Boston Jewish Community Women's Fund

BJCWF Newsletter For Fall, 2011

2011-11-26T18:31:00.003-08:00

BJCWF Newsletter

Fall, 2011

Lunch n’ Learn

Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Noon – 1:30 PM

“My Life My Choice”

Family Justice Center

989 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston

RSVP (susane@cjp.org) to attend and learn about this grantee’s work to rescue prostituted girls

2012 Grant Cycle Update

- Letters of intent are under review
- Grant Committees meet in March
- Sign up now to join a committee!

We’ve Awarded Our Second Long-Term Grant!

Project GROW at the Brookline Community Mental Health Center has been awarded a three-year, $75,000 grant to continue and expand its preventive group mentoring program for socially isolated girls. The program targets girls at-risk of bullying and aggressive behavior – the ways that girls specifically use their relationships to hurt one another. The 25-week curriculum has been shown to have a positive influence on self-esteem, identity development, social and relational competence, and academic performance.

The grant will also fund the creation of a Project GROW manual that can be used to replicate the program in other communities, an extension of the program to serve girls with autism spectrum disorders, and a program to work with very young low-income mothers who are having difficulty forming attachments to their young children.

We have been impressed by the effectiveness of BCMHC in the two years we have provided funding to Project GROW, and look forward to their ongoing success.

And Our First Long-Term Grant is Up and Running!

Jewish Women’s Archive has launched the pilot of the My Bat Mitzvah Story website, developed with support from our first 3-year grant, and designed as an on-line resource for girls preparing for Bat Mitzvah. It is being piloted now with a number of test groups in Greater Boston and will be fully launched next spring. Check it out at MyBatMitzvahStory.org.

A Note From Fund Chair Mady Donoff

Our Boston Jewish Community Women’s Fund is participatory philanthropy at its best! Our grant process brings engagement and the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of women and girls, in Boston’s Jewish and secular communities and in Israel. Participating in the Fund also means bringing in new members, and you are the best spokeswomen for what we do. (It also means renewing your own membership after five years.)

While many of the grants we funded in 2011 focused on girls’ needs, we remain committed to funding programs that address other hard core issues: relationship abuse, trafficking in Israel, and the tenuous economic status of many single women.

Our 12^th grant cycle is underway. Letters of intent are currently being reviewed and grant committees are being formed. Maxine Rosenthal and Betsy Epstein are leading this year’s effort, and working with sub-committee Co-chairs Barbara Gutman and Winnie Sandler (Boston Jewish), Barbara Targum and Julie Jaye (Boston Secular), and Rebekah Kaufman and Deborah Goldberg (Israel) to prepare for the grant review process in March. All grant readers will read grant proposals and participate in decision making.

Work, great leadership from many volunteers, spirited discussions, informative site visits, and an opportunity to collaborate with an exceptional group of women… this is what makes the Fund a unique opportunity for participatory philanthropy… this is what makes each one of you, a valued member of the Fund!

Thank you for all you have done and all you will continue to do in the New Year.

BJCWF Fall 2010 Newsletter

2010-11-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our returning and new BJCWF members! Here is a brief update on our group, our happenings so far, and what's to come later this year.

A FEW WORDS FROM OUR CHAIR

Girls’ self esteem is being undermined in many ways. From media and technology to inequality in boy-girl relationships, to having an immigrant or disadvantaged status, and even to the stereotype of being “a good girl,” girls are increasingly at risk. This year our Women’s Fund will be focusing on issues related to girls and how we can help empower them. We have started to talk about a concept we call “emotional resiliency” by which we mean helping girls to deal with the difficulties they encounter and become emotionally healthy and appropriately assertive.

