Jewish Community Foundation fundholders are turning their passions and visions into progress through their grants. These stories highlight the people, partnerships, and ideas that come together to activate these community investments.

Creating Connection Across Ages and Community

For Carla Itzkowich, philanthropy begins with a simple question: How can we help create a community where people of all ages feel connected, valued, and supported?

When Carla considered how to direct her philanthropic resources, she found herself reflecting on the future and the legacy she hoped to leave. Without children of her own, she was drawn to ideas that would strengthen connections across generations and create lasting benefits for both older adults and young people. Through her work with Itzkowich Family International Philanthropy (IFIP), she began exploring the growing challenges of social isolation, aging, and community fragmentation. This was an opportunity to make a meaningful difference.

To deepen that work, Carla partnered with her niece, Vanessa Itzkowich, and IFIP’s head of philanthropy, Ilana Ostrosky Frid, to form a dedicated task force focused on intergenerational solutions. They began researching innovative models across the country and abroad, seeking ways to bring generations together in meaningful, mutually beneficial relationships.

Their shared belief is simple: communities thrive when people of all ages are woven together.

Through her donor advised fund at the Jewish Community Foundation, Carla has become a champion for intergenerational approaches that foster connection, reduce isolation, and strengthen community.

Their focus comes at a pivotal moment for San Diego. By 2030, one in four residents will be 60 years or older, and an estimated 130,000 seniors already live as “elder orphans” without nearby family or support networks.

“We see intergenerational connection as essential to a healthy community,” Carla shared. “It strengthens belonging, reduces isolation, and restores relationships that are often lost in an age-segregated society.”

The direction of their philanthropy reflects that conviction. Nationally, they support leaders such as Generations United and Bridge Meadows, organizations advancing innovative models that connect older adults with children, families, and young professionals. Locally, they have partnered closely with the San Diego Seniors Community Foundation, helping to seed innovative ideas and expand the region’s capacity to support older adults.

This year, Carla and her team are helping launch a pilot program in San Diego that co-locates early childhood education with elder care, an approach inspired by the United Kingdom’s Apples & Honey Nightingale initiative, where toddlers and seniors learn, play, and build relationships side by side. The model has shown powerful outcomes abroad: reduced loneliness for older adults, improved social-emotional development for children, and a renewed sense of purpose for everyone involved.

Carla’s commitment reflects the best of what philanthropy can do. By working closely with Jewish Community Foundation staff, partners and community leaders, she and her team have identified emerging needs, elevated promising solutions, and brought organizations together to build a stronger, more connected region. Through thoughtful giving and a shared passion for connection, they are helping advance a future where San Diegans of all ages can experience dignity, belonging, and meaningful relationships, one connection at a time.