Atlanta Jewish Foundation Impact Story
October 13, 2026
When we reached out to Doug Ross about sharing his family’s philanthropic story, he had one request: meet at Temple Sinai.
It was an obvious choice for Ross, who has belonged to the Atlanta congregation with his wife, Robyn, for many years. The synagogue is home to dear friends and rabbis who have become part of their lives.
Just next door is the Philip Kranz Library, named in honor of a beloved friend and mentor whose influence on Ross was profound. Filming there, he explained, was meaningful not only because of his personal connections but also because it represented something much bigger: a family history of Jewish involvement stretching back generations.
Two of Ross’s great-great-grandfathers helped establish the first Reform synagogue in the Bronx in the 1880s. His parents were active in their Jewish community in Massachusetts, where his father was among the early members of the United Jewish Appeal Young Leadership Cabinet. They didn’t preach the importance of community involvement to their son. They demonstrated it.
“They served as role models for me, not by what they preached but by what they practiced,” Ross recalled.
When he moved to Atlanta in 1981 after marrying Robyn, a native Atlantan, he found that same influence in the people around him. Through friendships and relationships in the Jewish and pro-Israel communities, Ross became increasingly involved in organizations that reflected his values. He keeps a sign in his office that captures his philosophy: “Life moves at the speed of relationships.”
Those relationships have shaped Ross’ philanthropy in profound ways. For more than 15 years, Birthright Israel Foundation has been his family’s largest philanthropic commitment. Ross served on its national board for 11 years, including four as vice chair. The opportunity to help young Jewish adults experience Israel firsthand has made a lasting impression on him.
He remembers meeting Birthright participants who had never visited Israel before their trips, only to return with a newfound connection to their Jewish identity. Some have thanked him with tears in their eyes, telling him the experience changed their lives.
“It has ignited a spark in them,” he said. “And they decide they want to become more involved, not just with Israel, but also in their community.”
Israel’s needs also bring unexpected opportunities to give. After October 7, Ross formed a close relationship with the brother of a hostage and learned about First Line Med, an organization helping Israelis affected by the trauma of the attacks. The family made a significant contribution. It was the kind of response Ross values: personal, immediate, and driven by the people and needs that enter his life.
Ross’s philanthropic journey, however, has been about more than deciding where to give. It’s also been about deciding how.
For years, the family’s giving meant writing checks to individual organizations. Later, they established a supporting family foundation to bring more structure to their philanthropy and involve their sons, Stephen and Jacob, in charitable decision-making. Eventually, a conversation with the professionals at the Atlanta Jewish Foundation introduced them to another option: a Donor Advised Fund (DAF).
For Ross, the DAF was a game changer. “If I had known how wonderful and easy it was to set up a Donor Advised Fund, we would have done this from the very beginning.”
The DAF offered a simpler, more cost-effective way to manage their charitable giving without losing the personal and family-centered approach they valued. Instead of board meetings, resolutions, and votes, Ross can request a grant online in minutes.
“I can get on my computer at 10 o’clock at night or 3 o’clock in the morning and request a contribution or a grant, and it’s just done like clockwork.”
Just as important, he appreciates having a team that understands his family’s priorities and can bring new opportunities to his attention.
“We seek and we receive ongoing advice from the professionals at the Atlanta Jewish Foundation,” Ross shares. “To have another set of eyes and ears out there, knowing what’s important to our family, that’s priceless.”
For Ross, the meaning of giving ultimately comes back to the values that first took root in his childhood and found a home in Atlanta: Jewish community, connection to Israel, and responsibility for the world around us.
“What leaves a legacy is the human impulse to help make the world a better place,” he said.
That impulse to give is already taking shape in the next generation. Doug and Robyn recently opened two Donor Advised Funds for their sons, Stephen and Jacob, giving them their own opportunity to support the causes they care about most.
“We won’t be around forever,” Ross said, “but knowing that we’re influencing the next generation to give is profoundly meaningful to us.”
From the 19th century generations who helped establish a Jewish community in the Bronx to the family’s philanthropy today, the Rosses’ story is a reminder that giving is about more than the dollars contributed. It’s about the relationships we build, the values we pass on, and the impact that continues long after us.
Learn how a Donor Advised Fund can benefit your family’s philanthropy.
