Shalom Austin Jewish Foundation Had an Exemplary 2021
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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