
UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
Unrestricted Funds Empower Local Jewish Nonprofits to Thrive
When you create an Unrestricted Endowment Fund, your generous giving supports new ideas and capacity-building opportunities for Jewish nonprofits, as well as urgent needs facing our Jewish community. Your investment allows our Trustees to allocate grants to local Jewish entities that keep our community strong in perpetuity.
How It Works
Gifts to Unrestricted Funds are pooled together to create our annual Community Grants Program. Organizations apply to JCF for grants for new programming, capacity-building and emerging needs. These applications are reviewed by our expert staff, Grants Committee, and Board of Trustees. Grants are awarded where they are most needed.
Your endowed fund is pooled into a diversified portfolio, managed by expert investment professionals. Our strategy protects the principal and grows the fund’s asset value, expanding your grant dollars in perpetuity.
- Open Your Fund Provide a minimum gift of $5,000 (e.g., cash, stocks, real estate, or other assets). Name your fund for families or individuals (e.g., the Reuben Family Fund or the Jane Reuben Memorial Fund) or for other positive associations (e.g., the Elm Fund).
- Maximize Your Impact Your endowed fund is pooled into a diversified portfolio, managed by expert investment professionals, to maximize current grant dollars available while preserving the principal in perpetuity.

As times change, the needs of our communities are better served by a collective organization such as the Jewish Community Foundation. I feel comfortable knowing that if an emergency occurs in our community, JCF will be there as a source of help.
— Marlene Scharr
To Open an Unrestricted Endowment Fund:
Contact Michael Elfenbaum, VP of Community Engagement, melfenbaum@jcf dot org or 860-523-7460.


