Klara & Martin Shandling

Shandling family 2

Martin served as president of Beth Jacob Congregation, the largest Orthodox shul west of the Mississippi, and has an intimate knowledge of the inner workings, challenges, and needs of the Los Angeles Jewish community. He and his wife, Klara, recently opened a Donor Advised Fund at The Foundation and are looking forward to deepening their relationship with us.

The Foundation: Why did you become a Foundation Donor?

Martin: I knew a number of lay leaders and staff associated with The Foundation, so in December 2019 when I wanted to donate a highly appreciated security to a DAF, The Foundation was the obvious choice. In my professional life as a wealth manager and financial advisor, I have been responsible for executing the sale of many listed securities that have been donated to The Foundation.

What Foundation educational or networking events have you attended, online or in-person? Why was it valuable for you?

In prior years I have attended several Foundation events mostly on estate planning and related legal issues. This helped to sharpen my knowledge of client-facing wealth management issues.

What causes do you support through your Donor Advised Fund?

There may be too many to list! Aside from The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, we support among others, Birthright Israel, Beit Issie Shapiro, Chabad at USC, Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, Pressman Academy, Ukrainian Jews (via the Orthodox Union), the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and of course our synagogue, Beth Jacob Congregation of Beverly Hills.

Why would you refer a friend to The Foundation?

Largely because of the elegance and simplicity of the website and the online donor services portal, which makes it so easy to recommend grants and provides such a clear and readable accounting of all one’s transactions.

How has having a Donor Advised Fund helped you address the issues you see most pressing?

In general, having the ability to quickly react in supporting various charitable appeals via The Foundation helps us address issues that in the past may have taken longer or dropped off our radar.

This article was featured in The Foundation’s Fall 2022 Legacy magazine.