Lauren Mattleman Hoopes, executive director of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City, gazed out over the sea of faces, smiled, and then waved.
“For those of you who have never heard of us before today … Hello!” she exclaimed to ripples of laughter. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
More than a thousand people had gathered to salute “The Power of One” at Nonprofit Connect’s 35th annual Philanthropy Awards Luncheon at the Muehlebach Tower of the Kansas City Marriott Downtown. Hoopes accepted the Excellence in Impact Award on behalf of her agency, the first community foundation ever to earn it.
“Since 1959, the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City has partnered with hundreds of dedicated individuals, families, and nonprofit organizations to make our Kansas City community a better place,” said Kansas City Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt, the event’s co-chair, before introducing Hoopes — who then introduced the crowd to the Foundation’s mission and impact.
Noting that the Jewish Community Foundation is among the oldest of its kind in North America, she explained how its support helps a wide range of charitable organizations, from social-service agencies to health-care facilities to major cultural and education institutions. Hoopes emphasized that this philanthropy goes well beyond Jewish causes: 45% of all donor-advised grants benefit the general community, with 85% of those gifts staying in Kansas City.
With assets of more than $245 million, the Foundation oversaw more than 5,000 separate grants to some 1,000 grantee organizations last year, totaling $24 million — a new record.
“Each individual act of compassion, each decision to give, to invest is inspired, enriched and amplified by the values of the Jewish community,” she said. “The power of those individual acts, enlivened by the joy of being part of something greater than ourselves, is transformed by the shared belief of the possibility and the responsibility to help make not only Kansas City but the whole world a better place.”
The 400-some Donor Advised Funds are only one component of the agency’s “Continuum of Giving.” The Foundation also cultivates future and emerging philanthropists through its B’nai Tzedek funds for Bar- and Bat-Mitzvah-aged students and the J-LEAD giving circle for donors in their 20s, 30s and 40s. The capstone of the giving continuum is the Create a Jewish Legacy program, which helps local Jewish organizations build their endowments and advises donors on the generational impact of planned giving.
“Focusing on multigenerational giving and sewing the seeds of generosity and community-mindedness among the youngest members of our community, we hope to pave the way for a bright future of volunteerism and philanthropy in Kansas City,” Hoopes said.
The Foundation was officially nominated for the award by Sol Koenigsberg, executive director emeritus of the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, and Stan Zeldin, Jewish Community Foundation past president, with enthusiastic documented support from several community leaders and organizations.
Koenigsberg was thrilled to see the Foundation honored at this event. “I really thought we owed it to Lauren for guiding the agency in such a way that it became a very meaningful community resource.”
He added that while other, general community foundations may focus primarily on growing their donors’ assets and acting on their wishes, the Jewish Community Foundation “really cooperates with other organizations to respond to community need. That’s a very big difference, and I’m glad to see that recognized as something really special.”
A regional association of more than 750 nonprofit agencies and community-minded businesses, Nonprofit Connect serves thousands of volunteers and professionals with its networking and training programs. Its annual fundraising luncheon has become perhaps the city’s biggest celebration of local philanthropy.
“This is one of my favorite events every year,” said Gail Weinberg, a former board member of Nonprofit Connect and a longtime supporter, with her husband Gary, of the Jewish Community Foundation. “[Nonprofit Connect] is a wonderful organization to be involved with and to be recognized by. I’ve watched it grow and encompass more of the community and more of the Jewish community, which I really like to see.”
Indeed, as unprecedented as the Foundation’s award may be, Hoopes acknowledged there were also many familiar faces among the thousand at the luncheon. Several of the Foundation’s partner agencies were in the hall, as were John Isenberg, Tom Isenberg, and Carol Barnett — honored as Philanthropists of the Year at last year’s Nonprofit Connect luncheon, and here this year as supporters of Jewish Community Foundation.
“To our old friends, I just want to say that I am so glad that you are here to celebrate with us,” Hoopes said. “To all of you, our deepest gratitude for this remarkable recognition.”
To learn more about how the Jewish Community Foundation works with donors of all ages and financial capacities to maximize philanthropic impact, contact Josh Stein at 913-327-8121 or jstein@