Foundation Facts
The Jewish Foundation is committed to promoting Jewish philanthropy, for the UJA-Federation, for our agencies, for Jewish education, for our synagogues, for Israel and for Jews in need at home, overseas, and in Israel.
Our Charitable Distributions
In the 2018 fiscal/calendar year, the Jewish Foundation distributed over $2.78 million to charitable organizations, 80% of that went to local Jewish organizations and synagogues. Click the thumbnails below to display a full sized image of those distributions organized by area of need.
Financial Information
Investment and Management of the Jewish Foundation Endowment Funds
In the 2018 fiscal/calendar year, the Jewish Foundation distributed over $2.78 million to charitable organizations (80% to local Jewish organizations and ended the year with over $50 million in total endowment funds. The Foundation’s Investment Committee in consult with the Foundation’s outside independent advisor, continues to employ a conservative and expert investment strategy and long-term outlook concerning the investment and management of the Foundation’s endowment funds. In addition, the Foundation’s long-term approach to endowment spending has sought to maintain and grow each endowment fund while providing the beneficiary organization with guaranteed and consistent distributions.
The Foundation’s investments are guided by an independent and outside investment advisor, SCS Financial Services, LLC, who, on a regular basis, meets with and reports to the Foundation’s Investment Committee. SCS’s responsibilities include recommending, researching and conducting due diligence on all fund managers as well as regular monitoring and reviewing of the fund managers. In addition, SCS recommends an asset mix within established asset allocation guidelines, monitors portfolio performance, and recommends investment policy to the investment committee, which in turn must be voted upon by the Foundation Board of Trustees.
THE FOUNDATION’S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES INCLUDE:
(i) ensuring that the Foundation can continue to distribute according to a prudent spending policy from restricted and unrestricted funds
(ii) providing for the long-term growth of the endowment, while
(iii) constantly trying to balance these objectives against risk. The Foundation and its Investment Committee are committed to ensuring the preservation of our community’s endowment.
In addition, some of the things the Jewish Foundation and SCS continue to practice include:
- Diversification
- High Quality Managers
- Disciplined Rebalancing
- Intense Oversight
ASSET ALLOCATION
The Foundation will continue to maintain a disciplined, well-diversified portfolio which is regularly monitored and re-balanced. On 12/31/18, 29% of the portfolio was composed of fixed-income securities. Another 47% included domestic and international equity. The balance of the managed fund included alternative assets such as emerging markets, private credit, private real assets, and private equity, all of which are carefully monitored, vetted and continue to perform well. The Foundation also holds cash, life insurance and Israel Bonds.
SPENDING POLICY
Each year, the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Foundation approves a prudent spending policy that is applied to all unrestricted funds as well as Foundation owned restricted funds. The spending policy is developed in consultation with the outside Investment Advisor, as well as the Foundation’s Finance and Investment committees. In making its decision, the Board follows the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act (UPMIFA), and approves a spending policy that takes into account the uses, benefits, purposes, and duration of the endowment.
The Jewish Foundation is a public charity, not a private foundation. It is a Type I Supporting Organization of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven. The Jewish Foundation is its own, separate, tax-exempt organization. The Foundation files its own Form 990 and conducts its own audit. Its federal tax id number is 45-2403156.
Publications & Links
Foundation Publications and Documents
WOMEN OF VISION 2018 GRANT RECIPIENTS
WOMEN OF VISION 2018 GRANT GUIDELINESLet's Start a Conversation
The Jewish Foundation can help you explore charitable opportunities that work for you.
The Jewish Foundation is a trusted and expert resource for charitable gift planning and endowments and serves as a partner and resource for synagogues, local Jewish agencies, professional advisors and donors.
When you make a current gift or leave a bequest to the Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven, you not only benefit our community, but you can also support the causes that are important to you. You can designate that your gift be used to provide unrestricted funds to help meet community needs now and in the future or to endow a permanent fund to aid identified programs, your synagogue, agencies, organizations, or initiatives (Jewish or not Jewish, in Greater New Haven, Israel or beyond) that are of particular interest to you and your family.
Lisa Stanger, Esq., Executive Director
Tiberius Halai, Grants and Gift Manager
Beth Kupcho, Scholarship and Philanthropy Manager
Stephanie Licsak, Controller
Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven
360 Amity Road
Woodbridge, CT 06525
203-387-2424, ext. 382
203-387-1818 (fax)
lstanger@jewishnewhaven.org
Jewishnewhaven.org
For Professional Advisors
If you are working with a professional advisor or advising a donor, here’s a useful guide for including the Don Bosco Prep in a charitable estate plan.