Foundation Dollars at Work
2019 Fund for Jewish Philanthropy and Field of Interest Fund Grant Recipients
Click here for information on 2018 grants from the Fund for Jewish Philanthropy and Field of Interest Funds
Click here for information on 2017 grants from the Fund for Jewish Philanthropy and Field of Interest Funds
Click here for information on 2016 grants from the Fund for Jewish Philanthropy and Field of Interest Funds
The Jewish Community Foundation awarded more than $225,000 in grants in its 2019 competitive grantmaking cycle. Local grants were made to support programs providing services to children, young adults and seniors in areas ranging from Holocaust education to creative aging to screening and counseling for genetic mutations that put certain Ashkenazi Jews at higher risk for serious medical conditions. As well, the Foundation continues to fund vital programs in Israel that assist people in need and build bridges between Israeli Jewish and Arab populations.We are proud of the impact these programs make, knowing that the people and communities that benefit from these programs can be positively and powerfully changed.
2019 Jewish Community Foundation Grants: Local
Local Community Grants (60%)
Bureau of Jewish Education, $3,000
Veterans Day Teen Holocaust Forum: This one day program for high school juniors and seniors provides the opportunity to learn about the Holocaust, its lessons which are relevant in today’s society, and to hear from a Holocaust survivor about the imperative to fight injustice and intolerance.
Chabad House, $5,000
Smile on Seniors Rehab and Senior Living Facilities Program: To provide Jewish enrichment programming for West Valley Jewish seniors at rehabilitation, assisted living and memory care centers.
East Valley Jewish Community Center, $11,652
Jewish Life and Learning Program Expansion: The goals of the two programs, one for interfaith families and one for parents, include promoting Jewish culture to Jews and non-Jews in the East Valley; illuminating interfaith couples’ and other people’s understanding of the basics of Judaism; and ensuring that parents are helping their children gain leadership skills and, improve their understanding about Jewish culture.
Hillel Jewish Student Center at ASU, $17,225
Holistic student support: To hire a rabbinic intern who would lead high holiday services, support the enhancement of Shabbat, create new Saturday Shabbat programming, and be a regular presence to provide support and pastoral care for students in need.
Jewish Ensemble Theater, $15,000
Student matinees of “The Diary of Anne Frank” at the Madison Center for the Arts: With this production of “The Diary of Anne Frank,” the goal is to educate approximately 5,500 primarily Spanish speaking students, about the Holocaust, and ingrain the important lessons of tolerance.
Jewish Family & Children’s Service, Creative Aging, $5,000
Creative Aging utilizes the arts to advance an assets approach to aging, tapping into and bolstering individuals’ strengths and potential, no matter their age. The engagement for Holocaust Survivors” project targets a new population for this program, and would offer specific activities and services.
Jewish Genetic Diseases Center, $15,000
Founder 3: To educate the Jewish community about possible risk factors associated with BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 founder mutations and to provide genetic counseling and access to genetic testing for interested individuals of Ashkenazi heritage between the ages of 25-65. Testing will be subsidized when insurance will not cover the cost.
Phoenix Holocaust Association, $15,000
The Holocaust by Bullets: Father Debois, a French priest, renowned Holocaust educator and scholar in mass violence and genocide, will present the keynote address at the 2020 Focus on Holocaust Day and Genocide Awareness Week at SCC. The program includes the exhibit “Holocaust by Bullets” and a corresponding teacher seminar, to help reach high school and college students. This three-part program will educate and engage Arizona students and the general public.
Valley Beit Midrash, $3,500
Alternative Young Professional Jewish Learning: Provide young professionals a space to learn about Jewish wisdom, social entrepreneurship and leadership, and engage in events that focus on character development through alternative engagement opportunities. Held at “third” spaces, some programs will feature a national thought leader.
2019 Jewish Community Foundation Grants: Israel
Israel Grants – 40%
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, $5,000
Families First: To help low-income families break out of poverty and build stronger futures for themselves, Families First focuses on empowering families to be active participants in improving their own lives. In addition to addressing typical social work issues such as clients’ financial, health, and employment needs, Families First focuses on strengthening clients’ overall state of mind and belief in their own ability to improve their lives.
Bina: The Jewish Movement for Social change, $10,000
Mechinat Masabacha (Masa Ba Chevra HaYisraelit – Journey through Israeli Society): During this unique pre-army program (Mechina) for Jewish and Arab Israeli high school graduates, 30 young adults aged 18-19 embark on six-month immersive journeys through Israel, gaining a deep familiarity with diverse communities in Israel. The participants spend 3-4 weeks immersed in six different areas, including an Arab village, a religious Zionist settlement community in the West Bank, and a kibbutz.
Hillel – the Right to Choose, $7,500
Support for Former Haredi Single Mothers in their New beginning: Hillel provides support and resources designed to help these women triumph over integration challenges, effectively serve their families and achieve financial independence. Program components include housing assistance, mentorship, psychological counseling, empowerment workshops, cultural and educational activities, and legal aid.
