What are important facts related to the Menorah Park Foundation and the Montefiore Foundation (“the Foundation”)?

• The Menorah Park Foundation and the Montefiore Foundation currently operate as one entity and will eventually be combined into one legal organization. The Foundation board of directors recognizes that the Montefiore name is important to the community and is working toward finding the best way to recognize the significance of that legacy.

• The Foundation is a non-profit organization, and since its formation in 1994 has been a separate legal entity from the former Menorah Park.

• The Foundation board of directors always has been and remains separate from the former board of Menorah Park and that organization’s operations and is in no way affiliated with King David Healthcare.

 

What will be the focus of the Foundation?

The Foundation’s focus is to provide grants for programs and services that positively impact older Jewish adults living in northeast Ohio. There is a critical need in the community for these services to support and improve the quality of life in older adults. Examples of services we are currently considering include memory care, healthcare needs, economic and food support, transportation needs, therapies and engagement that support positive social interaction with others (art therapy, music therapy, massage therapy, etc.), hospice care and others.

 

The Foundation board will work in concert with other organizations, such as the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, Jewish Family Service Association, Mandel Jewish Community Center, and others, with the goal of identifying programs and services that will have the most positive impact on the lives of older adults.

 

Our overarching goal is to support older adults and their families, regardless of whether the older adults choose to live at a senior adult residence, live independently, or reside with family.

 

What is the current state of the Foundation’s assets?

• The Foundation currently has about $35 million in total assets. The investments continue to be managed by the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s investment managers. 

• The assets, including all donor special purpose endowment funds, are safe (except for ordinary investment risks) and not subject to any claims.

• The Foundation’s assets are entirely the result of decades of generosity of our donor base.

 

Will the Foundation continue to raise money?  

The focus of the Foundation moving forward will be grant making, not fundraising. While we are no longer actively fundraising, any contributed dollars are very much appreciated and will be added to our assets and used to make grants that benefit older Jewish adults in northeast Ohio.

 

What will happen to the assets the Foundation currently has available?

We plan to start the grant-making process in 2025 and anticipate contributing approximately $1.5 million to $1.75 million annually (or about 4% to 5% of our assets per annum). Our goal is for the Foundation’s assets to be an important source of grants that benefit Jewish older adults for generations to come.

 

If my family or I established an endowment fund at the Menorah Park Foundation or the Montefiore Foundation, what should I expect in terms of communication?

The Foundation’s assets include close to 500 endowment funds, the majority of which are designated for a specific purpose to support the former Menorah Park or Montefiore organizations. Each of these funds is named for the individuals that made the original donation. The fund names will continue.

 

Beginning in March 2024, we will reach out to the donors or the donor families to discuss next steps with regards to these funds.

 

You or your family may be contacted by individuals closely connected with the Foundation. These professionals know many of our donors and/or donor families and are very passionate about the mission of the Foundation and the need for programs and services to support older Jewish adults.

 

What should I expect if I have made a bequest to the Menorah Park Foundation or the Montefiore Foundation in my estate plan or completed a letter of intent?

In March 2024, we will begin reaching out to those individuals who have named the Foundation in their estate plan documents or completed a letter of intent. We are grateful for these bequests and commitments which are very important to the Foundation’s future and mission. It is our hope that we can work with you to ensure that these most meaningful gifts benefit the older Jewish adult community in northeast Ohio.

 

What is the best way for me or those interested in learning more to communicate with the Foundation?

If you have a question related to your special purpose fund or if you have named the Foundation in your estate plan please visit the Menorah Park Foundation website  at www.menorahparkfoundation.org, and click on the email button at the bottom of the page to send your message. We recognize the importance of these questions and will get back to you as soon as possible.

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What is the best way for me to stay up to date on the Foundation’s progress toward making its first grant?

The Foundation’s first priority is to communicate with all of our donors. In addition, we are actively developing our grant-making process and working toward meeting the legal and organizational requirements that will allow us to successfully operate under our new mission.

 

We intend to provide updates and communications in a variety of forums, including updates to our website and through emails and letters to our donors. We will also update this FAQ document throughout the process, which can be accessed on the website or by reaching out to a member of our team at info@menorahparkfoundation.org.

 

Do the donors of artwork or individuals whose name is on a plaque or made a named gift have a right to that artwork or plaque at the former Menorah Park, Montefiore and affiliated residences? *

As part of the sale of Menorah Park, which included the entirety of the Beachwood campus, all personal property at the campus, which includes any items that may have been donated over the years, as well as any plaques or other similar items that memorialize or recognize contributions or other good deeds, were among the assets that were sold. As part of the sale process, Menorah Park staff searched all records in its possession with respect to items that were donated and did not find any documentation that would convey any ongoing rights to a donor under any circumstances, including but not limited to the sale of the campus. Accordingly, all such items are now the property of the new owner of the campus, and they are free to do with such items as they deem appropriate.

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* This response was provided by the “wind-down” Menorah Park board of directors. It is included here because it is a frequently asked question of the Foundation. It is not an issue for the Foundation as we were not a party to the Menorah Park sales agreement, and do not have the ability to make other arrangements.

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