Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles Awards 2017 Capital Grants to Three Local Institutions

Thursday, December 14, 2017

LOS ANGELES The Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles (The Foundation) today announced that it has awarded a total of $420,000 in grants for capital projects to three local organizations that serve older adults and seniors.

The Foundation’s Capital Grants were awarded for the construction of new facilities, renovations, and upgrades to existing buildings of Los Angeles Jewish institutions. Projects are required to address a significant community need, have the capacity and leadership to implement the proposed project, and create long-term benefits for the LA Jewish community.

The three 2017 Capital Grant recipients are:

  • Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles (JFS)
  • Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles (Federation)
  • Los Angeles Jewish Home (the Home)

Foundation President and Chief Executive Marvin I. Schotland stated: “Our Capital Grants program supports construction and renovation projects that are vital to programs and services which strengthen the fabric of Los Angeles’s varied and multi-faceted Jewish community. As our U.S. population continues to age—every day, approximately 5,000 people become senior citizens—it is highly fitting that our grants this year are focused on capital projects that will serve our older population. Each of these three facilities will be able to better serve their clients, in part due to The Foundation’s support. We are proud of our instrumental role as builders of the local Jewish community.”

Flagship Service Center on Fairfax

Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles is the recipient of a $170,000 grant for its Lois and Richard Gunther Center in the Fairfax District. This grant will help turn the campus into a flagship service center that provides fully integrated health, mental health, and human services for older adults under one roof. It will more than double JFS’s current program space and allow JFS to increase the number of clients served annually.

David O. Levine and Dena Schecter, co-chairs of the JFS Capital and Endowment Campaign, stated: “We are honored to receive this generous grant from the Jewish Community Foundation. The Lois and Richard Gunther Center will serve as our flagship service center and permanent home for our 163-year-old agency. With the support from our community partners, we have rededicated ourselves to feeding, supporting, connecting, and protecting all of our neighbors.”

Doubling the Size of Venice Services Center

A grant of $150,000 will support the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles’s transformation of the Israel Levin Center on the Venice Boardwalk. When completed, the renovated center will be a state-of-the-art building, offering an expanded program calendar and increased accessibility. It will nearly double the square footage of the current Israel Levin Center, improve functionality, and increase the number of seniors served.

Jay Sanderson, Federation’s president and CEO, said: “We are deeply appreciative of the support from the Jewish Community Foundation for this project. The Israel Levin Center is going to be an architectural masterpiece on the boardwalk unlike anything that’s there. It will be a brand new model of Jewish engagement for Jews of all ages, ultimately becoming a community center for the 21st century.”

Indoor/Outdoor Socialization Space for Seniors in Reseda

A grant of $100,000 is being used to upgrade the dining facilities at the Pepp Center of the Los Angeles Jewish Home. The Foundation’s grant augments a larger project of the Leonard and Annette Shapiro Family Foundation, whose $1,000,000 grant enabled the Jewish Home to build Café Rendezvous, a cyber café and outdoor garden space, all of which is adjacent to the dining facilities.

“The Los Angeles Jewish Home is honored to receive a Capital Grant from the Jewish Community Foundation,” said Molly Forrest, Los Angeles Jewish Home president and CEO. “This important gift helps us to upgrade our facilities at our Eisenberg Village.”

About The Jewish Community Foundation

Established in 1954, the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles manages charitable assets of approximately $1.1 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 giving, and build enduring charitable legacies. In 2016, The Foundation and its donors distributed over $81 million in grants to more than 2,000 nonprofits with programs that span the range of philanthropic giving. Over the past 25 years, it has distributed more than $1 billion in grants to thousands of nonprofits across a diverse spectrum. www.jewishfoundationla.org