"I urge when asking others to join us in our noble efforts, that you do not shy away from discussing character, legacy, and meaning – the eulogy virtues for which we will be remembered."

The Jewish Community Foundation currently manages over 800 funds, including 260 donor advised funds, and more than $380 million in assets. Our endowment funds support the Jewish Federation through Caring for Those in Need, Supporting Israel and Global Jewry, and Securing a Vibrant Jewish Future. To learn more about the Foundation and why we changed the name from the Endowments Program, click here. 

Below are just some of the ways that donors can make a planned gift and lasting impact on the Jewish Community for generations to come:

• Donor Advised Funds (DAFs): A simplified way to manage charitable giving by recommending where to direct the dollars from one consolidated place.
• Charitable Gift Annuities (CGA): A tax-efficient way for those aged 55 and older to make a contribution to a nonprofit organization and receive regular payouts. The remaining dollars are then given to your chosen charity.
• Life Insurance: You can buy life insurance and name the Jewish Federation as the owner and beneficiary to receive the policy benefits after your passing. 
• Individual Retirement Account (IRA): There are two tax-efficient options for creating a planned gift with an IRA - a Charitable IRA rollover, in which you can transfer up to $100,000 per year to a charity of your choosing, OR by naming a charity as beneficiary of your IRA when you pass away.

Alaina Gillespie

• Senior Administrative Assistant for Jewish Community Foundation
• Set Up and Maintain Estate and Donor Files 
• Process Restricted Fund Distributions 

Sonya Aronowitz

• Philanthropy Officer 
• Develop and Maintain Donor Relationships 
• Manages the Life & Legacy initiative and the Professional Advisors Network

The Bernard and Etta Weinberg Family Fund of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia was established by Etta Weinberg during her lifetime and funded through her estate. It is one of the Jewish Federation’s largest restricted endowment funds, with over $23 million in assets. The fund distributes grants in accordance with the terms of Etta’s trust to the areas she cared most about during her lifetime: geriatric counseling and care management (50% of grant), older adults (33% of grant), and Jewish education (16% of grant). Any unallocated dollars may be directed to Israeli charities. The allocations of this fund are overseen by a committee of lay leaders and professionals, who continue to search for programs that are new, innovative and reflect Etta's core areas of interest.

For Fiscal Year 2025, more than $1,095,000 in grants has been provided to 15 programs in the Greater Philadelphia area and in Israel. To learn more about the Bernard and Etta Weinberg Family Fund, click here. 

"The Bernard and Etta Weinberg Endowment Fund has and will continue to make a significant impact in the lives of our older adults and for our Jewish community at-large for generations to come. I am proud of this year’s grants, which have been thoroughly vetted as a way to ensure that they address the highest needs, make the largest impact and abide by the wishes of Etta Weinberg.”

- Liz Shaid, Chair of the Weinberg Fund Committee