Dear Friends of DJCF,
The past few weeks have been excruciating as the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel plays out. I feel heart wrenching emotion as we welcome the release of hostages back to the arms of their families, knowing that the weight of their trauma will take a lifetime to unravel. I’ve been particularly drawn to the images and video of the mothers and fathers hugging their loved ones after 16 months of the worst pain imaginable. I get emotional writing this because even though I don’t know any of the hostages personally, they are all our family, our sisters and brothers, children, and grandparents. I know you join me in praying for continued progress toward a peaceful era in Israel.
We are fortunate to have one of our own on the ground in Israel right now, Mona Allen, Chief Impact Officer, is participating in an incredible journey alongside her husband Artie and 2 other Dallas area leaders, an opportunity brought to us by the Schultz family’s Israel at the Center Fund and its partnership with The iCenter. The iCenter’s work is primarily centered around Israel educators in the US – helping teachers articulate the Israeli experience through the lens of art, music, poetry and storytelling. Mona is extending her time beyond the three-day sojourn with The iCenter to visit with a number of agencies DJCF Fundholders have supported through their funds, impacting outcomes on the ground in Israel. We’ll be posting her blog from the trip on our Facebook page. Please follow along!
I graduated from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business with a degree in Marketing and a minor in Psychology. My original plan was to continue on and secure a doctorate in Psychology, but alas it was the height of the financial crisis (2008) and I was one of the lucky few of my graduating class to have a job, which happened to be in finance. Fortunately, I ended up falling in love with banking, realizing that for a person who is curious about a lot of things, but especially human nature and family dynamics, this choice of career was a front row seat to the complexity and vulnerability that comes with great wealth. It was also a capitalist fever-dream, everything was about efficiency, building the best teams and products and delivering a first-class service to my clients.
While I thought I’d be “J.P. Megan” forever, my professional chapter in the nonprofit sector has been rewarding and interesting in entirely new ways. I’m focusing full time on generosity, surrounded by fund holders who give liberally (more on this later), and working alongside passionate and dedicated people to facilitate tzedakah. It’s a real pinch-me moment.
Hillel was once famously asked to summarize the Torah while standing on one foot. He responded with, “That which is hateful unto you, do not do unto your friend, the rest [of the Torah] is commentary, go and learn.” This Golden Rule concept is the basis of the Hippocratic oath and has roots in Christianity and other global religious movements… but maybe you’re wondering what we can learn from this in our approach to philanthropy? I’m so glad you asked!
In his book, “We Make a Life by What we Give” Professor Richard Gunderman (of Indiana University – my alma mater) defines four different modalities of giving (Egoistic, Compassionate, Scientific, and Liberal), with Liberal being the highest form of generosity. He writes that Liberal Giving focuses not only on the needs of the recipient but also on the flourishing of the giver. According to Gunderman, “the essential excellence of philanthropy lies not in filling empty stomachs or healing broken bodies, but in liberating the human aspiration to give.”
A synonym for Liberality is Generosity. Think about the most generous people you know – they come from a perspective of abundance, readily sharing resources, ideas, and solutions. Generous people give freely and easily and have a natural inclination to help other people. The objective of Gunderman’s Liberal Giving is to enable human beings to reach their highest potential, bringing to life the concept that it is greater to give than to receive.
One of the highest ideals of the Jewish approach to generosity through tzedakah is that the recipient receives with dignity and self-respect. We will all be “in need” at some point, and it doesn’t always require substantial wealth to meet that need. ANYONE can enrich the life of someone else and we are presented daily with an opportunity to act with loving-kindness.
Recently I spoke on a panel moderated by my friend Phil Cubeta, alongside Steve Grourke of The National Parks Foundation. We spoke about principal giving, the idea that every nonprofit has donors capable of making a transformational gift but depending on the sophistication and resources of the organization, they are not having equal success at donor engagement. This topic is the focus of our 2nd nonprofit cohort that kicked off this month, empowering nonprofits such as the Dallas Hebrew Free Loan Association and the Dallas Jewish Historical Society to propel their organization forward with help from professional advisors and DJCF. You can learn more about that here: Bringing Philanthropy Home
The word ‘Philanthropist’ is literally translated from Latin to ‘lover of human beings.’ As parents, we invest hours in the education and development of our children, sharing our traditions and learned experience with hopes that their character and accomplishments will transcend our own. But when our kids grow up, there’s no reciprocal expectation – in a healthy family dynamic, they go on and improve the world through their own adventures in life. Parents are rewarded with nachas (a Hebrew word for the satisfaction and pleasure gained from someone else’s accomplishments).
