Great New Article on Jewish Women and Philanthropy

Warm holiday greetings to you and yours!

Please take a look at this great article about Jewish women and philanthropy, which appeared on http://ejewishphilanthopy.com, a blog which describes itself as... "an on-line publisher and facilitator of resource mobilization serving the Jewish communal world."

Enjoy!

Susan

Let's Pay More Attention to Jewish Women as Donors!

December 15, 2009 by EHL Consulting

by Robert I. Evans & Avrum D. Lapin

“Jewish women give more, make decisions more emotionally, and are more consistent donors.”

Clearly to many, women are making a significant impact in the Jewish philanthropic community as dedicated leaders, donors, volunteers, and advocates. In our recent interview with New York City leader and donor Susan Stern, we learned more about the growing role of women in Jewish philanthropy and the “hot buttons” for women donors. Her personal insights into the roles, expectations and goals of Jewish women involved with charitable causes made us more curious about how Jewish non-profits are reaching out to Jewish women. Is this demographic receiving the appropriate attention and being stewarded as we recognize woman as important donors?

In our experience working with Jewish non-profits, we have seen women as more generous, more likely to participate as volunteers in philanthropic activities and more consistent donors. Especially in synagogue and community affairs, we have seen women become more engaged and philanthropic than their male partners.

A number of studies have found that women are more generous and donate more to charity than their male counterparts but most of the studies have not focused solely on the motivations of Jewish women. But “Does Jewish Philanthropy Differ by Type of Giving and Sex?,” a recent study by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, suggests that giving to religious causes by single Jewish women increases when they marry Jewish men. When Jewish women marry non-Jewish men, religious giving does not increase compared to single Jewish women. Note: this study examined giving patterns among 32 single Jewish women and men, 60 married Jewish couples, and 57 interfaith couples and used data from the comprehensive Panel Study of Income Dynamics. The study group was relatively small, but was representative of the national sample.

The important lessons to remember from this study as well as hands-on work: as women enter a partnership and become more involved in economic and philanthropic decisions, they increase their contributions to religious charities. Therefore, we (and the data) suggest that Jewish women, especially those who are married, should receive more than ample attention as donors and should be approached in careful and strategic ways. The study’s results reflect for cases ONLY for Jews who marry other Jews. When Jewish women marry non-Jewish men, they do NOT give more to religious causes. Same for Jewish men who marry non-Jewish women: they do not give more to religious causes than single Jewish women.

Obviously, we in the communal world have always valued the importance of women as boosters and volunteers, but we contend that many non-profits are still not properly stewarding women as donors. From our experiences working with hundreds of non-profit organizations, female donors tend to respond more to emotional cues than men, together with accountability, in their giving. They also respond positively to consistent and informative communication. Therefore, we stress the importance of relationship-building with female donors: arranging face-to-face meetings, checking in with donors by phone and maintaining continuous and important communications via email and “snail mail.”

Successful and ongoing outreach to women as distinct constituents requires some new thinking. Given the results from the Indiana University study and our front-line work in hundreds of campaigns, we suggest several proven and creative approaches.

Start with displaying what the major needs are and be compelling in your presentations. But be more creative in your follow-up. For example, if your donor is particularly interested in improving the religious school at your congregation, invite the potential donor for an on-site visit in a classroom and then encourage some of the young students to write “thank you” notes to the visitor. This will exhibit the donor’s impact, while making them feel appreciated for their commitment.

Keep female donors engaged by actively seeking out their opinions, as well as their visions, individually and collectively, for the organization. Invite them to important events or meetings and suggest that they host a small gathering to help broaden or deepen the circle of serious supporters – not bake sales or scrip. Donors that feel personally connected with an organization will want to advocate actively and perhaps invite friends to join in their efforts.

One caution that is increasingly obvious: husbands and wives jointly make decisions about major philanthropic choices, so including both spouses in presentations and donor-building sessions are critical strategies.

As female donors are making an impact in decision-making and guiding philanthropy in the Jewish community, recognize that no donor can be taken for granted and in many instances, a woman in a household can be instrumental and – perhaps – even quicker to reach positive decisions.

Don’t fall back to “traditional” notions about giving. You can be sure that someone else who understands the reality in today’s marketplace will be there to do it right.

