She is also past president of The Temple-Congregation Ahavath Chesed.
But her most lasting legacy may be the leadership roles she played for nonprofits working to improve public education in Duval County.
In 2003 she joined the board of The Community Foundation of Northeast Florida as the philanthropy shifted focus from growing itself to growing the community.
One of the Community Foundation’s new focuses was education reform in Duval. With Edelman as a leading voice, that new focus led the foundation to establish:
In 2005, Quality Education for All, a 10-year, $2 million initiative to improve student achievement, which ended in December 2014.
In 2009, the Jacksonville Public Education Fund for research, community mobilization and advocacy.
In 2013, by the Quality Education for All Fund, which raised $37 million toward its $50 million goal to support excellence in teaching and leadership in Duval County. The Public Education Fund now manages the Quality Education for All Fund’s contracts with the Duval School Board and Teach for America, among others, with oversight by The Community Foundation.
“We were embarking on an exciting journey,” said Edelman, who has served as board member and chairwoman for both the Community Foundation and the Public Education Fund. “Since our organization was first founded, Cindy has pushed for deeper engagement of our diverse community.”
Her push also led to about 160 community conversations, called One by One, which resulted in a “set of priorities co-owned by the community and the school district,” he said.
“Without her direct involvement in JPEF and so many other education organizations in our city, our community would not have made nearly as much progress as it has over the past five years. I have never met someone that gets so much pleasure from giving, but she doesn’t like receiving.”
But her contributions warrant recognition by OneJax because her work “reflects the vision of OneJax: to be a catalyst that creates an inclusive community where difference is welcomed and celebrated,” said Nancy Broner, the nonprofit’s executive director.
“Her humble leadership style has inspired many others to become engaged in civic issues, especially public education and the arts,” Broner said.
Edelman’s husband, a managing partner at an accounting firm, said her giving has deep roots.
“Her drive for community service comes from her Jewish heritage, her upbringing and her recognition of how privileged a life we lead,” he said, “and that we should use those privileges to help others improve the lives of themselves and their children.”
The words “donor” and “philanthropist” are not interchangeable, he said.
“There is a big difference,” he said.
