In its core granting cycle, the Jewish Community Foundation’s (JCF) Community Legacy Fund has awarded $349,175 to 21 Jewish community organizations.
These grants are intended to help enhance and maintain the quality of Jewish life in the Greater Kansas City area. Core grants support the general operating expenses (core expenses) central to the accomplishment of an organization’s mission. The Community Legacy Fund also makes core grants for unique services not otherwise available within the Jewish community that are essential to Jewish life.
One of the organizations that received funding was Community Kollel of Kansas City, an organization working to bring Jewish learning and living to the local community through educational opportunities, programs and events.
“As we work to relaunch the Community Kollel of Kansas City, the support from the JCF Legacy Fund is essential to our success,” said Jerry Bernard, president of Kollel’s board. “On behalf of the Kollel’s board of directors, we appreciate the Foundation’s commitment to supporting organizations like the Kollel that are committed to providing engaging Jewish experiences across our community.”
In an effort to have the greatest impact upon the Jewish community, the Community Legacy Fund maintains the following objectives: to provide financial support for safety net services; to nurture a strong Jewish community by providing underwriting for Jewish education, community relations and cultural arts; to provide financial support for seed programs which meet an identified community need; to purchase equipment which enhances an organization’s general operations or programs; to provide core support for Jewish community agencies; and to provide support for programs which are essential to Jewish life in Kansas City.
The Community Legacy Fund consists of permanent endowments from which grants are awarded to agencies whose applications are reviewed and evaluated by the JCF Grants Committee and board of trustees. In addition to its core granting cycle, the fund has an innovation/emergency cycle intended to support high-quality, new programs that provide an innovative approach or solution to an existing or emerging community need or respond to financial or humanitarian emergencies.
“The Community Legacy Grants Committee is a large committee, but I believe each member of the committee feels not only a great responsibility but also that it is a privilege to be able to help the agencies we fund make a difference in people's lives,” said Grants Committee Chair Linda Lyon.
Community Legacy Fund grants were awarded for the following programs:
- BBYO (Rent)
- Community Kollel of Kansas City (Health insurance)
- Gan Chabad Torah Learning Center - Kansas City Kosher Meals on Wheels (Audit)
- Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy (Scholarships)
- The J (Property, liability and casualty insurance)
- Jewish Community Relations Bureau | American Jewish Committee (General support)
- Jewish Community Campus (Utilities)
- Jewish Family Services (Chaplaincy program; pantry rent and technology; Priya)
- Jewish Vocational Services (General support)
- Kansas City Hospice and Palliative Care (National accreditation)
- KU Chabad (Bookkeeping services)
- KU Hillel (Accounting services)
- Midwest Center for Holocaust Education (Rent and financial services)
- Mikvah Association (General Upkeep)
- Missouri Hillel (Staff salaries, benefits and facility upkeep)
- NCSY (Jewish Student Union)
- Overland Park Eruv (Operational support)
- Rabbinical Association (Funding for the part-time administrator)
- Sasone (School support and enhancement)
- Vaad HaKashruth (Kosher supervision staffing)
- Village Shalom (New computers and software)
More information about the Community Legacy Fund is available by contacting Beatrice Fine at or (913) 327-4618.