Robert I. Evans, Managing Director, and Avrum D. Lapin, Director, are principals of The EHL Consulting Group, of suburban Philadelphia, and are frequent contributors to eJewishPhilanthropy.com. EHL Consulting is one of 35 firms belonging to The Giving Institute, the organization that oversees the preparation and distribution of Giving USA. EHL Consulting works with dozens of non-profits on fundraising, strategic planning, and non-profit business practices. Become a fan of The EHL Consulting Group on Facebook.

Mayyim Hayyim “Embracing Waters” Training Session Report

Madelyn Bell attended a training session at grantee Mayyim Hayyim to get a deeper understanding of the “Embracing Waters” initiative which we are funding.

Here is her report:

“The sessions were led by Janet Yassen, who is a Mikvah guide and a psychotherapist. She started by doing a review of domestic abuse and the impact of domestic abuse on survivors (that was the focus of the first session). There were two male guides in attendance in addition to about eight women guides. The two women from the staff of JF&CS who dealt with domestic abuse were there, and had been at the first session as well. Apparently they talked a lot about abuse in the Jewish Community in the first session. This time, there was a lot of conversation on recovering from abuse. There was constant reinforcement of the point that abuse can be emotional as well as physical, and it is not gender specific.

Everyone got a folder with pertinent material on abuse. Included was “Immersion Ceremony, Healing from Abuse.” This will now be added to the folder of Immersion Ceremonies that one can choose from. (Many of the people who come don’t announce in advance the reason for their coming: conversion, getting married, an illness, a loss, etc.) The label on the front reads “Mayyim Hayyim Embracing Waters, in collaboration with Journey to Safety of JF&CS.” Our logo is included on the label as well.

A sheet “Domestic Abuse Resources” was distributed and gone over item by item. The representatives from JF&CS led the discussion. There was then conversation on what to do if a client mentions abuse, or there is a hint that this may be an issue in their lives.

MH and JF&CS made it clear that they consider this an important piece to add to MH’s Life in Transition ceremonies, and that a lot of outreach will now be done (temples, for ex.) to inform the community that this is now an available service at MH.

...very professionally done."

Israel Site Reports from Doris Gordon

Please review these two excellent reports from Doris Gordon who visited Economic Empowerment for Women and Mahut in October.

First-hand visits like the ones Doris made are our best source of information about programs that we fund. If you are planning a trip to Israel, I hope you'll consider spending time with one of our grantees and sharing your learning with us.

And special thanks to you Doris for your excellent work and report!

Best, Susan

Mahut Center visit on October 21, 2009 by Doris Gordon

1. The Mahut Center without question fits the BJCWF’s goals and mission.

2. The organization is clearly fulfilling its mission of empowering, educating and training economically marginalized women.

3. I spent 3 ½ hours at the center. The first two hours I attended a class on empowerment with 15 women. The director Michael Dagan and Robin Arnon translated for me. I was very impressed with the facilitator, she helped the women face their personal fears, share their problems with each other and talk about the obstacles and barriers to finding employment. It was a second meeting, for a mix of both Jewish and Arab women. These women, all over age 40, are subject to substantial age discrimination. Consequently, even after they find employment, they keep coming back for added skills and support. The participants were fully engaged in the training during my time there.

I spent another hour and half with the Director, staff, the facilitator. I was impressed with their dedication, professionalism, and with how they continually work to improve their programs. They were very open with me, and we talked a lot about the challenges which low income women face. The National Insurance Institute has selected Mahut to study its methods. It is a prestigious honor. The Institute hopes to use Mahut as a model for other groups in Israel.

4. I have no concerns or hesitation in recommending Mahut for a grant.

5. If Mahut did not receive funding from BJCWF it would be forced to cut back on its support for these women. Mahut has made many improvements and modifications to the program. They are constantly upgrading to improve their offer.

We should definitely fund it. Our funding is needed and appreciated. It is a dynamic agency and I am proud that we have supported it.


Economic Empowerment for Women (EEW) visit on October 19, 2009 by Doris Gordon

1. EEW fits BJCWF’s goals and mission.

2. This was my second time visiting this amazing organization. It is clearly fulfilling its mission. I am proud that we have funded this organization for 3 years. Two years ago I attended one of their sessions, this year I sat with three of their staff, two of whom I had met before.

3. They have expanded and improved their incubator program—it is working better than before by expanding in more cities. It is helping many women become successful in their own business by offering business training, improving self-confidence, peer support and mentoring. EEW appears to utilize its resources efficiently.

