Sid and Donna Levine Family Fund

Donna and Sid Levine are no strangers to philanthropy and live by the Jewish motto of “Tikkun Olam,” which translates to “Improve the World.”

Their first act to create a permanent source of support for something important to them was in 2000, when they created a fund in blessed memory of their late son Ari at The Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven (JFGNH) to support Congregation Beth El-Keser Israel (BEKI). BEKI also received funding from the Levines to create a children’s library bearing Ari’s name. Two more permanent funds were established at JFGNH by the Levines, one to provide food assistance for residents at The Towers, a senior living community in the Jewish tradition located in downtown New Haven and the other a PACE (Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowment) Fund.

A fourth endowment was established at The University of Connecticut to provide scholarships to underprivileged youth - particularly meaningful for the pair who grew up in working class households and received financial aid themselves.

In 2020, the Levines were deeply moved by the impact of COVID-19 in their local community, especially for the overwhelming need for food within the New Haven area. They chose to ‘improve the world’ that unprecedented year by establishing a permanently endowed donor advised fund at The Community Foundation. A donor advised fund was attractive to Sid and Donna because of the ability to name their children as successor advisors to carry on the family’s philanthropic legacy after their deaths.

The Levines intend to recommend grants that support programs providing the essentials, such as food, as well as programs that help people with disabilities, the elderly, and the environment.