Jewish Community Foundation

What Jewish Community Foundation does

Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City (JCF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community foundation established in 1959 and headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas. It operates as a charitable fund sponsor, administering 1,514 charitable funds on behalf of individuals, families, and supporting organizations, with total assets of $421M as of December 2025 and $45M distributed to nonprofit organizations in 2025. Core products include Donor Advised Funds ($5,000 standard minimum, $2,500 for donors under 35), Restricted Funds ($10,000 minimum), Supporting Foundations ($250,000 minimum), Charitable Gift Cards, and a stack of philanthropic programs spanning all life stages: B'nai Tzedek for Bar/Bat Mitzvah-age teens, J-LEAD for young-adult giving circles, and Create a Jewish Legacy for planned giving. The technology footprint is modest: a secure web portal (DonorCentral) provides 24/7 self-service for fundholders, and a grant-recommendation pipeline processes approved grants weekly with checks mailed by Friday. The foundation serves three primary segments: individuals and families (primary), nonprofit organizations receiving grants, and professional advisors (attorneys, accountants, wealth managers) who refer clients. It also partners with the Menorah Heritage Foundation as a supporting organization that shares grant-portal infrastructure for funds acquired through the historical sale of Menorah Hospital.

Revenue is generated through administrative fees assessed monthly against fund balances, transaction fees of 3% on credit-card contributions and 0.8% on ACH withdrawals, J-LEAD annual memberships ($500/year, $250 first-year), and program-related activity such as B'nai Tzedek matches. Distribution relies on a direct-to-consumer motion layered with professional-advisor referrals, on-site donor events, an active social and video content footprint, and partnerships with 22 community nonprofits including BBYO, KU Hillel, Jewish Family Services, and Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy. Recent governance changes include the 2024 promotion of Joshua Stein to President & CEO and the return of long-tenured CFO Kevin Taylor on an interim basis.

Name

Jewish Community Foundation

Legal name

Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City

Website

https://jcfkc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community foundation administering 1,514 charitable funds, including Donor Advised Funds, legacy-giving programs, and youth/young-adult philanthropy initiatives, serving individuals, families, and nonprofits across the Kansas City region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Philanthropic Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Donor advised funds
• Charitable fund administration
• Planned giving programs
• Philanthropic advisory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Overland Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Administrative Fees on Charitable Funds: Annual administrative fee assessed to funds monthly. A portion of administrative fees are reinvested in the Jewish community through philanthropic education programs including B'nai Tzedek, J-LEAD, and Create a Jewish Legacy programs.
2. Credit Card Processing Fees: 3% processing fee charged to foundation funds for credit card transactions; 0.8% fee for ACH withdrawals from bank accounts

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City administers 1,514 charitable funds and provides personalized philanthropic services for individuals, families, nonprofits, and professional advisors. Its core offering is the Donor Advised Fund program, supplemented by a "Continuum of Giving" that spans all life stages from Bar/Bat Mitzvah-age youth philanthropy (B'nai Tzedek) to legacy and planned giving. The Foundation also distributes grants to Jewish and general community nonprofits, manages restricted and supporting foundation funds, offers scholarships, and issues charitable gift cards.

Product overview

The Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City operates as a multi-faceted philanthropic center offering a comprehensive suite of charitable giving products and programs. The core offering is the Donor Advised Fund program, which serves as a personal charitable giving account. This is complemented by a 'Continuum of Giving' that spans all life stages: B'nai Tzedek for youth (Bar/Bat Mitzvah-age teens), J-LEAD for young adults (20s-40s), and Create a Jewish Legacy for planned giving. Additional products include the Community Legacy Fund (grant-making fund), Restricted Funds, Supporting Foundations, Charitable Gift Cards, Grants for Nonprofits, and Scholarships. All fundholders have access to DonorCentral, an online portal for managing their charitable accounts. The Foundation also provides nonprofit services including fund administration, investment management, and grant processing through various grant programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• B'nai Tzedek: Youth philanthropy program encouraging Bar and Bat Mitzvah-age teens to establish charitable funds for Jewish giving
• J-LEAD
• Create a Jewish Legacy
• Community Legacy Fund
• Donor Advised Funds
• DonorCentral