4. I have no concerns or hesitation in recommending EEW.

5. I understand that we have already supported EEW for three years. Continued funding would be well used.

6. I wish that we can continue to fund EEW.

Announcing a New BJCWF and Mayyim Hayyim Collaboration!

Collaboration: Embracing Waters

We received this announcement from our wonderful partners Mayyim Hayyim concerning a new collaboration. Check it out!

Journey to Safety has embarked on an exciting new collaboration with Mayyim Hayyim Living Waters Community Mikveh and the Paula Brody & Family Education Center. Mayyim Hayyim has received a grant from the Boston Jewish Community Women's Fund designed to make the mikveh and education center an even more welcoming space for survivors of abuse and other trauma.

As part of this effort, called Embracing Waters, Mayyim Hayyim has invited Journey to Safety staff to run several educational workshops for mikveh guides, providing an overview of domestic abuse and looking more closely at domestic abuse within the Jewish community. These sessions will help guides recognize signs of abuse, feel more comfortable and more confident interacting with abuse survivors and, most importantly, give guides the referral information they need to help connect survivors with Journey to Safety and other domestic abuse service providers.

Moreover, planning for future trainings has already begun, with the ongoing goal of letting people in the community know that Mayyim Hayyim is a tool for spiritual healing available to Jewish survivors of abuse. Future workshops are in the works for the Mayyim Hayyim staff and board, as well as for local clergy and therapists.

For more information, call 781-647-JFCS (5327) or email your questions to us by clicking here.

BJCWF 2009 Fall Newsletter

A NOTE FROM SUSAN

Ten Years! A time to celebrate! A time to review, assess, and plan. A time to keep growing and keep stepping up to the challenges.

Things haven't gotten any easier out there, and there is so much more to be done!

First, a few of our remarkable achievements:

1. In nine grant cycles, we've awarded $1.36 million to 45 groups in Boston and Israel, touching the lives of thousands of women and girls.

2. We identified and focused on core issues - leadership, empowerment, relationship abuse, economic security, health, and mental health.

3. Every year we become more knowledgeable, strategic, and sophisticated grant makers.

4. Every year, more women join our circle, and more of our members renew, giving us the resources to do more ... and ...

In all the meeting, the sharing, the debating, the learning, the dinners, and the discussions, we have - and are - creating a women's philanthropic community, just as we said we would.

As we plan for our 10th year of grant making, I hope you'll join one of our committees, invest your energy, and deepen your involvement. Together, we have so much to be proud of, and with your help, we'll do even more!

Thank you,
Susan


MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: JOYCE SCHULTZ

Joyce Shultz joined the fund at the invitation of Beth Klarman. Beth encouraged her to attend our first meeting at the home of Roz Gorin, and to bring along her daughter in law Barbara, then pregnant with Sarah (now 9.)

"I took the idea of the Fund on faith - none of us were sure what it really was or what it would stand for. It just sounded like a wonderful way to be involved in a new format of women's philanthropy.

Over the years, Joyce has been involved in every grant cycle - and is the longstanding Chair of our Development Committee. "In addition to all the wonderful things that the Fund as come to stand for, the diversity and caliber of the women involved has made this deeply rewarding. I am proud of the Fund, and proudest of the fact that Barbara went on to become our youngest chair and that she did such a wonderful job!"


GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT: ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT FOR WOMEN

Micro-enterprise is the most effective strategy for alleviating poverty. Pioneered in the third world it, has been adopted by three time Women's Fund grantee Economic Empowerment for Women, whose Director Ayelet Ilany (pictured here on the left) made a special trip to Boston on October 27th to thank us for our support. EEW is truly a success story not only for the organization but for the Women's Fund. Our grants have allowed EEW to learn and grow, leverage their best practices, and expand their reach to a larger pool of women.

EEW's goal is to provide low income women in Israel with the tools to create small businesses as a way of becoming self sufficient and escaping the cycles of poverty in which they live.

Their success has been remarkable. Over ten years, 1,350 businesses as diverse as catering, massage, manicures, florists, cleaning services, and animal care have been established and an astonishing 75% of these survive. And only 1 in 700 women default on their loan.

Ayelet grew teary as she talked about women who had escaped abusive relationships, were supporting families, and thriving in many areas of their lives.

According to one participant in the program, "I've gone through a mental change at EEW: I learned to check things up, take a decision, and today I manage things differently in other areas of my life".


WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!

Leah Berk and Lauren Rubin are the newest members of the Fund. You can welcome them personally by writing to Leah at lrberk@gmail.com and to Lauren at bunda@comcast.net. Mady Donoff, Leslie Gaffin, and Toby Sloane are the first of our members to renew this year. Thanks to all.



GRANTS UPDATE

Letters of intent are due on November 10th, and the reading and assessment will begin soon after. Sign up to read LOI and join a grant committee. Contact Susan at Susane@cjp.org if you are interested or want to learn more!

The People v. Leo Frank, November 2nd at 10m on PBS

Hello BJCWF members,

Esta Epstein was good enough to bring this important documentary, The People v. Leo Frank, to our attention. The film airs on PBS on November 2nd at 10pm.

Her message and the announcement of the film follows below. (Click on the announcement to make it full size and readable on your computer.)

Susan, It is a stunning portrayal of the deep anti Semitism in Atlanta during that time. Although it merely mentions the ADL in one spot, it eloquently tells of the need that spawned the ascension of the ADL as the leading organization fighting anti Semitism and prejudice of all kinds.

Esta

BJCWF: Donor Directed Grant Making

This fall the Boston Jewish Community Women’s Fund (BJCWF) begins its tenth grant cycle.

Since we began our work in 2000, The Fund has awarded over $1.36 million to 45 groups and programs that focus on issues unique to women and girls.

Our membership reflects the complexity and diversity of Boston’s Jewish community, and now numbers 175 women. Each one has made a minimum financial commitment of $10,000 to support our independent grant making program. A portion of each gift builds a growing endowment and the rest is designated to current use.

In the national community of women’s funds sponsored by Jewish federations and independent groups across the United States, we’re known as innovators and leaders.

We work together to make grants, and our record is exceptional. We make grants in Boston’s Jewish and secular communities and in Israel. We see issues through a gender lens and support programs that range from rape crisis intervention to sex trafficking, to relationship abuse and domestic violence, to preventing eating disorders to leadership development, skills training and more.

Grant making is the core of what we do. Each year our members volunteer to join grant review committees, read proposals and make the final decisions about awards.

And our grantees are not the only beneficiaries. We’re learners, and our programming focuses on the depth and complexities of issues. And our social programming, including dinners before events and meetings, give our members the chance to get to know each other – like minded women who are concerned about their community.

The women’s philanthropic community that The Fund has created looks forward to increasing its membership and making more and larger grants to help women and girls realize their potential and live full and productive lives. For more information please contact Susan Ebert susane@cjp.org or 617-457-8590.

A Special Invitation From Mayyim Hayyim

Please check out this note and special invitation from our grantee Mayyim Hayyim Living Waters. "Dear Susan, I hope your meeting last week went well. We enjoyed having your group in our space. Attached is a mailing for our upcoming Mikveh Guide training. Members of the BJCWF are warmly invited to attend any or all of the sessions. Happy Sukkot! Aliza Kline Executive Director Mayyim Hayyim Living Waters Community Mikveh and Paula Brody & Family Education Center"

MIKVEH GUIDE

CONTINUING EDUCATION
NOVEMBER 2009

Holding Wholeness and Healing from Abuse

Please join us for a special Mikveh Guide training in collaboration with Kol Isha “Steps to Safety” of the Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Boston. Supported by the Boston Jewish Community Women’s Fund.

TWO SESSION SERIES:
I. Overview of Domestic Abuse in the Jewish Community and the Impact on Survivors.
• Sunday, November 1, 6:30 – 9:00 PM
-OR-
• Wednesday November 4; 6:30 – 9:00 PM

Dinner will be served.

II. Use of the mikveh as a resource for Survivors of Abuse; whether they are currently in abusive situations or healing from abuse; discussion, problem solving; practice, how to handle difficult situations, how to take care of yourself helping others.
• Sunday, November 15, 6:30 – 9:00 PM
-OR-
• Wednesday, November 18; 6:30 – 9:00 PM

Dinner will be served.

It is important that you attend both sessions and that all Mikveh Guides make an effort to participate in this important deepening of our skills.

RSVP to Sharon Solomon, Interim Mikveh Center Director at sharons@mayyimhayyim.org or
617-244-1836, ext. 201


Janet Yassen, LICSW, Mikveh Guide from Cohort One, Crises Service Coordinator at Cambridge Health Alliance and Embracing Waters Coordinator, strongly urges Guides to attend.

