The Jewish Community Foundation is the endowment and planned giving arm of Southern Arizona's Jewish community. It pursues its mission to ensure Jewish continuity and promote philanthropy through four approaches:

Grant awards
Informational seminars for donors and professional advisers on topics of estate and financial planning, health care planning, and charitable giving
Endowment development assistance to Tucson agencies and synagogues
Planned giving support to individual donors and families.

Grant Awards
The Jewish Community Foundation distributes funds annually to qualified recipients through its donor-advised funds, designated endowment funds and the Legacy Fund (where the Foundation's unrestricted dollars are held). Causes supported include a diverse range of interests, such as health care, education, social services, cultural arts programs, and scientific endeavors. Special emergency grants have been awarded from the Legacy Fund to support rescue efforts, such as, the airlift of the Ethiopian Jewish community to safety in Israel. Ongoing distributions from this fund are made yearly for new and innovative projects aimed at strengthening the community.

Informational Seminars
The Foundation's seminars have become a cornerstone of our program and have received wide acclaim. They range from public information to assist tax and legal professionals in the community to talks focused on planning approaches for the benefit of donors. The annual Ethics Seminar for CPAs fulfills the Arizona CRE biannual requirements and offers continuing education credits for professionals. Invited groups have included attorneys, physicians, accountants, insurance specialists, and individuals seeking help with estate planning and health care decision making.

Agency Assistance
To create a future Jewish community with the resources it can count on, the Jewish Community Foundation supports the individual efforts of each of Tucson's synagogues, social agencies and educational institutions. The Foundation consults on a wide range of activities, including promotional and marketing strategies, staff and volunteer training, and community-wide coordination.

Planned Giving Support
As a full service charitable giving operation, the Foundation's central focus is assisting individual donors with their personal planning process and gift making. Our experts work with each donor to prepare an extensive endowment plan with the Foundation ensuring that his or her wishes will be faithfully carried out in perpetuity.