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Nancy Schwartz Sternoff, z”l

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It is with great sadness we learned of the death Saturday of Nancy Schwartz Sternoff.

Following an early career in national politics, Nancy was executive director of the Women’s Department at the Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, the first and only Women’s Campaign director in any major city to be promoted to vice president at the Federation. Sternoff also chaired the first CJF/UJA Women’s Division Professional Institute. In 1998, she became director of the Dobkin Family Foundation, providing technical assistance to the programs and organizations in the foundation’s portfolio for 13 years. A founding board member of the Jewish Women’s Archive, Sternoff also served on the boards of American Jewish World Service and the Jewish Funders Network.

Nancy recently sat on the board of Bikkurim, a NYC-based innovation incubator, and has served as an evaluator for Slingshot.

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  1. Sending comforting thoughts to Nancy’s family and many friends…she will be missed!!

  2. A trailblazer for social change philanthropy, a leading force of the Jewish women’s funding movement, a fundraising guru, and a phenomenal woman, friend, and key mentor to so many, including me. As a board member of the Jewish Women’s Foundation of New York, Nancy was a voice of reason and an fierce advocate for the organizations and leaders who empower women and girls on a daily basis. Her spirit, energy, compassion, and expertise were and will be unmatched. She will be sorely missed, and remembered with love and admiration by everyone at the Jewish Women’s Foundation of New York.

  3. I had the privilege of working with Nancy at Jewish Funders Network, where she served on our board of directors. She had a remarkably generous spirit, a warm smile and a readiness to roll up her sleeves and help advance the needs of our growing organization. I learned a lot from Nancy and will miss her very much.

  4. I was also inspired by Nancy when I first joined my Federation as a staff person. She was a wonderful proponent of women professionals in Jewish communal service and women’s philanthropy everywhere. She will be missed.

  6. Nancy Schwartz Sternoff was a leader who brought others on the journey. Genuine, compassionate, feisty, and Curious. She strove to improve herself, the lives of women and girls, and her community. Fierce, a great mentor, with a zest for learning and living and a wicked welcoming smile. I miss her laughter.

  7. I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting Nancy Schwartz Sternoff about 12 years ago when I was a Federation Women’s Philanthropy professional. We were in the very beginnings of establishing a Jewish Women’s Foundation and Nancy provided our Trustees and me with such invaluable advice and support during this important time. Nancy was dynamic, articulate and extremely knowledgeable in the area of empowering women and girls through philanthropy. She freely shared her best practices and experiences with us, which helped us start this fund at a place of strength and ensure our success for years to come. She will be missed.

  8. I worked along with Nancy at the federation in Baltimore she was a nice person always smiling with her southern accent my condolences to her family

  9. I met Nancy through her consulting work and was immediately taken with her grace, charisma, sense of humor and vast knowledge of non-profits. And of course, her wonderful stories about her family and travel. Her guidance will always stay with me. I will miss her.

  10. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to learn from and with Nancy. She was an incredible professional, kind, thoughtful and generous. Her memory will be a blessing to me for many years to come.

  11. I knew Nancy Sternoff many years ago as my young leadership chair in Seattle. She was a tireless volunteer and a gracious host. She helped me as a young Jewish professional to learn and be better. Along the way we both moved on and she wound up in New York with the Dobkin Foundation and I as the President and CEO of the Jewish Federation in Kansas City. I had not seen her in many years, but I read about the work she was doing and reached out to Nancy to come to speak to our women. She had not lost her charm and graciousness. Even after all these years of success she still had the warmsothern charm I remembered from our days in the Northwest.
    Her friends, family and the Jewish community will miss this warm, intelligent woman. May her memory be a blessing.