By Sandy Dochen 

The year 2021 brought more COVID, confusion and controversy in the country. But, for the Shalom Austin Jewish Foundation, 2021 brought expansion, emergence and evolution. The year closed with $16.9 million in total assets, a more than 25% expansion over 2020’s year-end total of $13 million. Part of this increase was due to the well-performing stock market since endowments, agency operating funds, and donor advised funds are invested in a mix of stocks and more conservative bond assets.

In addition, 26 new funds were created last year. Throughout 2021, fundholders generated $1.8 million in grants; 70% of those funds supported Jewish organizations, while the other 30% benefited secular non-profits. Since the foundation was created in 2014, generous fundholders have granted more than $6 million.  

The Jewish Foundation has emerged as a key tool for fundholders to enhance and manage their philanthropic strategies. Robin and Marty Davis are great examples. They opened a donor advised fund last year. Robin heard about the Jewish Foundation during a gathering of Shalom Austin Women’s Philanthropy which she chairs. As Robin puts it, “We decided to open a DAF to simplify and centralize our charitable giving. It’s absolutely the right choice for our family.” And, Robin continued, she and Marty “love that we can role model charitable giving to our children while giving back to the community.”

A donor advised fund enables one to set aside assets and utilize those funds to support your donations to non-profit organizations while receiving an immediate tax deduction when contributing to the fund. The funds are overseen and managed by the Austin Community Foundation which creates a portal for each fundholder, enabling very quick and easy distribution of funds.  

The Foundation evolved in another way last year. Foundation volunteers conducted a benchmarking study of Jewish foundations in about a dozen cities across the country, all of which are larger and have been around much longer than our foundation. Some best practices in outreach, engaging investment professionals who can promote the foundation to their clients and other elements are being applied to Austin’s Foundation. Also last year, volunteers made presentations to several Jewish organizations throughout the region. At the end of the year, the foundation was excited to help Temple Beth Shalom create an endowment fund that the congregation can use to accumulate assets for long-term needs. Temple Beth Shalom joins six other organizations in having created either endowment or agency investment funds.  

“It was an exemplary year for the fundholders of the Shalom Austin Jewish Foundation,” noted Joel Levine, chair of the foundation committee. ”For 2022, we are excited to help any person or agency manage their philanthropic strategy or hard-earned philanthropic assets through a DAF, agency fund or endowment.”

To create a fund or more general information, contact Amy Hyman, senior development director at (512) 735-8078 or amy.hyman@shalomaustin.org.

Welcome to Our New 2021 Fundholders: 

Shalom Austin Annual Campaign Endowments 

Jennifer Greenblum 

Judy Waxman z”l 

Future commitments include: 

Laraine and Leon Lasdon 

Tracy Solomon  

Shalom Austin Endowment Funds 

Barron Family Fund for Jewish Family Service 

Jewish Family Service Endowment Fund 

Community Partner Agency Funds

Congregation Agudas Achim

Congregation Agudas Achim General Endowment Fund 

L’Dor V’Dor Endowment Fund 

Sigma Delta Tau

Marilyn Saikin Stahl Sigma Delta Tau Leadership Endowment Fund 

Temple Beth Shalom   

Temple Beth Shalom Endowment Fund 

Field of Interest Funds 

Greater Austin Holocaust Education and Remembrance Fund 

Donor Advised Funds 

Nicole and Iser Cukierman Family Fund 

Robin & Marty Davis Family Fund 

Einhorn Lieberman DF Fun Fund 

J. Steven and Amy B. Fintel Fund 

Justice, Justice You Shall Pursue Fund

Kaufman Family Charitable Fund 

Kerman Charitable Foundation 

Leone Lain Philanthropic Fund 

Lengsfield Family Fund 

Marcus-Hill Family Fund 

Elana and Andy Priesman Family Fund 

Resnik Family Fund 

Jeri & Paul Saper Family Fund  

Lisa and Will Shapiro Family Fund 

Karen Siegel & Ted Toth Family Fund 

The Terry and Steve Fund 

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