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Steve And Janice Hefter Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$0.7M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $695,800 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $3,001,910 (2024)
  • Decision Time: N/A (trustee discretion)
  • Grant Range: Varies by recipient
  • Number of Awards: 20 grants in 2023
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Illinois-based with focus on Jewish and pro-Israel causes
  • Foundation Type: Private family foundation

Contact Details

Address: Highland Park, IL 60035

Leadership:

  • Steve Hefter, President & Treasurer
  • Janice Hefter, Vice President
  • Justin Hefter, Secretary

Note: This is a private family foundation without public contact information or formal application process.

Overview

The Steve and Janice Hefter Family Foundation was established in August 2000 as a private independent foundation based in Highland Park, Illinois (EIN: 36-4337226). With total assets of approximately $3 million, the foundation distributed $695,800 across 20 grants in 2023. The foundation reflects the lifelong commitment of Steve and Janice Hefter to Jewish and pro-Israel causes. Steve Hefter, a Stanford and Harvard MBA graduate who has worked for Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, and his wife Janice have been deeply involved in Jewish advocacy and philanthropy throughout their lives. They were active in the Free Soviet Jewry movement, attended the anti-Nazi march in Skokie, and are founding members of the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. The foundation operates through trustee discretion, making grants that align with the Hefters' established philanthropic priorities.

Funding Priorities

Priority Areas

Based on the founders' documented involvement, the foundation's funding priorities center on:

Jewish Causes and Community Support:

  • Jewish education and community organizations
  • Support for Russian-speaking Jewish immigrants (the Hefters were matched with the Miller family through Family to Family program in the late 1980s)
  • Jewish cultural and religious institutions

Pro-Israel Advocacy and Support:

  • Pro-Israel advocacy organizations (documented involvement with StandWithUs, AIPAC, CAMERA)
  • Israel defense and security organizations (Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, Foundation for Defense of Democracy, Shurat Hadin)
  • Jewish-Christian relations focused on Israel (International Fellowship of Christians and Jews)

Jewish Security and Holocaust Education:

  • Simon Wiesenthal Center's Museum of Tolerance
  • Organizations combating anti-Semitism
  • Jewish security initiatives (Jewish Institute of National Security of America - JINSA)

Historical Context:

  • Soviet Jewry causes (Chicago Action for Soviet Jewry)
  • Organizations preserving Jewish heritage and fighting extremism

What They Don't Fund

As a private family foundation focused on Jewish and pro-Israel causes:

  • Organizations outside the Jewish/Israel advocacy sphere
  • General secular causes unrelated to Jewish community or Israel
  • Individual scholarships or direct aid to individuals (grants made to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations)

Governance and Leadership

Steve Hefter (President & Treasurer): A native Chicagoan who earned his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and MBA from Harvard. He has worked for Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and HLM Capital, and has been included in Barron's magazine's prestigious list of 100 best wealth advisers. Steve serves on the advisory boards of the Jewish Institute of National Security of America (JINSA) and the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, as well as on the national Board of StandWithUs.

Janice Hefter (Vice President): Active in the Free Soviet Jewry movement and longtime advocate for Jewish causes. Janice and Steve attended significant historical events including the anti-Nazi March in Skokie and the Free Soviet Jewry rally in Washington DC. She serves alongside Steve on the national Board of StandWithUs as well as the Chicago Board.

Justin Hefter (Secretary): Family member serving as secretary of the foundation.

Steve Hefter's Documented Involvement: "Janice and Steve Hefter have been involved in Jewish and pro-Israel causes most of their lives. After fighting for so many years for Jews to leave the Soviet Union, Steve and Janice Hefter felt they had to help those who came to Chicago."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Steve and Janice Hefter Family Foundation operates as a private family foundation where grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees (Steve, Janice, and Justin Hefter). Grants are made to organizations aligned with the foundation's mission of supporting Jewish and pro-Israel causes.

The foundation made 20 grants in 2023, 17 grants in 2022, and 21 grants in 2021, indicating consistent grantmaking activity, though these awards are determined internally by the trustees based on their philanthropic priorities and relationships with recipient organizations.

Decision Timeline

Grants are awarded on a rolling basis at the discretion of the trustees. There are no publicly announced application deadlines or decision timelines.

Success Rates

Not applicable for public applications. The foundation operates through trustee-initiated grantmaking.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable as there is no public application process.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation operates through trustee discretion rather than a public application process, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, organizations seeking support from the Hefters' foundation should note:

Alignment with Established Priorities: The foundation consistently supports causes that Steve and Janice Hefter have been personally involved with throughout their lives, including:

  • Organizations where the Hefters serve on boards (StandWithUs, International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, JINSA)
  • Causes they were founding members of (Simon Wiesenthal Center's Museum of Tolerance)
  • Historical causes they championed (Soviet Jewry, Holocaust education, Israel advocacy)

Jewish and Pro-Israel Focus: The foundation's documented giving reflects the Hefters' deep commitment to Jewish causes and pro-Israel advocacy. Organizations in these sectors that demonstrate:

  • Strong track records in Jewish community support or Israel advocacy
  • Alignment with combating anti-Semitism and extremism
  • Support for Jewish security and education

Geographic Connection: While focused on Jewish and Israel causes broadly, the Hefters have strong ties to the Chicago area and have supported local efforts (Chicago Action for Soviet Jewry, local Family to Family program).

Values-Driven Approach: The Hefters' philanthropy reflects their personal values and lived experiences, particularly their involvement in historic movements like Soviet Jewry advocacy. Organizations that share these values and can demonstrate impact in similar areas may align with the foundation's mission.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: This is a private family foundation that awards grants through trustee discretion. There is no formal application portal or process.
  • Mission-Specific Focus: The foundation focuses exclusively on Jewish and pro-Israel causes, reflecting the lifelong commitment of Steve and Janice Hefter.
  • Board Connections Matter: The Hefters serve on boards of several major organizations (StandWithUs, JINSA, International Fellowship of Christians and Jews), suggesting these connections inform their grantmaking.
  • Consistent Grantmaking: With 17-21 grants annually over recent years, the foundation maintains steady grantmaking activity totaling around $550,000-$695,000 per year.
  • Family Leadership: The foundation is led entirely by family members (Steve, Janice, and their son Justin), indicating grants reflect family values and priorities.
  • Historical Commitment: The Hefters have decades of documented involvement in Jewish advocacy, particularly Soviet Jewry, Holocaust education, and Israel defense, which shapes their philanthropic priorities.
  • Strategic Relationship Building: Organizations working in the foundation's priority areas may benefit from building relationships through shared board members, events, or collaborative efforts with organizations the Hefters already support.

References

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