Our opening event, which included a viewing of the PBS documentary “A Girl’s Life,” gave us a glimpse into the lives of four young women and the issues which confront them. The film aroused the interest of many Fund members and led to the desire to continue exploring these issues. In response we’ll be delving deeper into the issues by focusing our Lunch n’ Learns on grantees whose projects directly impact girls. Our first session was “Moving Traditions,” a program that promotes self-esteem, leadership skills and Jewish identity. Next month we’ll be visiting RAW Art Works in Lynn to learn how the arts encourage healthy development. Later in the year, we will learn about bullying, and visit an innovative school-based program.

Our efforts to learn more about the issues help us become better grant makers. Join us as we focus on learning about programs that promote health and emotional well being in young women, so that we can create solutions, change things for the better and connect with our grant recipients. I think it will be an exciting year – I look forward to seeing you and working with you.

Best,

Carol Targum

Chair

GRANTS UPDATE

Our 2011 grant review is underway! Letters of intent are due in by early November , and we’ll be reviewing them throughout the month. You can still sign up to be a reader or to join a grant committee. Just email Susan Ebert (susane@cjp.org) to get involved; it doesn't take more than a few hours total and it's a great way to really contribute towards our grantmaking process.

LUNCH N' LEARN

On October 26th we held a lunch n' learn program featuring Rosh Hodesh: It’s A Girl Thing, a program of grantee Moving Traditions. 22 BJCWF members attended this get-together; a few of them are pictured below. Regional Director Cheryl Weiner and program participant Marissa Brockman presented a workshop summarizing the project and detailing its significant impact on participants. We were forwarded this note concerning the meeting, which really says it all about the mission and focus of BJCWF...

"Hey Cheryl!

Thank you for inviting me to come and speak at the presentation today. I had such a fantastic time being with you and meeting all the other women. It was amazing to see that they care so much about girls like me, and they understand how hard it is to be a teenager sometimes. It made me feel really good about myself, and proud to be in Rosh Hodesh.

Today was also great because it gave me the confidence to talk in front of a group of women I had never met before and open up to them. It was so interesting to hear about their own experiences when they were my age, and they were really fun to talk to. I've never done anything like that before. Just standing there and having people really listening to me and what I had to say made me feel really good about myself. It made me realize how important Rosh Hodesh is in my life and how much it helps me. Rosh Hodesh has helped me deal with stress, friends, gossip, school and other things, and I am lucky to have it in my life. I think that all girls should do the program.

Thanks again so much for today and I hope to do this with you again!

Marissa"

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Doris Gordon is can truly say she's a charter member of the BJCWF - as a matter of fact, she was a member of "the fund" before the fund really existed! Doris, at the recommendation of her husband - who is quite active in CJP and other Jewish philanthropies - attended one of the very first "planning" meetings of the fund. She loved the idea that the members of the organization would collectively determine how grants would be funded. She signed on, and never looked back.

Doris has been active in almost every aspect of the fund's work over the past ten grant cycles. She has sat on grant review committees, hosted meetings, read letters of intent, and even brought in new people to the group. But she truly enjoys going on site visits on behalf of the organization. She fondly recalls visits to On The Rise and Germaine Lawrence, both grant recipients from BJCWF. She has even done site visits in Israel, having met with recipients Economic Empowerment for Women and Mahout firsthand on behalf of the fund.

And what keeps Doris engaged? A few things. She loves watching, and participating in, the fund's evolution. She greatly admires how year after year things become more organized, professional, and visible. She also stays for the people. She says, "I love working with good people you can trust. You know the process and the decision making steps insure that that the best decisions will be made."

Newest Research on the Sexualization of Girls by the American Psychological Association

2010-11-02T07:49:00.000-07:00

As we begin our new year of research and grantmaking, with a special focus on of building emotional resilience in girls this year, please take a look at this new report from the American Psychological Association. This report reviews and summarizes the current psychological theory, research, and clinical experience addressing the sexualization of girls today. Click here for the full report.

Best,

Susan

The executive summary is as follows...

Journalists, child advocacy organizations, parents and psychologists have argued that the sexualization of girls is a broad and increasing problem and is harmful to girls. The APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls was formed in response to these expressions of public concern.

