Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix

Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix

The Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix was established in 1972 by Richard Kasper to create a permanent legacy vehicle for Jewish philanthropy in Arizona. The foundation traces its institutional continuity through Kasper's ongoing leadership, with Rachel Hoffer chairing the board of the merged successor, the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix. The merger with the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, supported by grant funding from the Lodestar Foundation, united the region's two primary Jewish fundraising and endowment arms. The foundation's investment portfolio spans pooled investment holdings, commercial real estate, and mixed-use property. Its wholly owned subsidiary, Phoenix Jewish News, LLC, holds commercial real estate assets at the foundation's Scottsdale headquarters. Another entity, JCF Special Holdings, LLC, holds a mixed-use property at the same address. The foundation operates within the Jewish Federations of North America network, and Phoenix Jewish News, LLC maintains membership in the American Jewish Press Association. The geographic footprint is concentrated in Greater Phoenix, with philanthropic allocations extending to Jewish communities abroad. Jeff Mindlin directs the investment committee. The foundation's deployment structure relies on centrally pooled investment holdings rather than independent trusts or outsourced mandates. Adjacent vehicles include the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix, the operating entity formed by the merger, and the Hoffer Family Foundation. No record of club deal memberships or third-party co-investment platforms has emerged. In September 2023, the Lodestar Foundation provided grant funding to facilitate the merger of JCF and the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix (Altss estimate). The foundation's structural differentiator is its hybrid architecture: a community endowment that owns a media company, Phoenix Jewish News, LLC, and holds real estate directly. While most community foundations outsource investment management and limit non-financial operations, JCF operates both a permanent endowment and an active media subsidiary under a single governance umbrella. Succession is anchored to the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix, which now serves as the primary vehicle for the merged entities' activities.