Tracy Smith remembers walking into their synagogue and watching her little children hand their rolls of coins to their rabbi as a donation to a Jewish hunger organization. It was one of the family’s early childhood lessons in philanthropy. “It was important to us that our children grow up talking about people in need and how they could help,” said Tracy, a Trustee of the Jewish Community Foundation.

Over the years Tracy and her husband, Dan Joseph, have evolved their children’s giving experiences; in 2024, the couple opened the Smith-Joseph Donor Advised Fund to support the family’s future grant-making activities together. “Since I was a social worker and long-time volunteer, my commitment to the Jewish and broader communities has been shaped by my Jewish background,” said Tracy.

Dan, the child of Holocaust refugees and a real estate investor and executive, added: “Our new fund will allow us to continue supporting the causes we champion and to teach our children to continue the values of Tikun Olam.” Those causes include the American School for the Deaf, Capitol Squash, Farmington Valley Jewish Congregation, the Holocaust and Human Rights and Education Center, and Planned Parenthood.

“As a Trustee, I have seen the work of the Foundation up close and am delighted to have a trusted partner working with us in support of our values and our philanthropic goals,” Tracy explained.