APA has long been involved in issues related to the impact of media content on children. In 1994, APA adopted a policy resolution on Violence in Mass Media, which updated and expanded an earlier resolution on televised violence. In 2004, the APA Task Force on Advertising and Children produced a report examining broad issues related to advertising to children. That report provided recommendations to restrict advertising that is primarily directed at young children and to include developmentally appropriate disclaimers in advertising, as well as recommendations regarding research, applied psychology, industry practices, media literacy, advertising and schools. In 2005, APA adopted the policy resolution on Violence in Video Games and Interactive Media, which documented the negative impact of exposure to violent interactive media on children and youth and called for the reduction of violence in these media. These resolutions and reports addressed how violent media and advertising affect children and youth, but they did not address sexualization. The APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls was tasked with examining the psychological theory, research and clinical experience addressing the sexualization of girls via media and other cultural messages, including the prevalence of these messages and their impact on girls and the role and impact of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status.The task force was charged with producing a report, including recommendations for research, practice, education and training, policy and public awareness.

This report examines and summarizes psychological theory, research and clinical experience addressing the sexualization of girls. The report (a) defines sexualization; (b) examines the prevalence and provides examples of sexualization in society and in cultural institutions, as well as interpersonally and intrapsychically; (c) evaluates the evidence suggesting that sexualization has negative consequences for girls and for the rest of society; and (d) describes positive alternatives that may help counteract the the influence of sexualization.

There are several components to sexualization, and these set it apart from healthy sexuality. Sexualization occurs when:

a person’s value comes only from his or her sexual appeal or behavior, to the exclusion of other characteristics;
a person is held to a standard that equates physical attractiveness (narrowly defined) with being sexy;
a person is sexually objectified—that is, made into a thing for others’ sexual use, rather than seen as a person with the capacity for independent action and decision making; and/or
sexuality is inappropriately imposed upon a person.

All four conditions need not be present; any one is an indication of sexualization. The fourth condition (the inappropriate imposition of sexuality) is especially relevant to children. Anyone (girls, boys, men, women) can be sexualized. But when children are imbued with adult sexuality, it is often imposed upon them rather than chosen by them. Self-motivated sexual exploration, on the other hand, is not sexualization by our definition, nor is age-appropriate exposure to information about sexuality.

Report from Isha L'Isha: Fighting Against Trafficking and Forced Prostitution in Women

2010-08-09T07:40:00.000-07:00

Fund members,

We thought you may be interested in this report from Isha L'Isha, updating their fine work in social justice and trafficking in Israel.

They write...

"Dear friends,

We are pleased to share with you Isha L'Isha's recent achievements in the Fighting Against Trafficking and Forced Prostitution in Women. Attached please find an activity report covering the period May 2009 - April 2010.

On this occasion, we would like to thank the donors who have supported this important program and have entrusted us with their funds. Your generous support has enabled us to implement the program in an effective and timely manner.

For further information on our anti-trafficking efforts, you can contact Ms. Rita Chaikin, the project coordinator at rita@isha.org.il

Kind regards, Khulud"

Best,
Susan

===================

About Isha L’Isha

Isha L’Isha is a multi-cultural organization and one of the leading voices of women’s rights in Israel, committed to advancing their status, especially of women from socio-economically marginalized communities. Our 26 years of experience in running projects that address women’s needs has earned a national reputation for dedication to women’s rights. Our staff and volunteers are frequently invited to participate in coalition and Parliamentary meetings to provide the input, ideas and know-how that result from our experience. Throughout the years, we have empowered thousands of women and provided them with skills to take control of their lives.

Isha L’Isha’s mission is to advance the status of all women in Israel by: (a) empowering them and encouraging them to become leaders in their communities; (b) campaigning for full civil rights and equal opportunities for women; (c) opposing all forms of violence against women; (d) developing and encouraging new projects to address women's needs, and (e) promoting collaboration between women’s organizations. Our current projects include Fighting against Trafficking in Women for the sex industry, Women, Peace & Security, and Women and Medical Technologies.