Products and services

• Donor Advised Funds Personal charitable giving accounts that allow individual donors to easily and efficiently support their favorite 501(c)(3) charities, with online access, streamlined giving, tax deductions, and the ability to name successor advisors.
• B'nai Tzedek Youth philanthropy program for Bar and Bat Mitzvah-age teens that introduces Jewish youth to charitable giving through their own charitable funds, with a $125 teen contribution matched by $375 from the Foundation.
• J-LEAD (Jewish Leadership Education Action & Development) Giving circle for young Jewish adults in their 20s, 30s, and 40s that pools member contributions ($500 annual membership) to make collective grants to Jewish community organizations.
• Create a Jewish Legacy Planned giving program that helps secure the long-term future of community programs through emphasis on planned gifts, endowments, and legacy commitments.
• Community Legacy Fund Grant-making fund that provides financial support to enhance and maintain quality of Jewish life in Greater Kansas City, including core support for Jewish agencies and emergency needs.
• Restricted Funds Charitable funds with spending or use restrictions, including endowments (perpetual funds generating income) and expendable funds, with minimum establishment of $10,000.
• Supporting Foundations Nonprofit charitable corporations established under IRS regulations as alternatives to private foundations, with minimum gift of $250,000, offering benefits similar to private foundations without excise tax limitations.
• Charitable Gift Cards Gift cards exclusively available to JCF fundholders for redemption as donations to any 501(c)(3) charity, available in physical or digital format with minimum $100 purchase and $25 per card.
• Grants for Nonprofits Various grant programs administered by JCF including Community Legacy Fund, Frank Friedberg Fund, Flo Harris Foundation, J-LEAD grants, Jewish Art Fund, and others supporting Jewish and general community organizations.
• Scholarships Need and merit-based scholarships for Jewish students including summer experiences (Camp Ramah, Israel travel), academic support at Johnson County Community College, and special needs programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• $398 million in charitable support to local, national and international charities over 20 years
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, notable and minor.

• Menorah Heritage FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting Organization of the Jewish Community Foundation. MHF oversees grantmaking of charitable funds acquired through the sale of Menorah Hospital. Shares the grant portal with JCF for processing grant applications.
• Strategic Investment GroupcoreTechnology or IntegrationConsultants providing quarterly reports of the Foundation's Investment Pool performance. Manages Common Pool Investment Performance and Long Term Pool Investment reports for foundation funds.
• Jewish Community CampuscoreOthers22 nonprofit community partners including BBYO, Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, Jewish Family Services, Jewish Vocational Service, KU Hillel, Village Shalom, and others who participate in foundation grants and programs.
• Nonprofit ConnectnotableOthersKansas City nonprofit industry association that awarded JCF the 2019 Excellence in Impact Award. Kansas City's oldest and largest celebration of giving with over 1,000 attendees annually.
• Jewish Federation of North AmericaminorOthersNational association with which JCF has relationships through former Associate Vice President Joe Imberman who wrote in support of JCF's Excellence in Impact nomination.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Greater Kansas City Community Foundation: The other major community foundation serving the Kansas City metro, offering donor advised funds, scholarships, and grantmaking. Overlaps directly with JCF in geography, product set, and target HNW donor segments.
• Jewish United Fund / Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago: One of the largest Jewish federations in the U.S., operating as a combined community foundation and fundraising federation — directly comparable mission, donor products, and Continuum-of-giving style programming.
• Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia: Mid-Atlantic Jewish federation with community foundation capabilities including donor advised funds, endowments, and planned giving — comparable in scope, mission, and donor products to JCF.
• Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta: Regional Jewish federation/foundation administering donor advised funds, legacy programs, and community grants for a metro Jewish community — closely comparable in mission and product mix to JCF.
• Jewish Federation of San Francisco: One of the largest Jewish community foundations/federations in the U.S., offering donor advised funds, legacy giving, grants, and community programs — directly comparable to JCF's Continuum of Giving model and target donor base.
• Jewish Federation of Cleveland: Cleveland-based Jewish federation with a community foundation function, managing charitable funds, planned giving, and grants for the local Jewish community — same operational model as JCF.

Emerging players

• Daffy Charitable: Digital-first, lower-minimum donor-advised fund platform targeting younger donors; competes with JCF's J-LEAD and DAF products for next-generation HNW donors through a more modern UX and lower fees.

Broad incumbents

• Fidelity Charitable: The largest national donor-advised fund sponsor with hundreds of billions in AUM; offers the same DAF product JCF provides but at national scale with a digital-first platform — directly competes for the same HNW donor dollars.
• Schwab Charitable: Major national donor-advised fund sponsor affiliated with Schwab; competes head-on with JCF's DAF offering for HNW donors seeking integrated brokerage-linked giving solutions.
• National Philanthropic Trust: One of the largest independent national DAF sponsors, offering donor advised funds, planned giving services, and international grantmaking — a broader-scale alternative to a regional community foundation like JCF.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCi6q-DU4hD-VBINqArde1Gw
• Facebookfacebook.com/jcfkc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jewish-community-foundation-of-greater-kansas-city
• Instagraminstagram.com/jcfkc
• Xx.com/jcfkansascity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jewish Community Foundation