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Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford
The Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford was founded in 1972 to serve as the planned-giving and endowment arm for the region’s Jewish community.
Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford
The Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford was founded in 1972 to serve as the planned-giving and endowment arm for the region’s Jewish community. It sits alongside the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, its close strategic partner, and channels donor contributions into a permanent capital pool. Gayle Temkin chairs the board of trustees, while Kathryn Gonnerman leads the organization as President and CEO. The foundation allocates its estimated $171 million portfolio across private equity, real estate, hedge funds, and mission-related investments. The platform blends fund-of-funds commitments with direct philanthropic capital through vehicles like the Center for Innovative Philanthropy, JewGood Hartford, and The Lillian Fund. It partners with the Zachs Family Foundation on the Endow Hartford 21 matching gift program and participates in the LIFE & LEGACY program with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. Geographic focus remains concentrated in North America, with values-aligned screens guided in part by membership in the JLens Investor Network. Total deployment remains undisclosed publicly. The foundation operates from a single office on Bloomfield Avenue in West Hartford and maintains professional affiliations with the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy. It recently collaborated with the Zachs Family Foundation and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving to expand matching gift infrastructure for local endowment builders. The foundation's structural differentiator is its layered relationship with the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford: the two entities co-administer the Rapid Relief and Recovery Fund while pursuing separate investment and grant-making pathways, creating a hybrid philanthropic architecture that separates emergency-response capital from long-term endowment assets.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1972
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
West Hartford
Corporate office
333 Bloomfield Avenue, Suite D, West Hartford, CT 06117, United States
Principals
Kathryn Gonnerman
President and CEO
Gayle Temkin
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford?
President and CEO Kathryn Gonnerman oversees the foundation’s operations and investment program, with governance provided by a board of trustees chaired by Gayle Temkin. The foundation’s professional team manages the estimated $171 million portfolio, though specific CIO or investment committee structures have not been publicly disclosed.
How is the foundation related to the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford?
The foundation operates as the planned-giving and endowment-building partner to the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford. They co-administer initiatives like the Rapid Relief and Recovery Fund while maintaining distinct legal and investment structures — the foundation focuses on long-term endowed capital, and the Federation on annual community fundraising.
Does the foundation participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The foundation deploys capital primarily through a fund-of-funds approach, with confirmed investment types including private equity, real estate, and hedge funds. There is no public evidence of direct company investments or co-investments alongside external GPs.
What is the foundation’s known posture on values-aligned investing?
The foundation is a member of the JLens Investor Network, which provides values-aligned investment screening rooted in Jewish principles. Its approach includes ESG considerations and mission-related investing, though the specific negative screens applied to the portfolio have not been disclosed publicly.
Does the foundation maintain philanthropic structures beyond grant-making?
Yes. The foundation operates several named philanthropic vehicles, including the Center for Innovative Philanthropy, JewGood Hartford — a young-adult giving circle — and The Lillian Fund, a women’s giving circle. These programs run alongside major partnerships with the Zachs Family Foundation and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.
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