Jewish Community Fund of Maine


Jewish Community Fund of Maine and the

Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine Annual Campaign

The Fund ensures the future. The Annual Campaign sustains the present.


The Jewish Community Fund of Maine (JCFM) has been established to administer a transformational bequest from the Alfred and Dorothy Suzi Osher Charitable Fund (the Osher Fund). This new resource exists to enhance the vitality of Jewish Maine by funding Jewish communal organizations focused on Jewish traditions, values, education, and wellbeing.


The JCFM is for grantmaking, its purpose to grow over time and provide sustainable support for Jewish life across Maine. In accordance with the trust document and investment policies, the Fund will make grants through a formal application and review process. Once established, grants will be awarded to support eligible programs, initiatives, and organizations that advance Jewish life, consistent with the Fund’s charitable purpose and priorities. The Fund will seed new ideas, promote innovation, and take risks.


Importantly, the Osher Fund is not an operating budget for the JCA. The JCA can apply for grants from the Fund, and funding is not guaranteed. Some areas of the JCA’s work are not eligible for support under the terms of the trust and therefore rely entirely on other funding sources. The JCFM is overseen by a

separate and unique Board of Directors from the JCA.


Even with this extraordinary gift, the JCA Annual Campaign remains essential. The Annual Campaign provides the flexible, unrestricted dollars that keep our community functioning every day. The JCA’s Allocations Committee, comprised of staff, community, and Board volunteers, designates annual campaign funds to support the JCA’s integrated work across its Federation, Jewish Community Center, and Jewish Family Services; community safety and antisemitism response; scholarships and camperships; crisis response; allocations to community partners; and urgent social needs locally and in Israel. This allocation process is recommended by the Allocations Committee and approved by the JCA Board annually.


Annual Campaign dollars allow the JCA to direct resources where they are most needed in real time,

including to programs and partners that do not have endowments or restricted funding.



Together, these two funding sources ensure both long-term vision and immediate impact.

The Osher Fund provides enduring, future-focused support through grantmaking. The Annual Campaign sustains the work of Jewish life today.


FAQ

  • What is the difference between the Osher Fund and the JCA Annual Campaign?

    The Osher Fund ensures the future while the Annual Campaign sustains the present. The Osher Fund is a permanent grantmaking fund that supports Jewish life over the long term through a structured grant process. The Osher fund will be able to fund projects beyond the J’s ability to support. The Annual

    Campaign provides flexible, unrestricted dollars needed to operate the JCA and meet current-year needs.

  • What is the Alfred and Dorothy Suzi Osher Charitable Fund?

    The Alfred and Dorothy Suzi Osher Charitable Fund was created through a bequest from Alfred (z"l) and Dorothy Suzi Osher (z"l) and is administered by the Jewish Community Fund of Maine. Its sole purpose is to enhance the vitality of Jewish Maine by funding Jewish communal organizations focused on Jewish

    traditions, values, education, and wellbeing. The fund and all grants made from it carry the Osher name to honor their vision and generosity.

  • How does the Osher Fund make grants?

    Beginning in 2026, the Fund’s Grants Committee will invite and review grant applications, engage with applicants, and recommend funding awards to the JCFM Board of Directors for approval. Grant decisions are guided by the trust document, eligibility requirements, and the Fund’s philanthropic priorities.

  • Does the JCA automatically receive funding from the Osher Fund?

    No. The JCA must apply for grants from the Osher Fund just like other eligible organizations. Funding is not guaranteed, and some areas of the JCA’s operations are not eligible for support under the terms of the trust.

  • Why can’t the Osher Fund replace the Annual Campaign?

    The Osher Fund is designed to provide long-term support through grantmaking, not to cover annual operating needs. The Annual Campaign allocations process supplies the unrestricted resourcesrequired to keep programs running and services available right now.

  • What is the allocations process?

    The allocations process distributes Annual Campaign dollars each year to support agencies, programs, and community priorities. Because these funds are flexible and reviewed annually, they allow the JCA to respond to emerging needs and support work that does not have restricted or endowed funding.

  • Will the Osher Fund grow over time?

    Describe the item or answer the question so that site visitors who are interested get more information. You can emphasize this text with bullets, italics or bold, and add links.

  • How do the Osher Fund and the Annual Campaign work together?

    The Osher Fund provides predictable, long-term resources through grantmaking.


    The Annual Campaign provides flexibility and responsiveness in the present.


    Together, they form a strong and balanced financial foundation for Jewish life in Maine.

Key Terms

(Plain Language Glossery)

  • Annual Campaign

    The JCA’s primary yearly fundraising effort that provides unrestricted dollars for

    current operations, programs, and community needs.

  • Allocations

    The annual process through which Annual Campaign funds are distributed to community partners and priorities.

  • Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine (JCA)

    The integrated organization that includes

    Federation, the Jewish Community Center, and Jewish Family Services, serving as the central hub of

    Jewish life in the region.

  • Jewish Federations

     A network of community-based Jewish organizations across North America that

    raise and allocate funds to support Jewish life locally, in Israel, and around the world. Federations coordinate community planning, philanthropy, and response to communal needs, including security,

    social services, and crisis response.

  • Jewish Community Center (JCC)

    A community hub offering programs, education, fitness, and cultural

    experiences.

  • Jewish Family Services (JFS)

    Programs and services that support individuals and families through

    life’s challenges.