Camp Laurelwood or the JCC Camp. Your fund can be designated for specific purposes such as scholarships or it can be for general purposes. Your fund can be named after loved ones or in honor of a special occasion. Every year your synagogue will receive a distribution from your fund.
ISRAEL AND OVERSEAS ENDOWMENT FUNDS
The Jewish Foundation holds restricted endowment funds that guarantee that our community will continue to support Israel and Jewish communities in need overseas. These funds make annual distributions for the Jewish Agency for Israel, the American Joint Distribution Committee, or to donor designated charitable Jewish organizations which support Israel and Jews in need overseas. You can donate to the Israel Endowment Fund at the Jewish Foundation, or, establish your own family endowment fund to support Israel and Jewish communities in need overseas.
FUNDS IN MEMORY OF OR IN HONOR OF LOVED ONES
You can establish a named fund in memory of loved ones. You can also establish a named fund in honor of loved ones or in honor of a special occassion such as an anniversary, milestone birthday, or bar/bat mitzvah.
What is important to you? What community needs would best honor your loved one or family name and continue that legacy?
Community members have established funds in memory of parents and grandparents or in memory of family members who perished in the holocaust.
FUNDS FOR THOSE IN NEED
The Maimonides and Devorah Funds at the Jewish Foundation provide anonymous financial assistance for emergencies and/or medical needs.
The purpose of these funds is to help meet immediate needs in the areas of housing, medical care, food, and other emergency relief (coverage of one-time expenses that threaten to put a family or individual in a crisis situation such as inability to pay for childcare and/or transportation that are necessary for income).
These funds were established to follow the precepts of Maimonides, who, in defining levels of tzedakah deemed one of the highest levels to be matan b’seter (giving in secret) in which the benefactor has no knowledge of the recipient and the latter has no knowledge of the individual source of charity.
You can donate directly to the Maimonides and Devorah Funds or establish your own family endowment fund to benefit those in need.
COMMUNITY WISHLIST
View our community wishlist to support both Jewish and Secular organizations with specific areas of need.
Making an Impact and How You Can Get Involved
PACE & LOJE
Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowment and Lion of Judah Endowment
How can you provide for Jewish education, camps, schools, the elderly, those in need, the JCC and for Jews locally and overseas? With your annual gift to the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven.
UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
Individuals or families can establish a named Unrestricted Fund at the Jewish Foundation with a minimum donation of $1,000.
DESIGNATED / RESTRICTED FUNDS
For Synagogues, Agencies and Other Organizations
With the Jewish Foundation, you can establish a named Designated/Restricted Fund for your synagogue, for Jewish education, for the needy, for Israel, for the arts, or for any charitable program or organization that is important to you.
YOUTH PHILANTHROPY
Build a Tzedakah Funds
The Build-a-Tzedakah program allows young adults to engage in charitable giving by contributing $600 from their Bar or Bat Mitzvah gifts, with a match of $400 from a community donor.
DONOR ADVISED
Philanthropic Funds
For individuals and families seeking active involvement in philanthropy, a Philanthropic Fund (also called a donor-advised fund) allows the donor to create a named fund that provides flexibility in charitable giving.
FUND MANAGEMENT
And Investment of Synagogue, Agency, and Organization Custodial Accounts
The Foundation’s professional staff and its centrality to the Jewish Federation insure continuous, permanent, and secure fund management and enhance donor confidence and prestige.