In 1949, a group of visionary philanthropists established the legacy and endowment arm of our Jewish Federation because they understood that the well-being of our community depended upon planning for and investing in our future.
Today, the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater MetroWest NJ is one of the largest community foundations in New Jersey and among the top ten Jewish community foundations in North America.
In addition to managing the assets of our Federation and many Jewish agencies—local, national and international—our JCF also have an extensive Donor Advised Fund program and works closely with many families on multi-generational Jewish philanthropy.
In the early 1990s, leaders of our Federation and JCF led the nation with a pioneering and visionary idea– creating endowments to support the future of the UJA Annual Campaign, the foundation of our Federation’s work to care for those in need, build a vibrant Jewish community, and respond to crises, both here and abroad. The JCF established the William and Betty Lester Society and the Lion of Judah Endowment Society, recognizing donors leaving legacy gifts of $100,000 or more for endowments to support the future of UJA.
Today, because of the first generations of generous Lester and LOJE members, our JCF now houses more than $60 million in Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowments (PACE), which this year is providing $3 million to the UJA Annual Campaign—the single largest gift to the campaign.
In honor of Federation’s Centennial anniversary in 2023, JCF is steering the Centennial Campaign, the largest campaign in our community’s history aimed at raising $250 million in commitments to enhance our community today and secure it for the next 100 years and beyond.
Through this Centennial Campaign, we are now engaged in the largest PACE effort since the early 1990s to support the future of UJA, the lifeblood of our Jewish community. This includes a new Giving Society, the New Century Fund (NCF), which recognizes PACE gifts of $10,000-$99,999 to build UJA endowments.
Through Centennial, donors are also creating endowments to support key areas of our Federation, including Jewish Camp, PJ Library, the Rishonim program and making gifts to secure the future of our valued partner agencies, day schools and synagogues.
Through the “Targeted Today” segment of Centennial, donors are investing in vital programs today – leadership, the Holocaust Survivor Fund, Israel Advocacy, Community Security, and more—to elevate and enhance Jewish life as we enter our second century.
The JCF is a proud sponsor of Federation’s 100th anniversary celebration.