Last month, members of J-LEAD, the Jewish Community Foundation’s (JCF) young adult giving circle, gathered with their families for an afternoon of volunteering at Mitzvah Garden KC.
The event was open to all J-LEAD members, their children and guests. Volunteers participated in a variety of projects to support the garden’s operations, including laying compost and milkweed seeds on a trail to attract monarch butterflies, turning apples into cider and harvesting tomatoes.
Founded in 2005, J-LEAD was created to inspire young Jewish adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s in Kansas City to join together to make an impact on the Jewish community. J-LEAD is a giving circle that makes grants from funds collected by its members. By pooling resources together and collectively making grant decisions, J-LEAD members amplify their impact.
J-LEAD volunteer outings connect members with the agencies and programs that their membership dollars support. A longstanding partner of J-LEAD, Mitzvah Garden KC is a volunteer-supported, nonprofit garden that is dedicated to growing community while providing education about the agricultural roots of the Jewish calendar.
Another initiative through which JCF empowers young philanthropists is the B’nai Tzedek program. B’nai Tzedek encourages teens to participate in tzedakah by establishing their own charitable giving funds with JCF. To open a fund, a teen contributes a minimum of $125, which JCF triple-matches with $375, resulting in a beginning fund balance of at least $500.
Each year, B’nai Tzedek fundholders may grant 10% of their funds to any Jewish charity in Kansas City, Israel or another Jewish community of residence during or after college. Teens are invited to deepen their understanding of communal needs at JCF’s annual B’nai Tzedek Shuk, where they can meet representatives from community organizations and learn how their support can make a difference. For further engagement, B’nai Tzedek participants can join the B’nai Tzedek Youth Council, a group of teens that meets monthly to encourage their peers to give and learn about how to maximize their philanthropic impact. The Youth Council also plays a key role in planning the Shuk.
To help support J-LEAD and B’nai Tzedek, JCF recently received a grant from the Walmart Foundation, Overland Park Neighborhood Market.
More information about these programs is available by contacting Suzanne Galblum Dicken, JCF director of philanthropy, at or (913) 327-8286.