Fighting Against Trafficking and Forced Prostitution in Women

The ultimate aim of the project is to end trafficking in women for the sex industry. The project employs multiple strategies for this end: comprehensive education and awareness-raising campaign for sex costumers, potential sex costumers and the wider public, advocacy work in order to secure social, medical and human rights of trafficking victims, empowerment workshops to help victims rehabilitate, legal consultation for victims, and close networking and coalition-building with other NGOs working in the field.

Isha L'Isha has been on the forefront of the fight against trafficking in women since 2002, and has gained extensive professional expertise in the field. In nine years of anti-trafficking work, we have gained experience in sex client education campaigns, public awareness-raising lectures and workshops, advocacy work, networking with NGOs in source countries to help victims in their safe return home, and in organizing multi-national seminars. We work closely with the police, who consult us on a regular basis in international cases. We are also invited on a regular basis to parliamentary meetings to provide our input on all aspects of trafficking.

Project Accomplishments: May 2009 – April 2010

Advocacy

The Knesset (Israeli Parliament) was not active until April 2009 due to the elections. We were very disappointed that Ms. Zehava Galon – head of the Subcommittee on Trafficking in Women – was not elected. Ms Galon always helped us in advancing the issues important to us. The committee is now headed by a new Knesset member from the Kadima party, Orit Zuaretz. We sent her a letter expressing our request that we want to investigate why the police is not active in the field and is not doing anything regarding pimps. We demand that the punishment for pimping in local women be equal to the punishment of traffickers in international cases. The project coordinator, Rita Chaikin, met with Ms. Zuaretz in July and discussed these issues with her.

A legislation proposal was brought to first Knesset reading, which would criminalize sex costumers. Isha L’Isha, along with a number of NGOs, met to discuss the implications of this legislation on women. We also held a panel to which we invited women who work in the sex industry to hear their voices. The women expressed their fears of this law, as it does not provide any protection for women. Should the law pass as it is formulated now, women who work in the sex industry will be even more vulnerable to physical and sexual violence than they already are. Our position on this law is that – alongside criminalizing sex costumers – it has to set provisions of protection of these women. After its first reading, the law was returned for corrections. Isha L’Isha is present at meetings of the Ministry of Justice that discusses this legislation to provide our input from the field. We also formulated a position paper with recommendations for changes in the legislation.

We continue to advocate for greater government responsiveness to the needs of trafficking victims, focusing on their social, economic and health rights. In this regard, we had a major success with the Ministry of Interior whereby they changed a specific requirement regarding the birth certificate of children born to foreign women without status. Indeed we see this as a major accomplishment, as this will affect not only trafficking victims but also migrant workers and/or foreign women giving birth in Israel.

Advocating for policy change in the conduct of the police and their treatment of trafficking victims: a total of 124 complaints were filed to the police during the reporting period. In addition, as part of our efforts to educate professionals and provide them skills in identifying and helping victims of trafficking, the Police Academy near Haifa recognizes the importance of NGO field work, and the cooperation between NGOs and police in the fight against trafficking in women. Rita is invited to lecture at every course of the advanced investigators course. In these lectures, she discusses the psychological aspects of trafficking victims and provides a non-governmental field perspective of the phenomenon.

A tour to the sex-industry areas in Tel Aviv for Members of Knesset to understand the issues and get first-hand experience.

We continue to advocate at the National Insurance Institute to demand that foreign women receive financial allocations for their children. Here, again, we were successful in establishing precedents whereby a foreign woman receives financial allocations for her children by order of the court. This is a very important development, as it indicates that the state is beginning to recognize these women’s rights.

