Jewish LGBTQ Donor Network Enhances Global Philanthropic Opportunities in the Jewish LGBTQ Space
January 3, 2023
Los Angeles, CA – Founded in 2021, the Jewish LGBTQ Donor Network provides philanthropic support, mentoring, and other member skills to organizations, foundations, and individuals to advance and support the international Jewish LGBTQ community, initially in the United States and Israel. The Network will offer opportunities for members to engage in leadership and advancement in three key areas: education, networking, and giving.
The Jewish LGBTQ Donor Network was founded by philanthropists Alex Greenbaum of Tel Aviv, Stuart Kurlander of Washington, D.C. and Miami, and Jeff Schoenfeld of New York. Along with others, the Jewish LGBTQ Donor Network is comprised of philanthropists who are both Jewish and LGBTQ and believe in meeting needs and advancing initiatives that lie at the intersection of their Jewish and LGBTQ identities. The Jewish LGBTQ Donor Network originally convened virtually throughout the course of the coronavirus pandemic. Now fully realized and in-person, The Network seeks to learn from the community, including grantee organizations, and to be a reciprocal partner in sharing ideas, opportunities, expertise, and philanthropic resources.
New Executive Director Neil Spears, set to onboard January 9, is a seasoned educator and community builder who most recently served as executive director of the Silverlake Independent Jewish Community Center. He is a Schusterman Senior Fellow, an alumnus of Leading Edge’s CEO Onboarding Program, a recipient of JQ International’s Inspiration Award, and serves on the board of JQ International, a nonprofit that promotes community, education, and support services for LGBTQ Jews. He is also a regular participant at SVARA’s Queer Talmud Camp. Spears earned a master’s degree in education policy and management from Harvard University and a B.S. in psychology from the University of California, San Diego.
“Neil is the ideal candidate to maximize the already considerable impact of the Jewish LGBTQ Donor Network,” says founder Stuart Kurlander, “to drive grant making opportunities, and to significantly grow partnerships with well-established philanthropists that will meaningfully impact the lives of LGBTQ Jews and enhance their roles in the broader Jewish community.”
“Our board is delighted that the Jewish LGBTQ Network will have the benefit of Neil’s capable leadership at a time when our mission has never been more important,” Greenbaum says. And Schoenfeld observes that, “Neil’s years of experience will serve to drive the Network’s philanthropic growth and the impact we all know the Network can make. We look forward to working with him in his new capacity.”