Janet has worked with our partners to insure that by participating in the training you will:

1. Learn/relearn/refresh everything you need to know about domestic abuse in the Jewish community.
2. Update your knowledge about resources available to help victims/survivors abuse.
3. Learn about the impact of abuse, the healing process, and its implications for guests and immersees at Mayyim Hayyim.
4. Refresh/review immersion ceremonies for survivors and deepen your skills
5. regarding introducing/explaining immersion ceremonies.
6. Learn how to improve your guiding for survivors who are still in abusive relationships and how to help immersees experience wholeness, even as they continue to be in difficult situations.
7. Come together as a guiding community for an evening of learning, conversation, support, connection, and dinner.
8. Problem solve/discuss situations such as:

• -When you suspect that abuse has occurred
• -An immersee discloses abuse to you
• -An immersee becomes very emotional about her/his past
• -You are stirred by the witnessing or your own history has been touched

BJCWF Special Event: October 27, 2009

What do these four things have in common?

• Yemenite Henna ceremony planning and catering

• Chocolate design

• Tennis training

• Hairstyling for brides and bridesmaids

They are four of the 137 new businesses established this year by graduates of “A Business of One’s Own,” an innovative program dedicated to improving the lives of low-income women in Israel.

The Boston Jewish Community Women’s Fund invites you to meet Ayelet Ilany, Director of Economic Empowerment for Women (EEW), which we have funded for the past three years. Ayelet Ilany is coming to Boston to thank us for our support and tell us about this exceptional program.

The program will be held on October 27th from noon to 2pm at the CJP offices at 126 High Street in Boston, conference room 908.

Please mark your calendars and RSVP to SusanE@cjp.org to confirm your attendance and order lunch at $10 per person.

By way of background – EEW’s uses a microenterprise strategy first developed in Bangladesh which focuses on helping low income women become self-sufficient and financially independent by becoming entrepreneurs. Its flagship training program “A Business of One’s Own” combines personal empowerment with business skills training and offers participants, immigrant and veteran Israelis, Jews and Arabs, the tools they need to change their lives.

Report: The Impact of Giving Together

This report examines the impact of giving circles on members’ giving and civic engagement. It was recently released by the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and is called “The Impact of Giving Together”.

The authors note:

Giving circles have emerged the last decade as a growing and significant philanthropic trend among donors of all wealth levels and backgrounds. Past studies have shown that the number of giving circles has exploded across the country and that they are an established philanthropic force. A new report finds that donors say they give more, give more strategically, and are more knowledgeable about nonprofit organizations and problems in their communities when they participate in giving circles.

Giving circles are groups of individuals who pool their money and other resources and decide together where to give these away. They are often formed by friends or like-minded individuals as a way to be more engaged in the giving process and to increase their knowledge of philanthropy, nonprofits and their community. Giving circles can have a big impact on members and communities in these difficult economic times.

Specific findings include:

• Giving circle members say they give more and give in more strategic ways than other donors.

• Giving circle members are highly engaged in their communities. Giving circles also increase members’ knowledge about philanthropy, nonprofits, and community needs.

• Giving circle members say they give to a greater number of organizations, compared to other donors.

• Giving circle members are more likely than other donors to give to areas less often funded by organized philanthropy, such as to organizations serving women and girls, ethnic and minority groups, and for arts, culture and ethnic awareness.

• Giving circles can have even a greater impact in these difficult economic times.

Click here to go to the page on the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers website where you can download the full report or a summary .pdf to your computer.

Interesting Read on High Impact Philanthophy

Check out this very interesting article, Real Good, Not Feel Good: A Brief Guide to High-Impact Philanthropy by Martin J Fisher, PhD, Co-Founder & CEO KickStart-International and Kevin Starr, MD.

The authors note:

Today, everywhere we look, we see another global challenge – from poverty and disease, to climate change and the economic meltdown. And even our own finances are not what they used to be. But we still need to do whatever we can to help the world. So now more than ever, we need to use our limited philanthropic dollars in the best ways that we possibly can.

We can no longer afford to spend scarce funds on things that simply feel good. Instead we need to support initiatives that do real good, and that have the potential to generate large-scale and lasting solutions to the world‘s biggest problems.