Direct Intervention

During the reporting period, we helped in 23 cases of compensation payments for women. We connected most of these women to NGOs in their source countries, and they have begun receiving help. Isha L’Isha has developed a special expertise in locating women entitled to compensation and in cooperating with NGOs in the FSU for this specific purpose. The compensation is in criminal cases, and the highest compensation paid in 2009 was 110,000 NIS.

In 2009, the Tel-Aviv central police unit uncovered a major case of trafficking in women, and our organization took an active part in accompanying the victims and helping them emotionally. The case received wide media coverage.

We have been successful in obtaining a “green-lane” at the Department for Legal Aid, where the women we refer for legal aid do not have to go through all the bureaucratic process nor wait for their turn, but rather are immediately served.

Participation in site-visits to sex-industry areas and provide initial help to victims: our veteran volunteers join the weekly tours of sex-industry areas, which are conducted by the new government project “Women’s Horizon,” with which we fully cooperate. Our trained volunteers contribute from their extensive experience in working with women victims of trafficking. This cooperation has proven very successful in terms of pooling resources, as the “Women’s Horizon” provides the funding and the new volunteers for these tours, and Isha L’Isha provides the trained volunteers who guide the new ones. We hope to continue cooperating with this important government-funded initiative.

We continue to provide a telephone support line to victims and referring them to the relevant bodies according to the individual women’s needs and situation. The total number of calls during the reporting period was 520, which includes both first-time and second-time callers.

Providing an Emergency Humanitarian Fund for victims of sexual exploitation. The fund covers a range of essential and immediate needs and services, such as initial money for reintegration into the community, psychological treatment, medical treatment, medical insurance, medicine, and more.

Art Therapy Group for Victims of Trafficking and Forced Prostitution

In full cooperation with “Women’s Horizon,” a project for women in prostitution run by the Municipality of Haifa, we held a unique art-therapy course for victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation. In this 12-session course, we saw women rehabilitating through art work. We focused on a group of women who are still in prostitution but who want to leave it and are in need of help. Throughout this course we’ve seen the creation of a new language – the language of art – of women in distress. The facilitator of this course, Ms. Tsipa Ziskind, and the project coordinator, Ms. Rita Chaikin, were amazed to see the strong will and determination of participating women to create and talk through their art. Their art helped us understand the different emotional stages of the women as well as identify their different needs. The course was very successful and, as one of the women said, “You brought me back to life, to something I never had in my childhood. Today I allow myself to be in my own world and to create. This is my place of calm, a world in which I feel safe.”

Empowerment course for mothers who are victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation

This course was held in cooperation with Itach – Maaki: Women Lawyers for Social Justice. The workshops provide mothers with tools to create a warm, supportive environment for the sound development of the child, listening to the child, feelings of belonging to a family, encouraging the child’s self-expression, and more. These courses are especially important for victims of sexual exploitation, as many of these women suffered from a difficult and abusive childhood without positive parental role models. Thus, they are unable to give their children the love and support they themselves did not receive. It is important to relate to these difficulties so each woman can find the power in herself to provide this support to her own child.

Empowerment and basic life skills course

A third course that began in 2010 for victims of trafficking and forced prostitution is an empowerment course that provides basic life skills for participating women. The contents of the course are designed in a modular way, enabling the facilitator to adapt them to the specific needs that arise throughout the course. The issues in this course include: life purpose and vision; internal and external constraints on the way to attaining goals; personal strengths and abilities that help in overcoming obstacles; defining the terms “self-respect”; doubts and dilemmas – internal conflicts; responsibility and decision-making in life; money, income, expenses, and responsibility; sources of conflicts and solutions; coping with unwanted reality; interpersonal authorities and boundaries and the relationship between them; sources of violence; consultation and seeking for help (internal obstacles for seeking help); from power struggle to cooperation; encouragement as a basis for developing self-confidence and self-worth; coping with stress.

