The 2020 JCF Giving Report provides an inside look at the grantmaking trends among the largest Jewish donor-advised fund in the country.
(Courtesy of JCF) Jewish Communal Fund, one of the largest donor advised funds in the country, released its fourth annual Giving Report, providing insight into the make up, demographics and charitable trends taking place among its generous funder network of more than 8,000 people. With fundholders living throughout the United States, JCF’s data offers a rare look into the funding preferences and giving trends of American Jews.
“The 2020 JCF Giving Report highlights the extraordinary generosity of our fundholders, who increased their giving in the wake of the pandemic and continue to provide additional support to meet increased needs,” said Sue Dickman, executive vice president and CEO of Jewish Communal Fund.
One of the longest serving donor advised funds in the country, JCF is now facilitating charitable giving for many third generation JCF fundholders, showcasing the passion for philanthropy that they learned from their parents and grandparents before them. Now entering its 49th year, JCF plays a critical role in facilitating charitable giving for a wide spectrum of Jewish philanthropists of varying means, ages, interests and religious affiliations.
Highlights from the report, which sheds light on some of the parallel philanthropic trends among American Jews and other Americans, as well as areas in which the JCF funder community is unique, include:
JCF fundholders make an average of 16 grants per fund per year, with a median grant amount of $540.
JCF fundholders distributed 27 percent of charitable assets, as a collective, in FY 2020.
Nearly one-third of funds distributed 50 percent or more of the balance in their funds to charities in FY 2020.
The sectors that received the largest number of dollars from JCF fundholders in FY 2020 were education, community organizations/human services and Israel (these same categories also topped the chart in previous years).
JCF fundholders made 44,000 grants (70 percent of all grants) to Jewish organizations, totaling $250 million.
JCF fundholders granted $26.5 million to UJA-Federation of New York in FY 2020, in addition to JCF’s annual $2 million gift to UJA.
JCF announced $1 million in Special Gifts Fund grants in FY 2020 to support emergency coronavirus relief.
To delve into this report and learn more about the JCF philanthropic community, charitable giving trends and the ways in which JCF fundholders are collectively making the community and world a better place, download the report by visiting https://jcfny.org/2020givingreport.
Jewish Communal Fund is one of the largest and most active networks of Jewish funders, currently managing over $2 billion in charitable assets for more than 4,100 donor advised funds. JCF’s donor advised funds make giving easy, flexible and efficient. The Chronicle of Philanthropy designated JCF a “Top 10” Donor Advised Fund in the U.S. on its Philanthropy 400 list. Learn more about JCF by visiting www.jcfny.org or calling (212) 752-8277.
