The Jewish Community Foundation hosted its 63rd annual meeting and installation of officers and trustees on the evening of Dec 14.
Foundation fundholders and friends gathered at the Jewish Community Campus for a social reception and program about the Foundation’s achievements over the past year. The event also included the official unveiling and dedication of the Foundation’s new Donor Wall space.
The Donor Wall, located near the front entrance of the Campus, showcases several large digital screens and oversized print pieces that display videos, comprehensive donor lists and donor stories.
“This space is truly a reflection of the dynamic, innovative and modern organization that is the Jewish Community Foundation,” said Frank Lipsman, president of the JCF Board of Trustees. “The primary purpose of the Donor Wall is to publicly recognize our ‘Foundation Family’ for their many individual acts of generosity and commitment to the sustainability and future growth of our community.”
The theme of the annual meeting was “Re,” a prefix meaning “again” or “anew.”
“‘Re’ signifies commitment, consistency, and affirmation,” Lipsman said. “It’s a prefix that lends itself well to the Jewish Community Foundation’s work.”
Words such as “reconnect,” “remember,” “reimagine” and “regrow” were used throughout the program to categorize the organization’s accomplishments and reports in various areas of its work.
The d’var Torah, given by Judy Jacks Berman, director of the Rose Family Early Childhood Education Center at Congregation Beth Shalom, was titled “Rededicate,” and included advice for engaging children in giving during the Hanukkah season.
In a segment titled “Recognize,” JCF trustees Annie Wishna and Lara Pabst honored the audience by asking them to stand in response to a variety of questions about their community involvement and philanthropic values. When the entire audience was standing, Wishna and Pabst thanked them for their partnership and support of the Foundation.
“To everyone standing, thank you for being a part of our ‘Foundation Family,’” Pabst said at the meeting. “You are an integral part of our work. You have made a positive impact on our organization and strengthened our community, each in your own distinctive way.”
After an update on market performance by JCF investment committee chair Brian Scharf, Lipsman and JCF Executive Director Lauren Mattleman Hoopes jointly reported on several highlights of the Foundation’s work in 2022. They shared that by mid-December, nearly $30 million had been distributed from Foundation funds to nonprofit organizations, with the majority of those distributions benefitting local Jewish community agencies and synagogues.
The Foundation had many successful philanthropic programs throughout the year, including the B’nai Tzedek Shuk, J-LEAD Grants Celebration, and, most recently, Foundation for Our Future, which honored the more than 900 donors who have collectively committed nearly $100 million in future planned gifts to local community organizations. Another $74 million of planned gifts have already been realized, helping to support 18 congregations and organizations in Kansas City, Lawrence, and Topeka.
At the meeting, the following trustees were elected: Louis Cohn, Taly Friedman, David Goodman, Paul Greenwood, Joe Hiersteiner, Josh Hoffman, Frank Lipsman, Jeff Mallin, Lara Pabst, Marcia Soltz, David Sosland, Annie Wishna, and Ryan Zeldin.
The following officers were also elected: Frank Lipsman, president; Edward Goldstein, vice president; David Goodman, vice president; Joe Hiersteiner, vice president; James Klein, vice president; Linda Lyon, vice president; Bob Palan, treasurer; and Lauren Mattleman Hoopes, secretary.