Education

We continue with our education campaign, holding lectures and workshops to various groups of population. A total of 25 lectures and workshops were held to 879 participants during the reporting period. Each workshop and lecture is especially designed for the specific target population. Participating groups include: high school girls, groups of women, social work students, graduate students of law, police officers and the wider public.

Consultation

During the reporting period, we continued to provide professional consultation to various governmental and non-governmental bodies and projects on various aspects of the phenomenon of trafficking and prostitution in women both locally and globally.

The project coordinator, Ms Rita Chaikin, met with NGO representatives – both local and international – and discussed Isha L’Isha’s experience in education campaigns for sex consumers. She provided professional consultation to a number of small projects on how to implement effective advocacy strategies in order to change governmental policies.

Representatives from La Strada Ukraine and La Strada Moldova visited our center and we exchanged experience and knowledge with them. In addition to the phenomenon of trafficking, they were interested also in the broader issue of violence against women.

This year, we are providing ongoing consultation to the “Women's Horizon,” part of a comprehensive project of the inter-ministerial plan to help women out of forced prostitution, with which we have also established very good working relations.

We have consolidated good relations with both the Haifa and Tel Aviv sex clinics. In Haifa, a new project was recently initiated: a mobile unit for treating STDs for at-risk women. We are happy to note that we received a permit to conduct the guidance and training on everything that is related to forced prostitution to the whole staff of this mobile unit.

Knowledge Exchange Trip to Georgia

In July 2009, Rita Chaikin and one of the project volunteers, Olga Medvedovskaja were invited by the Women’s Cultural-Humanitarian Fund Sukhumi to Kutaisi, Georgia. They were asked to talk about the activities of Israeli women's organizations addressing women’s rights in a spectrum of different aspects of life, and about their struggle to end violence against women. During their visit, Rita and Olga shared their experience, and spoke about the history of the struggle for the recognition of women's rights in Israel. In particular, Rita and Olga addressed the following issues:

The change in attitude in Israel towards the phenomenon of trafficking in women, and the way NGOs influence and shape policies;

How to fight for women's rights;

The development of various projects and ideological movements aimed at changing current laws and regulations;

Methods of working with governmental organizations and entities;

External sources of influence on the public system;

The contradictions and difficult aspects of the relationships between governmental and non-governmental organizations, and their impact on cooperation;

Working with a coalition of non-governmental organizations;

Lobbying in the Parliament and working within the legal system;

Monitoring the implementation of laws and regulations, and

Networking and working with the media.

Uzbekistan Consultation

We are happy to share with you this important trip, as it constitutes part of our ongoing network of consultation. Similar to the trip to Georgia, Rita was invited to provide consultation and share her knowledge and experience in the field of trafficking in women for the sex industry and effective advocacy work to change policies. She met with about 30 representatives of 10 NGOs from the Istiqbolli Avlod Network, where she discussed effective strategies in work with both governmental and non-governmental bodies, dilemmas and working with women victims of trafficking as a marginalized group.

International Workshop on Preventing Trafficking in Human Beings

This international seminar, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israel’s National Agency for International Cooperation – MASHAV, in cooperation with International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Center for International Migration and Immigration (CIMI), was held in May. Rita was invited to speak at a panel on “How to Prevent Migrants Becoming Vulnerable to Exploitation and Trafficking Once in Destination Country.” The audience included representatives from NGOs and governmental bodies from different countries.

Seminar: Invisible Women – Women and Girls in Prostitution

The seminar, held in November 2009, was organized in cooperation with “Women’s Horizon” and attended by more than 160 people, most of them social workers and professionals who are engaged in providing assistance to women and girls in forced prostitution. The aim of the seminar was to raise awareness of the fact that women in prostitution have unique needs and to discuss possible ways of dealing with their problems and helping them leave prostitution. This need arose from discussions with the women themselves, where they related that the assistance they received from the welfare departments was not suited or adopted to their specific needs. The seminar further dealt with dilemmas social workers and other professionals deal with when working with women in prostitution. In her opening remarks, Dr. Sarai Aharoni, a board member of Isha L’Isha, stressed the connections between capitalism, forced prostitution and trafficking in women for the sex industry. The seminar was the first of its kind to be held in the North of Israel, and the number of people attending indicates that there is both an interest as well as a need for such a seminar. We received very positive feedback from seminar participants, and we are planning a similar seminar in the upcoming months for professionals from the Tel Aviv area.

