The Jewish Federation Announces Dollar for Dollar Endowment Matching

April 29, 2022 – Sarasota

The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee is thrilled to announce a generous commitment of $500,000 from The Larry and Debbie Haspel Family to build endowment dollars to meet growing community security needs. This gift will be used as a matching challenge for the community with all donations of endowment dollars being matched dollar for dollar. Larry, a current Federation Board Member, and Debbie, a former Board Member, and their family were inspired to step forward at this time when antisemitic activities continue to grow around the Sarasota-Manatee community and globally.

The Larry and Debbie Haspel Family’s gift will match dollar for dollar all endowment gifts up to $500,000 to for security needs in our region, including physical structure hardening; assessments and trainings; and live security officers.  This will allow the Federation to build and maintain an endowment of at least $1 million. “We feel it is our responsibility to not only provide for security needs for our community now, but, for our future,” said Larry. “Security is a concern for all of us in our family. An endowment ensures that our Federation and this region continue to have an ongoing source of funding,” added Debbie.

This matching challenge and endowment commitment comes at a critical time for the Campus Capstone Campaign for The Larry and Mary Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life. The campaign has already raised more than $20 million, including this recent gift from the Haspel Family, towards the overall goal of $36 million. This goal includes $32 million in capital support and $4 million in endowment. 

Federation Board President, Bruce Udell, shared “Larry and Debbie Haspel have been amazing leaders in the Sarasota community through their leadership with numerous not for profit organizations here.  This is yet another example of stepping up and leading when they see an important and urgent need in our community”.

Shep Englander also said “It is because of forward thinking donors like the Haspels that this Federation has stayed the course not only towards a new 21^st century campus but, to ensuring financial sustainability. As security continues to be a critical need across our region, building a long-term funding source is a necessity.”

To learn more about how you can make a gift, and have it matched through this dollar-for-dollar matching challenge, please contact Hermione Gilpin, Chief Advancement Officer, at hgilpin@jfedsrq.org.