FAQs
During COVID are you in the office?
Yes, we are! However, in order to maintain social distancing, we are operating in a hybrid model with only about 50% of our team working in the office on any given day. Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate outside visitors on a walk-in basis during the pandemic. If you need to meet with a team member in person, you will need to schedule an appointment, call 716-204-1133. If you wish to phone between the hours of 8:30 am and 5:00 pm Monday through Friday someone will be answering the phones. If you leave a voicemail, the messages are forwarded to our email inboxes, and you will get a response as soon as possible.
Do I have to be Jewish to invest with the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies?
Absolutely not. Our Mission is to empower donors to fulfill their passions and dreams by establishing charitable vehicles designed to create a positive and enduring impact on Jewish Buffalo, Western New York, and the World.
The Foundation is committed to the concept of tikkun olam – repairing the world. Together, the Foundation and our donors make an impact well beyond the boundaries of Jewish Buffalo! Each year grants are made to over 1,100 colleges and universities, health organizations, environmental and social causes, social service groups and other eligible 501(c)3 organizations.
Why should I establish a Fund with the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies?
The Foundation has a proud history spanning more than 11 decades of serving our donors in carrying out their personal philanthropic mission. You can count on us to diligently continue our high standards and to be excellent custodians of your charitable funds. Working with the Foundation can be like having your own private foundation without having to deal with the administration. We handle all of the work and we can assist you in using non-liquid assets or executing sophisticated tax planning strategies to maximize the benefit of your charitable gifts. In addition, it also provides the opportunity to gift anonymously.
How can I establish a Fund?
When you are ready to get started, please contact the Executive Director of the Foundation, Irv Levy, at 716-204-1133.
Are there minimum requirements or fees?
We require $5,000 to open a fund and request that you maintain a $2500 balance. For grant distribution recommendations, the minimum is $100. Fees are based upon the type of account and the size of the account and can be as little as $250 annually. Since we are a non-profit organization 100% of the fees we charge are used to cover the costs we incur to provide the services to you with any excess revenue being used to support the charitable organizations in our community.
Do my grant recommendations need to go to Jewish charities or stay in Western New York?
No. Our mission is broad focused on supporting Jewish Buffalo, Western New York, and the World. We support the donor’s recommendations to direct their funds invested with the Foundation to any eligible 501(c)(3) charity. (International recommendations may result in an additional fee.)
How can I make a grant recommendation from my Donor Advised Fund?
Please submit a Grant Recommendation using this form online.
Grant checks are generally sent within 10 business days of our receipt of your recommendation form. This allows time for administrative processing and due diligence to be completed.
Please be aware that year-end grant processing can take longer due to the quantity of requests that arrive. Please send us your grant recommendations by December 1 to allow sufficient time for the mail to deliver your charitable donations by year-end.
How will donations and grant recommendations affect my taxes?
Your charitable gift to a donor advised fund will be receipted for tax purposes upon acceptance by the Foundation. You may then recommend grant distributions as slowly or rapidly as you wish. Distributions to the 501(c)(3) charities recommended by you are not tax deductible.
Please consult your tax advisor for more details.
Please refer to our Planned Giving page for more ways to reduce your taxes and maximize the impact of your charitable gift.
Can I make a payment or contribution online?
Yes. Please note the fund or purpose of the payment. Please click here to continue to the Foundation Donation page. Donations may also be mailed to the Foundation’s office or wire transferred to the Foundation.
**Please be aware that HBLA contributions and loan payments must be made through the HBLA website.
How can I find the balance of my fund? When did I send a check to the Foundation? What grant requests have I made? What checks did I send out last year? Can I see a transaction history?
Fund account statements are sent to our donors on a quarterly basis. Please visit the Donor Portal which will allow you to request this information online.
When will I get my quarterly statement?
We are continually working on making our processes more efficient. Currently the statement usually gets mailed to you approximately 7 weeks after the end of the quarter.
Why did I get a fund agreement in the mail/in my email? I already have a fund with you.
We routinely update our template agreements to ensure that our agreements follow all regulations. We appreciate your signing and returning the agreement. If you have any questions regarding the agreements, please give a us a call, 716-204-1133.
Do you have a Privacy Policy?
The Privacy Policy is available here. The confidentiality of our clients is very important to us.