Every day, we are presented with innovative non-profits and social enterprises, claiming to ―do good. But not every effort—no matter how well-intentioned—will generate equal results. It is all too easy to support those that sound the best, use the coolest technology, have the best PR or give a warm and fuzzy feeling.

But with the world‘s increasing problems, and limited resources, this is no-longer an acceptable option. Instead, we need to identify and support those initiatives that really do have the potential to change the world.

Click here to go to the page on the Real Good Not Feel Good website where you can read the article directly or download the .pdf to your computer.

This promises to be a very good read indeed.

Wallace Foundation Study on Funder and Recipient Engagements

Check out this wonderful and comprehensive study that was recently released by the Wallace Foundation.

Called More Than Money: Making a Difference with Assistance Beyond the Grant, this research documents the role of charitable and in-kind giving and the relationship between grant recipients and funders.

Here is a summary of the report:

More foundations report increased non-monetary support to bolster the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations, using such means as convenings to share ideas and practices, training and technical assistance and strategic communications. This report by the Center for Effective Philanthropy addresses the effectiveness of such non-grant support and finds, among other things, that providing only a few types of assistance tends to be less effective than providing more comprehensive help. Accompanying the report’s analysis and survey findings are three case studies of foundations that the authors say exemplify efforts for providing such non-grant assistance: the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving; Winter Park Health Foundation; and The Wallace Foundation.

And here are the four key findings of the research:

• Foundation staff believe that assistance beyond the grant is important for creating impact – and, in particular, for grantees’ achievement of their goals – but they know little about the actual results of the assistance they provide.

• The majority of grantees of a typical large foundation receive no assistance beyond the grant, and the 44 percent that do receive assistance generally receive just two or three types.

• Providing just two or three types of assistance to grantees appears to be ineffective; it is only in the minority of cases when grantees receive either a comprehensive set of assistance activities or a set of mainly field-focused types of assistance that they have a substantially more positive experience with their foundation funders than grantees receiving no assistance.

• Providing assistance beyond the grant in ways that make a meaningful difference to grantees calls for a significant investment on the part of the foundation: Program staff at foundations that provide assistance in these ways to more of their grantees tend to manage fewer active grants and give larger grants.

Click here to go to the page on the Wallace Foundation website where you can download the .pdf directly to your computer.

BJCWF's Granting History

The Boston Jewish Community Women's Fund started making grants in 2001.

Since our founding, nine years ago, we have given out $1,366,000 in grants to organizations that address underrepresented women and girls in the Boston area as well as Israel.

Take a look at our nearly decade long history of grantmaking!

Grants that serve women and girls in Boston’s Jewish community:

• Etty Project: A theatre production and teaching workshops based on the diaries of Auschwitz victim Etty Hillesum.

• Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters: Presenting littles with images of capable women, career options and choices for their futures.

• Jewish Community Centers: Teaching adolescent girls to develop Powerful Voices by addressing issues they identify as important to them.

• Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly: (1) Breast cancer information outreach to elderly Russian women to raise awareness and encourage screening. (2) Build capacity to recognize and respond to mental health issues and work with tenants to accept mental health services.

• Jewish Family & Children’s Service: (1) Kol Isha Russian Domestic Violence Project; (2) services in Russian to victims of human trafficking; (3) Teen Safe educational program.

• Jewish Family Service/Metrowest: (1) Strengthening the bonds between homeless mothers and children; (2) sensitizing the synagogue community to issues of eating disorder and body image in Bat Mitzvah age girls and building self-esteem.

• Jewish Organizing Initiative: Training activists for community work.

• Jewish Outreach Institute: Mother’s Circle: Support and education for women of other faiths committed to raising Jewish children.

• Jewish Women’s Archive: (1) Develop a curriculum focused on women’s achievements for school children; (2) Fund a new online project, Bat Mitzvah Interactive, to fuse community service, family stories and Jewish women’s history into individual bat mitzvah experiences.

• Mayyim Hayyim: (1) Creating new rituals for new uses of mikvah; (2) Healing Guide for Jewish women with cancer; (3) Embracing Waters Initiative to work with survivors of domestic abuse and train volunteer and professional leaders who work with them.

• MzVibe: Issues-focused webzine for Jewish girls.

• Moving Traditions – Rosh Hodesh: It’s a Girl Thing: A five-year program promoting self esteem, leadership skills and Jewish identity in girls grades 6-12 in 7-10 area synagogues.

