Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles Announces Over $5 Million in Donor-directed Giving for Covid-19 Relief

Tuesday, October 6, 2020

LOS ANGELES—The Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles (The Foundation) today reported that its donors have recommended grants of $5.4 million to COVID-19 response- and relief-related causes and programs.

These grants come from donor advised funds and family support organizations administered by The Foundation, the largest manager of charitable assets for Los Angeles Jewish philanthropists.  To date, Foundation donors have directed a total of 412 grants to 161 nonprofits for COVID-19 relief, according to the institution.  Among Los Angeles recipients of the largest grants from Foundation donors are Mayor’s Fund, The Jewish Federation, Jewish Family Service, and Food Forward; while nationally, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee was a significant beneficiary.

Following the World Health Organization’s pandemic declaration in March, The Foundation created an online COVID-19 Response Hub resource, listing vetted nonprofit organizations and encouraging donors to support causes, particularly “safety-net” programs, that address food, housing and financial insecurity, as well as access to healthcare both locally and in Israel.

Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer Marvin I. Schotland stated: “In response to the sudden and most profound crisis of this generation, our family of donors has demonstrated its remarkable capacity for generosity and compassion. Our donors are selflessly drawing on their charitable funds established with The Foundation at a time it’s needed most – as demand for services surges and nonprofits experience sharp declines in giving.”

Earlier, The Foundation announced that it was redirecting its own institutional grantmaking this year – approximating $8.5 million and the largest amount ever directed to a single cause – to COVID-19 programs, bringing to nearly $14 million the total awarded in response to the global pandemic by the institution and its donors.  Those institutional grants include $2.5 million that was directed during the summer to 22 nonprofits serving Los Angeles, with the $6 million balance to be awarded beginning later this fall.

About The Jewish Community Foundation

Established in 1954, the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles manages charitable assets of more than $1 billion entrusted to it by over 1,300 families and ranks among the 10 largest Los Angeles foundations. It partners with donors to shape meaningful philanthropic strategies, magnify the impact of their giving, and build enduring charitable legacies. In 2019, The Foundation and its donors distributed more than $129 million in grants to 2,700 nonprofits with programs that span the range of philanthropic giving. Over the past 10 years, it has distributed nearly $1 billion to thousands of nonprofits across a diverse spectrum. www.jewishfoundationla.org