At our December annual meeting, we showed
Dr. Gunderman writes, “Philanthropy is no more about finance than about soul craft. In fact, the philanthropist is first and foremost a cultivator of souls…. generosity is an essential human excellence without which we cannot lead full lives, philanthropy aims not merely to give us things, but to activate us as givers. Everyone has the potential to be generous, even the most unlikely of souls.” Let us go into this new calendar year with the intention to realize our soul potential, as families, neighbors, friends and global citizens. It truly is an honor to be your partner in philanthropy. November fund holder statements will be released in your My DJCF portal soon. Our donation and fund management portal is currently being upgraded, with an expected completion date in March. During this time, you may notice changes in the design, so please be aware that it might look different from the current DJCF/SWCF branding. There will be no disruptions to portal usage during this time. If you have any questions or need assistance navigating the new system, feel free to contact Regan Klinke at rklinke@djcf.org. We will shine a light on several organizations with whom we are proud to partner – raising awareness about current needs and important work being done in our community by agencies you may not be familiar with! You can give from your fund via the DJCF Portal, or click the links below to support. Dallas Hebrew Free Loan Association – We were founded on June 23, 1935 by 14 Jewish business leaders. These prominent members of the Dallas Jewish community pledged $132 to establish a Gemilut Chasadim or interest-free loan fund and agreed to make loans up to $10 to Dallas Jews in need of assistance. Since then, we have strived to create a financially secure North Texas, North Central Texas, and East Texas Jewish community by offering interest-free loans. Give Here: Give Someone a Hand-Up Jewish Family Service – Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas is a nonsectarian mental health and social services agency that impacted over 39,000 lives last year. For more than 70 years, JFS has welcomed anyone through our doors regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or the ability to pay. Give Here: You Can Help JFS National Center for Jewish Art – The National Center for Jewish Art (NCJA) at the Museum of Biblical Art, founded in 2014, houses a special collection by Jewish and Israeli artists as well as historical and religious artifacts and ceremonial items for study. Over 10,000 square feet is dedicated to the exhibition and display of Jewish Art including the NCJA gallery space and the Chagall Ballroom. Give Here: Help Support Us In This Mission Texas A&M Hillel Foundation – Hillel’s Mission is to enrich the lives of Jewish students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world. We envision a world where every student is inspired to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning, and Israel. Give Here: Welcome to the Loudest and Proudest Hillel On The Planet Morgan Stanley – Conference Center Wednesday, March 12, 2025 | 8:30 – 10:00 AM Join us for our inaugural Investment Summit, featuring DJCF/SWCF’s CEO Megan Hyman, CFO Jerry Blair, our investment consultants, and the thought leaders of our Investment Committee. This exclusive event offers valuable strategic insights, networking opportunities, and access to high-potential investment opportunities. There is limited capacity for this event. RSVP is required. The Foundation’s investment portfolio is managed by Graystone Consulting, under the guidance of the Foundation Investment Committee. This relationship has allowed us to offer seven investment models for our constituents to choose from. Graystone provides monthly investment return information on the models as a whole and fact cards for the individual models and the sub-funds that make up each model. The DJCF/SWCF Investment Committee has been implementing a series of changes in follow up to the revised Investment Policy Statement approved by the board of trustees in September was adopted. Highlights include: Our investments page will be updated in the near future to better explain our investment options, and the same detailed investment reports will continue to remain available for review. If you’d like to revisit your funds’ investment allocation, please contact Jerry Blair at jblair@djcf.org. DJCF’s investment performance reports through December are posted on the website. These reports can be found on the Investment Reports page under ‘Tools + Resources’ tab on our menu toggle, found here: Investment Reports – Dallas Jewish Community Foundation (djcf.org) December fund holder statements have been released in your My DJCF portal. On January 27, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Dallas honored Max Glauben, a founder of the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum. The city unveiled street-topper signs at Ross Avenue, Houston, and Record Streets to recognize his lifelong dedication to Holocaust education and promoting Upstander values. Additionally, the Max Glauben Holocaust Education Fund was established to honor Max’s legacy and promote Holocaust education, including pursuing a degree in Holocaust education, supporting participation in Holocaust-related immersive experiences, or covering tuition for seminars or programs focused on Holocaust education. Donate in the link below! DJCF is excited to announce the addition of a new team member! Please join us in welcoming Servando Sanchez as our new Finance Director. With over a decade of experience in financial operations, regulatory compliance, and team leadership, Servando is a valuable asset to our team. Learn more about Servando by clicking the link below! On behalf of the Dallas committee: Kevin Pailet, Kenny Goldberg, Allyn Kramer, Shiva Beck, Eric Fleiss, Mitch Julis, Stephanie and Nick Sandler, and Izzy Alpert, we are delighted to invite you to an exclusive Impact Forum Dinner on February 12th, 2025, in Dallas, at the Royal Oaks Country Club (7915 Greenville Ave, Dallas, TX 75231), from 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm. While our generous Dallas committee is covering the costs of the dinner and operational expenses, this event’s primary goal is to raise financial support for the participating nonprofit organizations (Students Supporting Israel (SSI) and CyberWell). Guests are kindly requested to make a minimum donation of $1,000 per person. All contributions are tax-deductible and will be fully distributed to the Impact Forum organizations of your choice. To RSVP: email Orit Zigman Lador.
Portal Update!!
January Nonprofit Spotlight
Investment Summit
2121 N. Pearl Street | Dallas, TX 75201
Attire: Business casual
Investment Reports & Fund Statements
Honoring Max Glauben
Welcome Servando Sanchez
The Impact Forum: An Exclusive Dinner with Bernard-Henri Levy