Grants that serve women and girls in Boston’s secular community:

• Adolescent Consultation Services: Girls’ group treatment program at Cambridge Juvenile Court Clinic.

• Bird Street (Upham’s Corner) Community Center: Helping girls develop positive self images and combat rising violence among girls through intense and inventive programming.

• Boston Medical Center - Hey Mama: Translation into Creole of a birth and early parenting guide for at-risk, low-income Haitian women.

• Boston Area Rape Crisis Center: Training for first responders and counseling for adolescent survivors of sexual violence.

• Center for Women and Enterprise: Training women to create small businesses.

• Germaine Lawrence School: Arts therapy program for troubled girls unable to express themselves verbally.

• Homes for Families: Teaching homeless women to be advocates for the homeless.

• On The Rise: Day program for homeless and abused women.

• One Family Scholars: Support for training for homeless women going from welfare to work.

• One Voice Echoes: Writing project for abused women.

• Project Hope: Training welfare mothers to be childcare providers.

• RAW Art Works: Arts education and therapy for inner city girls in Lynn.

• Reach Beyond Domestic Violence (REACH): Advocacy training for Latina immigrant survivors of domestic abuse.

• Reaching Out About Depression (ROAD), Cambridge Health Alliance: Workshops, advocacy and peer-counseling for low-income women affected by situational depression.

• Science Club for Girls: Mentoring and tutoring in science for girls in kindergarten through high school.

• Second Step: Mentoring for survivors of domestic violence, base on a life-coaching model.

• Strong Women, Strong Girls: 100 college students mentor 300 Boston school girls, grades 3-5 to build healthy habits, concrete skills and strong relationships.

• United Teen Equality Center, Lowell: Empowering young women to develop strong self images and change their communities.

• Victim Rights Law Center: Civil legal interventions for women who have been sexually assaulted, enabling them to return to everyday activities.

• Women’s Educational Center: Services to survivors of domestic violence and other trauma.

Grants to benefit women and girls in Israel:

• Adva Center: Advocacy to place more line items benefiting women in the Israeli government budget.

• Economic Empowerment for Women: Business incubator to support low-income women in Haifa who have started micro-enterprises.

• Hotline for Migrant Workers and Isha l’Isha: Securing legal representation for victims of sex trafficking.

• Israel Women’s Network: Advocacy for women’s issues and legal assistance for precedent-setting cases.

• Jerusalem Rape Crisis Center: Training educators to recognize signs of sexual abuse in young children.

• Kidma at the University of Haifa: A program for immigrant girls to combat relationship violence.

• Kol Ha’Isha: Teaching business skills to help poor women become self-sufficient.

• Mahut Center: Skills training, job search assistance, job placement for low-income women.
  

• Neve Yosef Community Center: A transgenerational project linking Ethiopian women and their daughters through traditional embroidery skills.

• Rackman Center at Bar Ilan Univeristy: Advocacy for women’s rights in divorce proceedings.
  

• Shalshelet: Introducing divorce mediation acceptable to religious courts.

• YEDID: Economic skills training for immigrant girls to help break the cycle of poverty.

• Yellin College: Support for training and skill development for poor women so that they can enter the workforce and earn a sustainable wage.

BJCWF 2010 Grant Cycle Request for Letters of Intent

BOSTON JEWISH COMMUNITY WOMEN’S FUND 2010 GRANT CYCLE

Request for Letters of Intent

The mission of the Boston Jewish Community Women’s Fund is to develop a women’s Jewish philanthropic community which provides sustainable and measurable benefits to women and girls from all walks of life, and in the process, encourages the funders to be leaders and role models.

The Boston Jewish Community Women’s Fund, a project of Combined Jewish Philanthropies, is requesting letters of intent for its 2010 grant cycle for programs that will benefit women and girls. Projects will be funded in the areas of relationship abuse, economic advancement, girls’ healthy development, education, health, advocacy and the arts. Projects will be funded for the fiscal year July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011. The Fund does not support capital projects, scholarships, or make grants to individuals.

In 2009 The Fund made grants totaling $275,000, and has awarded over $1,300,000 since inception. The complete list of grants made since 2001 is posted at www.cjp.org – follow the prompts to “Women’s Philanthropy.”

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

The Fund welcomes applications for new and ongoing results-oriented programs. Given the current economic crisis, organizations that have received grants from The Fund in the past may choose to apply for a one year grant for general support of a proven core program.

