The Endowment Leadership Institute (ELI) is a unique, high-quality, results-oriented program with the goal of transforming the culture of legacy giving in San Diego. Through ELI, the Foundation partners with the lay and professional leadership of Jewish agencies, synagogues and day schools to establish bequests and other estate gifts. These bequests will build future endowments for the Jewish community. To date, nearly 800 families have established legacies for an estimated $170 million to ensure the vitality of the Jewish community in San Diego, Israel and the world.
ELI graduated its first class in the spring of 2007 with pomp and circumstance, and they will continue to meet and share best practices. In 2006 ELI enrolled a second class of eight community organizations, and launched a graduate program for the initial group of 12 participating community organizations.