IT Works, Securing Israel’s Future Through Employment, $5,000
Vocational Training and Placement for Single Mothers: The program’s goal is to guide a group of single mothers through a comprehensive framework until they have attained quality employment in high-tech. Even then, we continue to support them with career development. The objective is to impart vocational and technological tools and skills to facilitate their placement in the high-tech industry.
Kol Israel Haverim, $5,000
Gateway to Graduation (Shearim LeBagrut): The program targets schools in socio-geographic peripheries whose Bagrut eligibility rate (e.g., percent of students who complete a full Bagrut diploma) is low. The program is premised on a school level intervention to bring about capacity building, with the end goal being a significant and stable increase in the Bagrut eligibility rate. This grant is for schools in Kiryat Malachi.
Merchavim – The Institute for the Advancement of Shared Citizenship in Israel, $10,000
Arab Teacher Integration in Jewish Schools: This joint initiative with the Ministry of Education, aims is to place 500 Arab Israeli teachers in Jewish schools to teach core subjects (English, math, and science). The program addresses the realities of Israeli’s separate school streams, in which Jewish students may never have a substantive and sustained encounter with an Arab citizen or learn anything about the Arab culture. The placement of an Arab citizen to a teaching role in which they are a role model and an educator creates an opportunity to convey the values of shared citizenship.
Orr Shalom, $12,000
Economic Empowerment for Women: The program provides graduates of Orr Shalom’s out-of-home placements, foster care and therapeutic family group homes, the support they need as they enter independent life, post army or National Service. EEW provides one-on-one counseling, help in securing scholarships and financial aid, leveraging financial rights vis-a-vis social security and government benefits; individual career and education counselling; preparation for the workforce classes; and financial management workshops.
Presentense, $5,000
Yazamiot Venture Accelerator for Haredi Women in Jerusalem: This eight-month program run in partnership with Temech, serves Haredi women entrepreneurs in Jerusalem, and includes an in-depth entrepreneurship curriculum with seminars on topics such as business model development, value proposition, marketing, pitching, and budgeting; hands-on workshops; high-level mentoring and consulting; and round-table discussions with relevant experts. The program also engages volunteer steering committee members, mentors and experts from the Haredi community and general population who support the women entrepreneurs
Sindyanna, $5,000
Sindyanna’s Visitors Center: An NGO economic endeavor designed and operated by Jewish and Arab women, Sindyanna strives to mitigate poverty by training and empowering Arab women. These women will learn new skills (catering, basket weaving, Hebrew) guidance and marketing exposure to be able to enter the job market. The visitor’s center serves to create a bridge-building venue between the Jewish and Arab societies through visits and encounters.
Women’s Spirit, Crossing the Street, $10,000
This community-focused, long-term program provides women with tools, knowledge and support to help them break free from violence and build a safe and independent life. The program includes: employment skills workshops, mentoring/coaching by trained volunteers, small business training for independent business owners, professional skills trainings, computer/language courses, financial literacy, and job placement.
Yozmot Atid, $5,000
Taking the leap: A small business incubator program for Israeli women earners from the lowest income brackets: Candidates participate in an eight-session training course, from mastering the elevator pitch to pricing and accounting, to segmenting target markets, prior to being matched with a mentor from her chosen business area, who will help her develop a business plan, secure a loan or micro-loan, and help her navigate the legal, financial, and marketing sides of the business. The program is designed to help each participant develop, launch and grow a viable business within one year.
Field of Interest Grants
Adva Center, $5,000
The Power to Empower! Coalition Building Among Mayoral Advisors on Gender Equality: The program will directly serve about 60 Jewish and Arab women Mayoral Advisors on Gender Equality from an equal number of local authorities in three geographical clusters who stand to gain knowledge and acquire the skills required to succeed in their assignment of improving the status of women in their localities.
The Center for the Advancement of Women in the Public Sphere (WIPS) at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, $10,818
The Gender Index: A Database for Social Equality Action: A critical knowledge tool, it informs decision-makers and activates social change agents concerned with promoting gender equality in Israel. The Index provides a detailed annual picture of gaps between women and men in multiple fields of life, including education, political and economic power, culture and media, employment, gendered segregation of professions, poverty, family status, violence against women, health, Arab society, and the periphery. The Index pinpoints areas of severe gender inequity and makes these statistics available to policy-makers, activists, educators and researchers through an easily accessible digital platform.
Physically Disadvantaged Children’s Fund
Council for Jews with Special Needs, $2,292
Summer Camp Inclusion Resources: Enabling children with special needs to attend typical day camp programs.
Paul Vermes Endowment for Disabled Youth in Israel
Shekel Community Services for People with Special Needs, $9,947
Hettena Day Center: Medical Supervision at a residential home for severely developmentally disabled children.
