Mission
The mission of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City is to promote the practice of tzedakah (charity) and the pursuit of tikkun olam (repairing the world) by serving as the advocate for planned giving and the central resource for personalized charitable funds for individuals, families, and organizations in the community.
Vision
The vision of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City is to foster, sustain and ensure a strong and vibrant Jewish community for today and for generations to come.
History
The Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City is one of the oldest independent Jewish community foundations in North America. It was created in 1959 "to encourage the contribution of gifts and bequests to assure that the community will continue to be served regardless of economic conditions or changing needs, to enable donors to use available tax planning programs, and to provide an everlasting memorial for the donor or loved one."
The Jewish Community Foundation has evolved over the decades to become a multi-faceted, dynamic center for creative philanthropy and an international leader in innovative and collaborative programs, ranging from youth philanthropy to organizational capacity building and crowd-sourced charitable giving. In the last twenty years, Foundation funds have provided support to local, national and international charities in excess of $398 million. Charitable contributions to the Foundation over the same period have exceeded $394 million.
The Jewish Community Foundation is the recipient of the 2019 Excellence in Impact Award from Nonprofit Connect.
Past Presidents
Nathan Rieger 1959-1964
Hyman Brand 1964-1968
Morris Cohen* 1968-1972
Edward A. Smith 1972-1977
Morton I. Sosland 1977-1980
H. Paul Rosenberg 1980-1984
Donald H. Tranin 1984-1991
William B. Lowenstein 1991-1994
Arthur Brand 1994-1997
Stanley J. Bushman 1997-2000
Stanford A. Zeldin 2000-2003
Merilyn Berenbom 2003-2006
Michael A. Schultz 2006-2009
Ronald W. Goldsmith 2009-2012
L. Joshua Sosland 2012-2015
Irvin V. Belzer 2015-2018
Alice Jacks Achtenberg 2018-2021
Frank W. Lipsman 2021-2024
