Houston Jewish Community Foundation
The Houston Jewish Community Foundation (HJCF) is a 501(c)(3) community foundation established in 1985 and headquartered in Houston, Texas. The organization operates as a philanthropic intermediary that partners with individuals, families, and organizations to support and strengthen the greater Houston community. HJCF administers funds donated by individuals and organizations for the benefit of the Greater Houston community, both locally and nationally.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$260.7M
+17.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$23.7M
+48.8% YoY
Grant Count
248
+2.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$96K
+44.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The mission of the Houston Jewish Community Foundation is to reflect the collective charitable hearts of donors by advising on, receiving, administering, distributing and efficiently serving as stewards of funds designated for the present and future benefit of qualified charitable organizations. The Foundation promotes the practice of tzedakah (righteousness, charity) and the pursuit of tikkun olam (repairing the world) by serving as a central resource and advocate for charitable giving.
The Foundation envisions the continuation of a thriving and vibrant Jewish community in Houston and Texas. As a primary, trusted, and expert resource for philanthropy, HJCF engages, educates, inspires, and serves generations of donors. The organization empowers donors to convert generous ideas into deliberate action, address community needs through strategic and high-impact grantmaking, and provide creative philanthropic planning expertise to individuals, families, and community institutions.
Primary funding areas include Education, Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking, and Human Services.
Grantmaking
HJCF facilitates grantmaking through donor-advised funds, allowing donors to direct the distribution of funds to qualified charitable organizations. The Foundation operates a donor-advised fund structure where donors/fundholders may select from various strategic investment pools.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
HJCF primarily serves the Greater Houston community and Texas, though the Foundation also supports charitable organizations nationally and internationally. Recent grantmaking data indicates funding activity in Texas, New York, and California.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets:
- $260,698,520 (2024)
- $222,000,000 (2023)
- Over $325,000,000 (per organizational materials)
Annual Giving & Revenue:
- Total giving: $31,100,662 (2024)
- Total revenues: $33,365,368 (2024)
- Total expenses: $32,736,661 (2024)
- Revenue: $35,200,000 (2023)
- Expenses: $29,400,000 (2023)
Liabilities:
- $74,500,000 (2023)
Staffing:
- 6 employees (2024)
- 2 employees (per organizational materials)
The funds are professionally managed by Fiducient Advisors (previously DiMeo Schneider) to ensure donors receive the greatest benefit from their charitable contributions. An Investment Committee oversees prudent management of the funds.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $260,698,520 | $222,086,626 | $202,144,299 |
| Revenue | $33,365,368 | $35,186,276 | $32,520,347 |
| Expenses | $32,736,661 | $29,412,350 | $22,203,974 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $4,168,762 | $7,153,781 | $4,105,667 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Houston Jewish Community Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Ms. Roberta Herman is listed as a principal officer of the organization.
The Foundation benefits from the experience and dedication of local community members, including lawyers, accountants, bankers, estate planners, financial planners, investment advisors, tax counselors, trust officers, and life insurance experts who provide expert counsel through the Professional Advisory Steering Committee and various other committees.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis Kalmans | Chair | 5 | — |
| Jacob Leon | Vice Chair, Secretary | 3 | — |
| Angela Odensky | Treasurer | 5 | — |
| David Aaronson | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Brad Brookner | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Brian Cororve | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Jennifer Costa | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Jason Feldman | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Audrey Fersten | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Les Fox | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Emily Freedman | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Courtney Garson | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Jeffrey Gilbert | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Dan Gordon | Non-voting Trustee | 1 | — |
| Jason Gordon | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Leah Gross | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Jay Kaplan | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Joy Kaplan | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Mark Katz | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Mark Laskin | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Mike Levy | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Alan Orkin | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Esther Polland | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Jody Proler | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Mark Rauch | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Ann Baker Ronn | Non-voting Trustee | 1 | — |
| Rob Shoss | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Rick Stein | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Tracy Stein | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Kevin Steinhart | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Eugene Tunitsky | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Haya Varon | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Roberta Herman-Dietrich | Executive Director | 50 | $141,992 |
| Paul Weaver | CFO | 50 | $121,211 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Foundation has been actively engaged in supporting Israel-related causes. Following the October 2023 crisis in Israel, HJCF worked with donors and fundholders to support Israel through partnerships with the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston and numerous local, national, and international organizations.
Federation awards $198,000 in 2025 Local Impact Fund Grants - Jewish FederationThe Foundation celebrated its 40th anniversary, marking significant growth and maturation as a true community foundation managing substantial assets and administering funds for the benefit of the Greater Houston community.
Grants for Organizations - Houston Jewish Community FoundationSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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