Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati hosted 16th annual meeting

To see photos from The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati’s 16th annual meeting that was on Tuesday, October 30th,  check back next week.

The Foundation reported on its activity and investments from the past year, and the program was followed by a Community Dessert Reception.

The program, was open to the public and included a presentation by Jewish Foundation President Michael R. Oestreicher, who briefed the community on the Foundation’s new philanthropic approach, highlighted some of its most significant early investments, and previewed the priorities that the Foundation will address in the year ahead. Foundation Chairman Gary Heiman provided an update on the organizational growth of the Foundation, and also made a special presentation to Benjamin Gettler, a Founding Trustee and the Foundation’s first president, who retired from the Board of Trustees in March.

“We were excited to report to the community on the progress we have made since presenting our strategic plan at the Foundation’s 2011 Annual Meeting,” said Oestreicher. “During the past year, our Trustees and professional staff have worked hard to assess community needs, and to develop new principles and grant-making practices intended to establish The Jewish Foundation as the trusted, high-impact investor that our community deserves. Although we are still at the beginning of this new epoch in the history of the Foundation, we are proud of the outcomes that already have been achieved with several community partners.”

The Foundation’s strategic plan calls for investing its resources in five priority funding areas: Unmet Basic Needs, Jewish Educational Opportunities, Leadership Development, Continuous Jewish Involvement, and Israel Connection. The Annual Meeting reports described the progress made in each of those categories, with a particular focus on the ethic of partnering and collaboration that the Foundation has helped to develop among several different institutions through projects addressing multiple funding areas. This included telling the story of the Foundation’s investment in Cedar Village — the first installment in its broader investment in senior services — as well as the groundbreaking initiatives created in partnership with Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institution of Religion, Jewish Family Service, the Jewish Federation and generous individual philanthropists.