Jewish Communal Fund names new president, trustees after record grant year

Jewish Communal Fund elected Daniel Blaser as board president, added six trustees and named Fiscal Year 2027 officers after fundholders recommended more than $1.3 billion in grants in FY 2026. The moves come as the nation’s largest Jewish donor advised fund enters its 55th year and looks to keep growing its philanthropic reach.

Why it matters: - Jewish Communal Fund is entering FY 2027 with new board leadership after a record grantmaking year. - The leadership changes come as fundholders are directing more money to charities and the organization says demand for charitable giving remains strong. - JCF manages nearly $4 billion in charitable assets for more than 5,400 funds. - Since its founding in 1972, JCF Fundholders have granted more than $12 billion to charities.

What happened: - JCF elected Daniel Blaser as board president. - JCF added six trustees: Jonathan Ehrlich, David Farhi, Jodi Ganz, Shelly Kivell, Michele Levy and Daniela Tisch. - JCF also named its Fiscal Year 2027 officer slate. - The announcement follows FY 2026, when fundholders recommended more than $1.3 billion in grants to more than 12,000 charitable organizations. - Rachel Schnoll, CEO of Jewish Communal Fund, said the organization is entering its 55th year with a board that leads with strength, generosity and vision. - Schnoll also thanked outgoing President Andrea Markezin-Press.

The details: - Daniel Blaser is senior vice president of finance and legal at Extell Development Company. - Blaser said the Jewish community’s needs are growing and philanthropists are responding with urgency. - Blaser said his goal is to work with the board and JCF team to make charitable giving easier for fundholders. - Jonathan Ehrlich is CEO of T2D2.ai and serves on the Young Leaders Executive Committee at UJA-Federation of NY. - David Farhi is a real estate audit partner at Ernst & Young and has more than 30 years of experience. - David Farhi has served on the Board of Directors and Audit Committee at UJA-Federation of NY. - Jodi Ganz is chief operating officer and general counsel of Belfer Management LLC. - Jodi Ganz serves on the Board of Governors of AJC and has volunteered for Duke University for decades. - Shelly Kivell serves on the Board of the JCC, the Executive Committee of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the Government Relations Committee at UJA-Federation of NY and the Dean’s Council at Weill Cornell Medical College. - Michele Levy is vice president at Sephardic Bikur Holim in Brooklyn and chairs its Governance Committee and Mental Health Division. - Daniela Tisch recently served as managing director of the Richard Paul Richman Center for Business, Law, and Public Policy at Columbia University. - Daniela Tisch is active with UJA’s Women in Law Committee and Lawyers Executive Committee. - JCF re-elected Will Bressman, Uri Kaufthal and Barry Moss as trustees. - For FY 2027, Ellen Horing will serve as chair of the Executive Committee. - Barry Moss will serve as treasurer. - Spencer Herbst will serve as secretary and chair of the Marketing Committee. - Will Bressman will serve as chair of the Nominating Committee. - Samara Cohen will serve as chair of the Special Gifts Committee. - Benjamin Hochberg will serve as vice president and chair of the Investment Committee.

Between the lines: - The board mix shows JCF leaning on leaders with backgrounds in finance, law, technology, philanthropy and Jewish communal work. - The new leadership slate suggests continuity rather than a strategic reset, with three trustees re-elected and several long-term community leaders moving into formal roles. - JCF is positioning its governance around a larger grantmaking base and a more competitive philanthropic environment.

What's next: - The FY 2027 board and officer team will guide JCF as it tries to deepen impact and help fundholders meet their charitable goals. - JCF said it will keep focusing on empowering fundholders to support the causes that matter to them. - The organization will also look to build on the momentum from FY 2026's record grantmaking year.

The bottom line: - JCF is pairing record-scale philanthropy with a refreshed leadership bench as it heads into its next fiscal year.