Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to our FAQ page — your go-to spot for quick answers to common questions. Whether you’re wondering about our Foundation, managing gifts and donations, the donor portal, or investments, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, feel free to reach out — we’re happy to help!
Who We Are
The Dallas Jewish Community Foundation (DJCF) originated in 1973 as a committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas and has remained an invaluable resource for philanthropic-minded individuals in the community ever since. In 2006, DJCF became an independent, publicly supported charity, furthering its mission to empower its partners’ charitable vision, safeguard the community’s resources, and build enduring Jewish legacies. DJCF specializes in strategic philanthropy and charitable giving, managing more than $375 million in assets through donor-advised funds (DAFs), individual and general endowment funds, scholarships, and custodial funds, which disburse approximately $27 million annually to deserving nonprofits in Dallas and beyond. Learn more here.
DJCF is run by a diverse group of individuals passionate about helping others in the community achieve their philanthropic goals and increase support for the nonprofit community in Dallas, Israel, and around the world. Our CEO is Megan Hyman, who joined DJCF in 2022 after 15 years at J.P. Morgan. Learn more about all the staff at DJCF, as well as board members and trustees, here.
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. Learn more here.
Yes, you can download performance reports and fact cards here.
Gifts, Donations & Funds
The Foundation can accept a wide array of assets, including:
- Cash
- Marketable Securities – Examples include stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. The Foundation accepts both traditional stock transfers and gifts through DonateStock.
- Closely Held Securities and Other Business Interests – Examples include interests in partnerships and limited liability entities.
- Digital Assets – Examples include cryptocurrency and NFTs. The Foundation accepts digital assets through The Giving Block.
- Real Estate
- Oil, Gas and Mineral Interests
- Tangible and Intangible Personal Property – Examples of tangible personal property include jewelry, antiques, rare books, art, and boats. Examples of intangible personal property include royalties, patents, and copyrights.
- Life Insurance
- Retirement Plan Assets
All potential gifts will be assessed based on the Foundation’s Gift Acceptance Policy Statement and will be accepted at the Foundation’s discretion. Learn more here.
Yes! The DJCF’s “Gift of Giving” cards make a wonderful gift, and a great way to introduce the younger generation to philanthropy. The purchaser chooses the amount of the gift card (starting at $36) and the card recipient can use it to support any 501(c)(3) organization to support. Learn more and order your Gift of Giving cards here.
A donor-advised fund at DJCF provides optimal flexibility and convenience for charitable giving. It is a philanthropic tool not unlike a private foundation, but with significant tax advantages and considerably less hassle to the donor because it exists in the context of our community foundation. Learn more about DAFs here.
Yes! Reach out to our team to discuss your philanthropic goals here.
Explore the enduring impact of endowment funds with DJCF. Our experts can guide you in using endowment funds to shape your legacy in areas like education, health care, or the arts, ensuring your vision is realized while optimizing financial and estate benefits. Learn more here.
DJCF helps organizations build capacity through education, consulting and top-notch professional investment management services for custodial and endowment funds. Learn more here.
Enhance your client relationships as a professional advisor by partnering with DJCF. We collaborate with legal, accounting, insurance, wealth management, and investment professionals to help clients achieve their charitable goals with notable tax benefits. Let DJCF be your ally in guiding clients towards impactful community giving. Learn more here.
Stay Connected with Us!
Sign up for our monthly newsletter to hear the latest DJCF news, nonprofit spotlights, upcoming events, and more.
My DJCF Portal
If you are an existing fund advisor at DJCF you should have received an email on how to set up your password. Once you have set up your password, you can visit your portal by visiting the DJCF homepage, select ‘My DJCF’ tab and you will be directed to the login page. If you have not received login information, please contact our offices via email at [email protected] or phone at (972) 645-1028.
If you have more than one fund, there will be an option to select which fund you would like to access upon logging in. If you have one fund with us, you will be taken directly to the landing page of that fund.
The home tab of the portal displays the current balance, list of advisors on the fund, a list of recent contributions to the fund, and grants made from the fund.
This tab will show all contributions made to your fund. The list can be sorted by clicking on any of the column names. If you select the contributor’s name, it will populate a history of all contributions made to the fund from that specific contributor.
This tab will show a history of grantees and grants made from the fund along with the purpose of the grant.
At the top of the page, you will see a summary of grants made to individual organizations.
At the bottom, is a list of each grant with date, description, and amount.
This is where you can copy a previous grant to create a new grant request
Fund advisors can make grant requests from the fund’s assets by clicking the grant request tab at the top of the page.
Grant requests are created on the left-hand side of the page.
On the right-hand side of this page, you will see a list of grants requested to be paid along with their current status.
Grant request still in the request stage can be canceled from this screen.
Grant requests are created on the left-hand side of the page under the ‘Recommend a Grant’ tab. You may begin a new grant request by using one of the following options:
- Choose a previous grantee from one of the dropdown menus (you can search for previous grantees, funds held at the DJCF, or search for grantees by typing keywords that allow GuideStar and information specializing in reporting on US nonprofit organizations to search for organizations containing those keywords).
- If you have not found the organization you want to give to you can enter it manually (you will need name, address, zip code, and phone number for that organization).
Once you have entered those details you can click submit at the bottom of the page.
Next you will type in a description to let the grant team know what the grant is to be used for.
You will add the amount and here is where you will click if wish for the grant to remain anonymous.
In the additional notes section, you can provide any additional notes you want our staff to see before processing your grant request.
You will review this request, then click submit! Once submitted, your request will appear in the list of grants at the bottom of the page.
Scholarships & Grants
DJCF offers a range of scholarships, from college freshman to graduate school students. All high school seniors and current college and graduate students are invited to apply for the upcoming school year. We are proud to offer scholarships that embrace individuals from all walks of life, faiths, and backgrounds. Our scholarships are open to students from Dallas, Denton, or Collin County, as well as several national and secular awards. Eligibility criteria include academic excellence, community service, and financial need. Learn more and apply here.
Yes! Whether you wish to support students pursuing specific fields of study, students in financial need, students with a specific background or interest, or students who demonstrate strong Jewish values, our team will guide you through every step of the process. Learn more here.
Investment FAQs
At DJCF/SWCF, we steward charitable assets with a commitment to long-term growth, sustainability, and alignment with our values. Our investment strategy balances prudent financial management with the flexibility to meet the evolving needs of our donors and the community. Below, you’ll find answers to common questions about how we invest, our performance, and ways your fund can make the greatest impact.
General Investment Overview
- Conservative Portfolio (Lower risk, lower return potential)
- Balanced Portfolio – (Moderate risk, diversified growth)
- Growth Portfolio (Higher risk, long-term appreciation)
Our Investment Committee, with professional oversight from Graystone Consulting, oversees the performance and allocation of these funds.
Investment Performance & Reporting
Investment Policies & Governance
Donors may request a change in their investment pool allocation at designated intervals (quarterly). Please contact our team for details on timing and requirements at [email protected]
Fees & Costs
- Community Development Fees: Support DJCF/SWCF’s charitable mission and services.
- Investment Management Fees: Cover professional asset management costs.