ABOUT

About Us

The Jewish Endowment Foundation of South Carolina (JEFSC), formerly the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Greater Charleston, was established in 1996 as a collection of funds, each created by a different donor for a distinct charitable purpose addressing JEFSC’s mission. Guided by Jewish values of tzedakah (justice), tikkun olam (healing the world), and k’lal Yisrael (Jewish peoplehood), the mission of the Foundation is to endow support of Jewish and other charitable causes by:

Encouraging Jewish philanthropy
Personal philanthropic planning and guidance for individuals and families, including facilitation of family engagement in philanthropy and generational succession planning
Creating and growing endowment funds for institutions and programs
Providing flexible services that aid donors in achieving a broad range of charitable purposes
Supporting humanitarian, educational, social service, health, environmental, and arts and cultural programs

For more than 25 years, JEFSC has assisted Jewish community members in fulfilling their philanthropic wishes to ensure the security and continued growth of the Jewish community. Since its inception, JEFSC has grown to $20 million-plus in assets, 68 funds, and has granted more than $6 million to area Jewish

and non-Jewish organizations.

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What We Do

Donor Development

Advise potential Donors
Provide standard documents and guidelines for fund agreements and legacy commitments
Track legacy commitments: bequests, trusts, insurance
Work with Affiliate endowment development committee or assist with creating one
Organizational objectives: Endowing programs such as Jewish Camp, Educational programming
Ensure the continued growth and continuity of a specific program
Perpetuate the Donor’s family name on a specific project

Stewardship

Regular visits and presentations
Quarterly report issued to Donors who have established funds
Counsel individual Donors regarding their funds
Formal tax acknowledgment letter for contributions provided
Invitation to all Foundation events

Distributions

Consult with Affiliate on fund availability/cash flow from individual funds
Advise Foundation Donor Advised Fund holders for Affiliate gifts
Assist Affiliate on administration of special programming funds (scholarships, grants, etc.)

Message from

Phyllis Martin

Executive Director

ABOUT PHYLLIS

Hello and welcome to the Jewish Endowment Foundation of South Carolina. What a joy it is to serve as JEFSC’s first Executive Director at a moment in time that requires strong, courageous, compassionate, and wise leadership. JEFSC’s mission is rooted in the spirit of Tikkun Olam – Repair of the World. Our world is in need of repair, and we are the people to do just that.

When my close friends and family learned I would be joining JEFSC, they each asked a similar question pertaining to the impact and relevance of the organization. My answer then, and now, is quite simple.

We have an opportunity in South Carolina at this moment in time to demonstrate the impact of endowed philanthropy and what is possible when we come together as a unified Jewish community and harness our collective power to lead in solving today’s complex issues. It is our responsibility. When this work is driven by endowed philanthropy that ensures and safeguards the values and lives of the Jewish people for generations to come, we are living our mission, repairing the world, and inspiring a culture of leadership that will stand the test of time.

Moving forward you will be hearing from me and JEFSC on a regular basis. We will be reaching out to learn about you and your philanthropic aspirations, to ask for your input, and to share information. Know that we are here to be of service to you.

Shalom,

Phyllis