< Individuals & Families
Make sure your donations happen in time.
Securities / Wire Transfers: We recommend initiating transfers by mid-December to ensure they arrive in JCF’s financial accounts by December 31, 2025.
Mailed Checks: US Postal Service postmarked by December 31, 2025.
Credit Card Gifts: Submit on the JCF website by midnight, December 31, 2025.
Here are all the deadlines and distribution dates for December 2025:
Want To Learn More About End of Year Giving?
Ollie Benn, Vice President of Philanthropy
858-279-2740
Sharyn Goodson, Senior Vice President, Philanthropy
Now is a great time to contact your professional advisors! Here are some suggested topics. (JCF does not provide tax or legal advice.)
If you are 70½ or older, a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from an IRA to nonprofits, may reduce taxable income. (Not eligible to go to a DAF, but may go to Endowment Funds or pre-funding Legacy Plans.)
If you are 73 or older, a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) may be used for philanthropy by taking advantage of the QCD options.
Bunching or Batching
Donate Appreciated Securities
Coming in 2026
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) may impact tax brackets and deduction rules. Ask your advisor for more information.
The Jewish Community Foundation stays up-to-date on key needs in our community. At this time of year, our thoughts turn to those lacking the most essential items. Below are organizations meeting our neighbors’ basic needs, including food, shelter, and healthcare, guided by the Jewish value of arevut (mutual responsibility).
Our team has subject matter expertise in many areas, including Israel, foster youth, climate, Jewish education, antisemitism, animal welfare, and more.
If you would like curated recommendations, contact Sharyn Goodson, Senior Vice President, Philanthropy, at sharyn@jcfsandiego.org or (858) 279-2740.
Hebrew Free Loan of San Diego (HFL) HFL provides interest- and cost-free loans to assist Jewish individuals overcome financial challenges. Learn about HFL here.
Jewish Family Service (JFS) JFS offers nutrition, financial assistance, case management, family support, homelessness prevention, older adult care, and more. Learn about JFS here.
Kindness Initiative (KI) KI connects low-income Jewish individuals and households with needed services. The Kindness G’MACH Gift Closet collects and distributes clothing, food, toys, furniture, and any material goods. Learn about KI here.
Coastal Roots Farm Coastal Roots Farm provides up to $30 worth of farm-fresh organic produce to individuals during each visit to their Farm Stand, which is open twice a week. Learn about Coastal Roots Farm here.
giv4 makes it easy to have an impact on such a big issue as homelessness. With one donation to the giv4 Homelessness Fund, you support 12 vetted San Diego-area nonprofits in three ways:
Prevention Stop homelessness before it starts (Serving Seniors, Monarch School Project, Jewish Family Service, Home Start).
Intervention Solve immediate needs (Urban Street Angels, Youth Assistance Coalition, Interfaith Community Solutions, PATH).
Systems Change Reduce homelessness over the long term through “housing first” solutions and policy change (Voices of Our City Choir, YIGBY, Heal Network, San Diego Shared Housing Collaborative).
Rooted in Jewish values and supported by research, these ideas can help your family build meaningful traditions of giving and connection—this season and all year long.
Through tzedakah and gemilut chasadim (acts of loving-kindness), we help our children grow into compassionate, grateful individuals who recognize their power to make a difference. Every act of giving shapes their sense of purpose and ties them to the Jewish story of repairing the world, one good deed at a time.
Tzedakah (Righteous Giving) | L’dor V’dor (From Generation to Generation) Children learn kindness and generosity by watching it in action and understanding why it matters. Research shows that when parents give and explain why, their children are much more likely to follow their example.
Tell stories about your own giving. Which experiences brought you joy or deep satisfaction? Was it seeing a tangible difference you helped create? The sense of living your values? A relationship your gift sparked or strengthened? These reflections help children understand that giving is not just about money, it’s about meaning.
B’Tzelem Elohim (In God’s Image) Help children recognize that every person is created B’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God, and deserves dignity and care. Share stories, visit local nonprofits, or volunteer together so they can see compassion in action. Ask each family member what they’d like to change or preserve in your community or the world. Are they motivated by addressing injustice or by supporting good work already underway?
Dedicate a night of Hanukkah to giving, prepare gifts for community members during Purim, or reflect on freedom and responsibility together at Passover. Set aside funds for giving year-round as a reminder that giving is an ongoing part of Jewish life.
Areyvut (Mutual Responsibility) | Kehillah (Community) Jewish tradition teaches that Kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh, meaning all of Israel is responsible for one another. Help your children see that giving links your family to the larger Jewish community, whether in San Diego, Israel, or around the world.
Ma’asim Tovim (Good Deeds in Action) When children see how their actions make a difference, generosity feels real. Deliver food to a neighbor, bake for a local shelter, or visit an organization your family supports. Experiencing kindness firsthand helps them understand that even small actions can have a big impact.
Bechirah Chofshit (Free Will) Empower children by offering them choices in how they give, whether through volunteering, creating, or donating money. Provide age-appropriate funds for them to distribute and increase the amount as they grow. Trusting them to decide fosters ownership and encourages a lifelong habit of thoughtful giving.
Avodah Shebalev (Service of the Heart) | Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World) Encourage your children to connect volunteering and giving with what they love, such as music, art, sports, nature, or helping others.
Spend time with a Holocaust survivor, collect gently used clothing, harvest produce, serve meals, and more. Local organizations count on volunteers to offer comfort and connection, especially during the holidays. Doing Good Together and Hands-On San Diego offer hundreds of meaningful opportunities for people of all ages and interests.
We’d be happy to help you find one that’s right for you. Contact Sharyn Goodson at sharyn@jcfsandiego.org.
For more information on how your giving can have the most impact, contact: Ollie Benn, Vice President of Philanthropy and Social Impact, or call (858) 279-2740.
To recommend a grant from your Donor Advised Fund, please log in to your JCFConnect account or e-mail Lizette Ferrero, Grants Officer. If you have not received your JCFConnect login information, please contact us here.
We truly appreciate the opportunity to assist you with your giving. Please don’t hesitate to contact the Foundation team at any time.