November 2026 Newsletter

While the midterm election results may dominate the headlines, demographic trends matter far more than politics when I think about the future of our community in Dallas.

I was honored to participate in the recent Unicorn Rodeo conference hosted by the Texas-Israel Alliance, where leaders from the business, civic, and nonprofit sectors gathered to celebrate our shared values and explore opportunities to deepen the relationship between our two Lone Star states. Several speakers noted that Texas is expected to continue experiencing explosive population growth over the coming decade, with Dallas emerging as a major hub for the nation’s financial services and real estate industries.

For our community, this presents a tremendous opportunity. North Texas continues to attract young families, corporate relocations, and increasingly affluent households, many arriving from cities with vibrant and highly connected Jewish communal infrastructures. If the region adds even 1.2 million residents over the next decade, and the Jewish community simply maintains its historical share of the overall population, we could see tens of thousands of additional Jewish residents and hundreds of millions of dollars in future charitable capacity.

The question I continue to ask our board, and leaders throughout the community, is: How are we preparing to welcome this growth across an increasingly expansive geographic footprint? Growth inevitably brings challenges, but I remain extraordinarily optimistic about what lies ahead.

In October, I also had the privilege of attending the Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s Life & Legacy Conference and hearing from Patrick Schmitt, founder of FreeWill, a social enterprise that helps make estate planning warm, intuitive, accessible, and fully integrated with charitable giving.

Patrick shared two statistics that have stayed with me:
• 70% of American adults do not have a will.
• 50% of all U.S. wealth is held by individuals age 70 and older.

Those numbers highlight an enormous opportunity, not just for families but also for nonprofit organizations. The critical questions for Jewish institutions across Texas are:

1. How do we encourage community members to document their wishes and support the people and causes they care about long after they are gone?
2. How do we meaningfully engage children and grandchildren in philanthropic conversations to strengthen endowment and planned giving for generations to come?

According to the FreeWill 2025 Planned Giving Report, the much-discussed Great Wealth Transfer is no longer a future event. It is happening now. Planned giving revenue increased 13% to more than $2 billion nationwide, while the average bequest grew 15% to $48,723. The average planned giving donor is just 53 years old, roughly the same age as today’s will-makers. Let’s hear it for Gen X.

Perhaps most importantly, these donors want to be in relationship with the organizations they support. Nearly two-thirds of donors who include a charitable bequest in their estate plans notify the nonprofit of their intentions.

These trends are powerful tailwinds for our work at the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation. We now encourage every donor-advised fund holder to establish a succession plan when creating a fund. We provide templates, guidance, and talking points to help donors communicate their intentions with both family members and beneficiary organizations, and we encourage disclosure whenever possible.

As Dallas continues to experience economic growth and corporate investment, business owners and executives should also consider some of the most effective ways to maximize their philanthropy. Donating long-term appreciated assets, such as closely held business interests, private stock, or highly appreciated securities, to a donor-advised fund can help reduce capital gains taxes while significantly increasing charitable impact.

We also believe that engaging the next generation in philanthropy should begin much earlier than most families realize. We are proud to report that dozens of new funds have been established by parents and grandparents for the benefit of children and grandchildren. In fact, our youngest fundholder is just six months old. They’ll gain access to their fund when they reach B’nai Mitzvah age. 😉

Another exciting milestone is the official launch of our partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation through the Life & Legacy program, which we will celebrate at our December 2 Annual Meeting. This four-year commitment provides both funding and educational resources designed to strengthen planned giving efforts throughout our community. Together with our agency partners, we’re building a culture of legacy philanthropy that will benefit every organization we serve.

We’re already seeing encouraging results. Following a major gift received by one of our custodial fund partners in October, the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation has officially surpassed $500 million in assets.

That’s an important milestone, but it is not the destination.

Our long-term goal is to become a $1 billion foundation. Given the demographic and economic momentum we are seeing across North Texas, that goal feels more attainable than ever before.

Whether you’re celebrating the outcome of the recent election or feeling uncertain about what the future may hold, I encourage you to connect with a local organization, roll up your sleeves, and get involved. Few things inspire optimism more than working alongside neighbors to strengthen the community we share.

And if you’ve been postponing conversations about wills, estate plans, or charitable legacy giving, now is the time to begin. Regardless of our politics, most of us can agree on one thing: we’d rather see our hard-earned resources benefit the people and causes we care about than leave more than necessary to Uncle Sam.

SAVE THE DATE!
Annual Meeting: Generations of Giving

The Foundation invites you to a special evening honoring our fundholders, celebrating community leadership, and recognizing the spirit of generosity that strengthens our community. Join us as we welcome our incoming trustees, reflect on the meaningful impact we’ve made together over the past year, and celebrate the people and partnerships that help make our work possible.

If you have already registered, thank you! We look forward to seeing you at the event.

Panel Discussion:
M.B. & Edna Zale Foundation

For more than four generations, the M.B. & Edna Zale Foundation has embraced philanthropy as a way to strengthen family and create lasting impact in our community. We are delighted to welcome Donald Zale and his great niece, Olivia Zale, incoming board chair of the family’s foundation to our Generations of Giving panel, moderated by Megan Hyman, Dallas Jewish Community Foundation’s CEO & President.  The panelists will share how their family has intentionally cultivated a legacy of generosity across multiple generations. Together, they offer a unique perspective on honoring a family’s philanthropic values while preparing future family leaders to carry that legacy forward.

End-of-Year Giving

Plan ahead to maximize your impact before December 31.

As we approach the close of 2026, now is the perfect time to review your charitable giving plans and ensure you’re positioned to make the greatest impact on the causes you care about.

Whether you’re considering a charitable contribution, planning your annual grantmaking, or exploring tax-efficient giving strategies, our team is here to help make the process simple and meaningful.

Important 2026 Giving Deadlines

To help ensure contributions are completed before year-end, please keep the following deadlines in mind:

• December 1: Complex assets, QCDs, mutual funds, and securities
• December 14: Wire transfers
• December 15: Grant recommendations for processing and payment in 2026
• December 31: Checks and credit card gifts