In its core granting cycle, the Jewish Community Foundation’s Community Legacy Fund has awarded $391,007 to 18 local Jewish community organizations.
These grants are intended to help enhance and maintain the quality of Jewish life in the Greater Kansas City area. Core grants support the general operating expenses (core expenses) central to the accomplishment of an organization’s mission. The Community Legacy Fund also makes core grants for unique services not otherwise available within the Jewish community that are essential to Jewish life.
The Community Legacy Fund consists of permanent endowments from which grants are awarded to agencies whose applications are reviewed and evaluated by the Foundation’s Grants Committee and Board of Trustees. In addition to its core granting cycle, the fund has an innovation/emergency cycle that supports new programs that provide an innovative approach or solution to an existing or emerging community need, or respond to financial or humanitarian emergencies.
In an effort to have the greatest impact it can upon the Jewish community, the Community Legacy Fund maintains the following objectives: to provide financial support for safety net services; to nurture a strong Jewish community by providing underwriting for Jewish education, community relations and cultural arts; to provide financial support for seed programs which meet an identified community need; to purchase equipment which enhances an organization’s general operations or programs; to provide core support for Jewish community agencies; and to provide support for programs which are essential to Jewish life in Kansas City.
“We had a lot of interesting grant requests this cycle, which led to great participation and engagement among our grants committee,” said Linda Lyon, chair of the Community Legacy Fund grants committee. “I feel really good about the committee’s thoughtful discussions and the decisions we made.”
Community Legacy Fund grants were awarded for the following programs:
- Gan Chabad TLC: Kansas City Kosher Meals on Wheels audit
- Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy: Educational needs; scholarships
- JCRB|AJC: Operational support and staffing
- The J: Property, liability and casualty insurance
- Jewish Community Campus: Utilities
- Jewish Family Services: Chaplaincy program; pantry rent and technology; Priya
- Jewish Federation — Sasone: Support for Jewish institutions
- Jewish Vocational Service: Office space rent and furniture
- Kehilath Israel Synagogue: Community mikvah
- KU Chabad: Texting hotline
- KU Hillel: Accounting services
- Midwest Center for Holocaust Education: Rent
- National Council of Synagogue Youth: Jewish Student Union
- Overland Park eruv: Operational support
- Rabbinical Association: Part-time administrator
- University of Missouri Hillel: Staff salaries, benefits and facility upkeep
- Vaad HaKashruth: Kosher supervision staffing
- Village Shalom: Financial assistance program
More information about the Community Legacy Fund is available by contacting Beatrice Fine at or (913) 327-4618.