Endowments are eternal. The original founders of the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation understood this truth. One of the simplest forms of planned giving, an endowment is a fund in which an original sum (principal gift) is invested and the income from the fund (or a percentage of the total fund) is distributed annually to support a particular organization or program.
The original gift is invested and protected as an endowment so it will always remain in existence. Endowments are often named to honor the donor or as part of a family legacy, but they can also be anonymous. Endowments play a vital role in supplementing operating budgets and providing financial stability for our Jewish community.
In the fall of 2011, OJCF’s Community Endowment Fund and Schnitzer Supporting Foundation granted a total of $106,369 to 30 Jewish and secular organizations in our community (see boxes this page).
When OJCF established the Community Endowment Fund in 1996, it was for the purpose of providing a secure and permanent way for people of all income levels to contribute to the health of our community and enable OJCF to serve as a “first responder” to unforeseen community needs.
Through the years, the Community Endowment Fund has provided support for programming at more than 40 local Jewish and secular agencies. Some of these programs might not have been established or continued, were it not for the Community Endowment Fund.
The same can be said for the Leonard and Lois Schnitzer Supporting Foundation. Leonard and Lois Schnitzer established this Supporting Foundation in 1997. Each year, the fund accepts applications for a variety of organizations and proposals considered by a grant committee for the annual distributions.
Some of the types of programs the Supporting Foundation has funded include the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland’s Annual Campaign, Jewish art and culture, community development, education, health and social welfare.
Since it began accepting applications in 2004, the Supporting Foundation has awarded more than $400,000 to Oregon’s Jewish community and the community at large. The Schnitzer Supporting Foundation was also one of the original creators of OJCF’s Living Room Fund, which subsidizes the cost of rentals for non-fundraising events hosted by Jewish organizations at the MJCC.
Jewish tradition teaches us the importance of planting seeds of growth for our Jewish community – today and tomorrow. Endowments provide a wonderful way to fulfill this tradition.
You can help keep our community strong by creating a Jewish legacy that will honor you and your family forever. OJCF has the expertise to oversee the investment and distribution of these gifts for individuals and organizations in our community. Endowments are one way to realize your heartfelt commitment to creating a strong Jewish future for your children and grandchildren.
If you would like to learn more, please visit our website at www.ojcf.org or call Julie Diamond at 503-248-9328.
Janet Storm is the marketing and donor relations manager for Oregon Jewish Community Foundation.
OJCF Community Endowment Fund and Schnitzer Supporting Foundation
Fall 2011 Grants to Community Organizations
OJCF* Schnitzer*
Birthright Israel Foundation
Taglit Birthright Israel $1,000 $5,000
B’nai Brith Mens’ Camp Association
Dining Hall Replacement $10,000 $5,000
Cedar Sinai Park
Elder’s Family Learning Initiative $3,000
Doctor Rides for Seniors $1,000
Mindfulness of Aging $2,000
Community Warehouse
Community Warehouse Washington County $500
Congregation Neveh Shalom
The Mothers Circle Associated Program $3,000 $2,000
Congregation Shaarie Torah
Rock’n Shabbat – PDX $2,000
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon
NE Emergency Food Program’s Outdoor Stand $500 $500
Hesed Shel Emet
Oregon Jewish Indigent Burial Society $3,000
Jewish Community of Central Oregon
Bend Jewish Library Automation Project $1,000
Jewish Family & Child Service
Safety Net Services $5,000 $4,000
Jewish Federation of Greater Portland
PJ Library Portland $5,000 $1,069
JFGP Annual Campaign $25,000
Jewish Student Union
Eugene JSU at South and North High Schools $1,000
Jewish Theatre Collaborative
The Loman Family Picnic at Theatre on Belmont $1,000
Mittleman Jewish Community Center
Chai Baby Program $1,000
Living Room Fund $1,000
Warm Water Therapy Pool $3,000 $3,000
Moishe House
Moishe House Portland $1,000
Morasha-Melton
Melton Scholarship and Subsidies Fund $3,000
Oregon Area Jewish Committee
OAJC-Building Bridges for the Future $1,000
Oregon Community Warehouse
Community Warehouse Westside $1,000
Oregon Hillel
Peer-Network Engagement Interns $1,000
Oregon Holocaust Resource Center
Technology for Speakers Bureau presentations $300
Oregon Jewish Community Foundation
Create a Jewish Legacy Initiative Grants $10,000
OJCF Website Upgrade $3,776
Oregon Jewish Museum
Community History in Portland Cemeteries $2,000
Field Trip Scholarships for School Visits to OJM $2,500
Portland Jewish Academy
Celebrating PJA’s 50th Anniversary $2,000
50th Anniversary Artist-in Residency $2,750
Returning Veterans Project
2012 Outreach Project $500
Temple Beth Israel Eugene
TBI Arts & Aesthetics Committee $500
Total Grants $54,800 $51,569
*OJCF Community Endowment Fund and Schnitzer Supporting Foundation
