On June 4, the Jewish Community Foundation welcomed current and former members of its J-LEAD giving circle to a special 20th anniversary celebration at Chicken N Pickle in Overland Park.

At the event, members reflected on J-LEAD’s meaningful impact on the community and noted that since the program’s inception, more than $575,000 has been granted to support communal organizations and programs. The recipients of 2026 J-LEAD grants were also invited to attend and share how J-LEAD support will positively affect their organizations. 

By pooling together resources and collectively making grant decisions, J-LEAD (Jewish Leadership Education Action and Development) members are able to achieve a greater good than any one member could alone. Membership is open to young adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s who may join for a $500 charitable contribution. For a limited time, the Foundation is running a special promotion for new members, who may join for only $250. 

The program was conceived in 2006 when Lauren Hoopes, then-executive director of the Jewish Community Foundation, approached Gregory Wolf about starting a giving circle for young professionals in the Kansas City Jewish community. Since that time, more than 250 community members have participated in J-LEAD, many of whom have served on the J-LEAD steering committee and helped guide the program and grow its philanthropic impact. 

“I wanted to provide opportunities for young professionals to engage with other young professionals in a setting where they could make an impact,” Wolf said. “J-LEAD was a mechanism to do that in the Jewish community. It warms my heart to see something that I spent so much time and effort on continue to grow.”

In addition to increasing the impact of their philanthropy, J-LEAD empowers members to forge meaningful connections within the Jewish community. Through collective decision-making and volunteer and social activities, J-LEAD members engage with peers who share their passion for making a difference. The program also offers educational resources and opportunities for members to deepen their understanding of philanthropy, Jewish values and community needs. After their participation, many members have gone on to hold prominent leadership positions in the community and have become more thoughtful and strategic philanthropists.

Abby Lane, current co-chair of J-LEAD, said of her experience, “J-LEAD has made me want to figure out ways to give more, both with my time, but especially with my money, and also has helped facilitate conversations between my husband and me about our values, what causes speak to us and how we can help create a legacy of giving.” 

“It’s been powerful to start conversations with my husband and our two boys about what it means to contribute to your community and what needs there might be that you weren’t aware of,” co-chair Becky Barnett said. “It’s really special to let people know what’s going on in the community and how we can have a bigger impact than we thought possible.”

J-LEAD’s grantmaking capacity is enhanced by long-time support from the Jewish Community Foundation’s Community Legacy Fund, which has added $10,000 to J-LEAD’s grantable balance since the program graduated from its pilot phase. This generous investment empowers the next generation to make an even larger impact on the Jewish community. 

This year, J-LEAD awarded $26,026 in grants to the following organizations:

  • The J: Community Purim Carnival 
  • Jewish Family Services: Care Management & Support for Holocaust Survivors 
  • JCRB|AJC: Student to Student Program 
  • Jewish Vocational Service (JVS): Refugee Youth Summer Enrichment Program 
  • Mitzvah Garden: Pro-Semitism Capacity Building 
  • Village Shalom: Sensory Room for Weissman Skilled Nursing Memory Support 

More information about the J-LEAD program is available by contacting Suzanne Galblum Dicken at or (913) 327-8286.