600+ Funders Gather in San Diego for JFN Conference on Philanthropy Amid Uncertainty

Half of Israeli attendees unable to travel due to war with Iran, but organizers say their voice will still be heard

Mar. 13, 2026 at 11:48am

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At this year's Jewish Funders Network International Conference in San Diego, over 600 funders will grapple with how the Jewish community can operate under constant uncertainty and successive crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, terrorist attacks on Jewish institutions, and the current U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. While roughly half of the expected Israeli attendees are unable to travel due to the war, organizers say their voice will still be heard, either in person or remotely.

Why it matters

The JFN conference is a key gathering for Jewish philanthropists to cultivate ideas and coordinate efforts to address urgent challenges facing the community, from rebuilding Israel and combating antisemitism to supporting vulnerable populations and revitalizing Jewish arts and culture. With the Jewish world in a 'chronic state of tumult', this year's conference takes on heightened importance as funders seek to balance reacting to immediate crises while also planning for the future.

The details

The conference kicks off on Sunday with an opening plenary featuring philanthropists, an actor/activist, an Iranian American businesswoman, and an investor discussing how their giving has changed in recent years. Other topics to be addressed include making antisemitism initiatives more effective, creating social cohesion in Israel, and breaking the taboo against philanthropists operating in politics. While travel out of Israel is nearly halted, organizers say it would be 'ridiculous' to have the conference without Israeli voices, and those who can't attend in person will present remotely via Zoom.

  • The conference kicks off on Sunday, March 17, 2026.
  • The Oct. 7 massacres in Israel led to a nearly doubling of Jewish philanthropy earmarked for Israel, from $2.5 billion to $4 billion.
  • In the past year, the discussion on combating antisemitism has shifted to grappling with the reality that few initiatives have shown concrete and significant results.

The players

Barry Finestone

President and CEO of the Jim Joseph Foundation, one of the sponsors of the conference.

Andrés Spokoiny

President and CEO of the Jewish Funders Network (JFN).

Jonah Platt

Actor and activist.

Mandana Dayani

Iranian American businesswoman.

Marc Rowan

Investor.

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What they’re saying

“Philanthropy mirrors the world, and the world is in a relatively serious and defining period. There is a great deal of pressure to address immediate challenges, and rightly so, but there's a growing recognition that philanthropy cannot just live in reaction mode.”

— Barry Finestone, President and CEO of the Jim Joseph Foundation (eJewishPhilanthropy)

“Sadly, it's not the first time that we have to rejigger and replan a conference. We did it twice during COVID. It's kind of funny, during COVID, we were the first conference to cancel in March 2020, we were the first to come back in March 2022, and now we are [one of] the first major gatherings that is happening during the war [with Iran]… It's more important than ever to gather now, precisely because the situation is what it is.”

— Andrés Spokoiny, President and CEO of JFN (eJewishPhilanthropy)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This year's JFN conference highlights the critical role of Jewish philanthropy in navigating constant uncertainty and successive crises, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the current U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. Despite the challenges, the conference remains an essential gathering for funders to coordinate efforts, share ideas, and build relationships to support the Jewish community in both immediate and long-term ways.