JCA completes the largest governance overhaul in its history

The Jewish Communal Appeal (JCA) has unveiled the most significant governance reform in its history, introducing a new corporate trustee model and modernised trust structure to strengthen its ability to support the Jewish community now and in the future.

As the central fundraising and distribution body for Jewish communal life in New South Wales and the ACT, JCA plays a critical role in sustaining education, welfare, security and community services. The reforms are designed to ensure it can respond quickly and effectively as community needs grow more complex.

The changes follow more than two years of work and mark a shift from JCA’s longstanding individual trust framework to a corporate governance model aimed at improving accountability, flexibility and decision-making.

Founded in 1967 in the aftermath of the Six-Day War, JCA has grown into the central philanthropic engine of Jewish life in the state. Its first campaign raised $340,000 for 10 organisations, equivalent to about $3.2 million today, and it now supports 24 member organisations across education, welfare, security, identity and care for the most vulnerable.

Under the revised structure, JCA has updated its original trust deed, previously regarded by the Australian Taxation Office as one of the most complex in the country. The updated deed expands beneficiary categories, allowing JCA to fund organisations beyond its existing membership base and respond more quickly to emerging needs.

JCA president Ian Sandler, speaking to J-Wire, said the reform was driven by lessons learned in the aftermath of October 7.

“There have been a number of attempts to update the trustee over the years, but the concerted effort really started after October 7,” he said.

“We realised we could not just fund the normal JCA constituent organisations.

“There were a lot of organisations providing vital services, and we needed more flexibility to support them. We needed to fund organisations that are relevant to the community, not just those 23 or 24 organisations.”

Sandler said the creation of new membership categories was central to the reform, enabling JCA to extend support more broadly.

“That was the main change. We can now cater for a lot more community organisations,” he said. “They may not form part of the main campaign, but we have the ability to fund them so they can continue delivering vital services.”

The second major shift was the move to a corporate trustee model, transferring governance responsibility from constituent organisations to a dedicated board.

“The organisation used to be run by the constituent presidents. They were the members and they approved everything,” Sandler said. “Now that responsibility has shifted to a board of directors that runs the entire business, other than allocation decisions.”

A newly established board of nine directors now assumes overall governance responsibility. The board is chaired by Sandler, with vice president Myra Salkinder, and includes Roxanne Dunkel, Kevin Kalinko, Lance Kalish, David Ossip, Jason Sandler, Jillian Segal and Phil Wolanski.

Sandler said the board was selected through a competitive and transparent process, with 40 to 50 applicants assessed against defined criteria before a shortlist of 11 candidates went to ballot, resulting in six elected directors.

He said the new structure clearly separates governance from operations, with the board responsible for strategy, risk and oversight, while JCA’s executive continues to manage day-to-day activities.

“It is a far better structure long term. It will bring a better level of governance and decision-making,” he said. “The directors are far more involved, and it is more nimble. We need to be able to make decisions quickly in this day and age.”

The reforms come in the context of heightened pressure on communal organisations following the December 2025 Bondi terror attack. In response, the Australian Government established the Jewish Community Foundation as an associated charity of JCA, enabling tax-deductible support to be directed more broadly across the community.

JCA said the updated structure will allow it to channel funds not only to its core network but also to other organisations playing critical roles during crises, addressing a limitation in its previous framework.

The organisation pointed to its recent Bondi Relief Campaign as an example of the need for greater flexibility. That effort relied on partnerships with groups including The Dor Foundation and Australian Jewish Funders to accept contributions from philanthropic and international sources.

Sandler said the reform required extensive consultation across the community, including engagement with major donors and member organisations.

“This was a big process. We had to convince people to think more broadly about the community and be open to funding organisations beyond the traditional group,” he said.

Despite the structural changes, Sandler said the impact on constituent organisations would be minimal.

“For constituent organisations, it makes no real difference in how they operate,” he said. “The key change is that governance has shifted to the board, while the executive continues to run the day-to-day operations.”

Reflecting on the completion of the reform, Sandler said the outcome was both necessary and timely.

“It needed to happen, and it happened,” he said. “I am ecstatic. It positions JCA to support the community in a much more effective way going forward.”