The Fund supports projects that benefit:

• Jewish women and girls in the local Boston community
• Women and girls in the general Boston community
• Women and girls in Israel, specifically programs that serve the greater Haifa community or have a documented history of funding from other North American organizations.

HOW TO APPLY:

Describe your project in a letter (no more than 2 pages long) that contains:

• Your organization’s mission.
• A statement of need, how the project will address it, and how it meets BJCWF objectives.
• A budget narrative including the amount of funding requested, projected major expenditures, and use of BJCWF funds. (If you are reapplying, please note if you anticipate significant changes in your budget from last year.)

GRANTS

For the 2010 granting cycle, The Fund will make one year grants (maximum amount $25,000) that may be renewed for up to three years.

HOW THE PROCESS WORKS:

• Letters of intent must be received by 5:00 PM on Friday, November 10, 2009, no exceptions.
• Submit your letter by email to susane@cjp.org
• Also mail hard copy for backup to: Susan Ebert, Director, Boston Jewish Community Women’s Fund, 126 High Street, Boston, MA 02110.
• Each organization submitting a letter of intent will be notified by December 23 whether they will be asked to submit a full proposal.
• Organizations invited to submit proposals will receive complete instructions for doing so.
• A site visit by members of the Fund will be a component of the final application process.
• The deadline for submitting full proposals is February 3, 2010.
• The Fund will notify all applicants of its decisions by mid-April, 2010.

Executive Committee Meeting: September 30th at noon

Executive Committee members, please review this memo from Margo in preparation for our meeting on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 from 12-2pm at Mayyim Hayyim - 1840 Washington Street, Newton (same parking lot as Temple Reyim).

Please bring a check for $50 to cover the cost of lunches for the year.

Ladies,

After your input at our last Executive Committee meeting and more discussion over the summer, we have arrived at a proposed restructuring for the Women’s Fund development process that will allow for more focused and effective communication and engagement for all members. The proposed structure has three committees: Membership, Communications and Program. All three will need to work closely together and we would expect that they would sometimes meet together. Various Fund members and Executive Committee members will populate the committees and take on specific responsibilities (e.g. one member could develop the library of compelling stories, someone else could interview lapsed members, etc). We have taken a first cut at dividing up the responsibilities as specifically as possible. Please review the structure as we plan on discussing it at the first Executive Committee meeting.

Thanks, Margo

Membership Committee

The mission of this committee is to develop the message for the effective recruitment of new members, to assure the successful integration of new members into the Fund, to assure engagement of members coming up for renewal and to gather information from lapsed members. The specific activities would include:

• Review of materials used in solicitation of new members
• Review of the website with an eye toward recruitment
• Development of strategies for targeted solicitation of new members and retention of present members
• Stewardship of new members for the first year (new members’ breakfast, special invitations to events or to join committees, etc)
• Hold exit interviews with lapsed members for feedback
• Provide summaries of work in progress/status reports to be included in newsletter for members
• Provide updates of provide summaries of work in progress/status reports at opening and closing events

Communications Committee

The mission of this committee is to develop effective vehicles that meet both the internal and external communication needs of the Women’s Fund. Specific activities would include:

• Production of the newsletter 3 times a year primarily for use by present Fund members
• Translation of recruitment message into communication materials
• Review and revision as needed of materials used in solicitation of new members
• Evaluation and updating the website as needed
• Assurance of adequate timely communication to present members about the activities of the Fund through email, website updates or blog postings
• Development of an archive of compelling stories about grantees, their clients and our members to be used in our communication materials
• PR
• Development and maintenance of a blog about the Fund
• Oversee development of a 10th anniversary logo
• Provide summaries of work in progress/status reports to be included in newsletter for members
• Provide updates of provide summaries of work in progress/status reports at opening and closing events

Program Committee

The mission of this committee is to develop events that support the goals of the Membership, Communications and Executive Committees. Specific activities would include:

• Development of events to meet specific requests of the Communication, Membership and Executive Committees, including special events
• Securing of locations, caterers and potentially speakers for specific events (probably 2-3 times per year, not counting Lunch & Learn)
• Investigation into development of an award program in recognition of grantees or service
• Periodic surveying of present members about specific issues and interests
• Provide summaries of work in progress/status reports to be included in newsletter for members
• Provide updates of provide summaries of work in progress/status reports at opening and closing events