Article: Immigration, Women and Prostitution: the Case of Women from the Former Soviet Union in Israel

Rita Chaikin and Dr. Hannah Safran, a feminist researcher who is also a member of Isha L’Isha, wrote an article for a book which will include articles from around the world about prostitution. The name of the book: The Prostitution of Women, Men & Children: A Global Perspective Implications for Research, Policy, Education, and Service. Our article deals with the prostitution of immigrant women from the FSU, and delineates the cultural, social and economic factors alongside difficult adaptation patterns into the new country that played major roles in the deterioration of women into prostitution.

A Woman of Peace Award

We are excited to share with you that at the close of 2009 Rita, the project coordinator, received a Woman of Peace Award from the Women’s Peacepower Foundation for her work. The foundation makes awards to grassroots projects around the world that are working to impact issues of violence against women and their children.

Rita was also nominated for the International Woman of Courage Award which is awarded by the US Department of State, for courage and leadership in advocating for women’s rights and unparalleled commitment to seeking justice for victims of trafficking in persons.

A word from Ms. Rita Chaikin, the project coordinator: Compensation for trafficking victims on a criminal base

“In May 2009, and after a whole year of search, I finally succeeded in locating M from Moldova, who had been trafficked to Israel for purposes of sexual exploitation. M had suffered a very harsh abuse in Israel, and during her testimony she was kidnapped and sent back to Moldova under life threats. The court of law ordered her trafficker to pay a sum of 7,000 NIS to M and her friends. After a number of years, the trafficker suddenly paid his fine. As soon as I found M’s phone number I called her and told her the news that there is compensation money waiting for her and that we can help her receive this money. M’s reaction was very emotional: she did not want anything to do with her trafficker, not even compensation money. I felt that she didn’t believe me and that she was even scared of me. I asked her to think about it before she signs a concession letter, saved her phone number and decided to think about what I want to do.

The following day, I called M again, and after a long conversation, I succeeded in gaining her trust. We contacted our partner IOM in Moldova, who were willing to provide her with the necessary assistance even though five years have passed since the case. They integrated her into a rehabilitation and professional training program in order to prevent her from searching for a “tempting” job abroad under uncertain conditions. Today, M is a mother to a child, lives in Moldova and is unemployed. Soon she will be receiving $ 1,700 that will give her hope and opportunity to begin a new life, and even acquire a profession or higher education.

This year, within the framework of the Fighting against Trafficking and Prostitution in Women, we dealt with 12 cases of compensation for trafficking victims. Since 2002, we helped 52 trafficked women receive compensation. The process of obtaining compensation money is very complex, and sometimes we are unable to locate the entitled women. Some of these women were trafficked in 2002 and were deported, and there is no hint as to her location. In other cases, the women themselves are not willing to receive any money from their traffickers or they do not believe or trust us, as was the initial case with M.

We believe that compensation money will prevent trafficking victims from travelling abroad and falling for suspicious tempting jobs. The compensation money enables them to begin a new life in their own community and to live in dignity.

We would not have been able to help victims receive compensation without our partner organizations in the Former Soviet Union who help us and are willing to sign a power of attorney or identify a trafficking victim. We wish to thank the IOM branches in Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Moldova, Belarus, local NGOs in Ukraine, ISTIQBOLLI AVLOD - an NGO network in Uzbekistan, the Angel Coalition in Moscow, and WINROCK Khabarovsk and other organizations, all of whom are involved in helping trafficked women receive their compensation and make great efforts in their work. Without their help and fruitful cooperation, we would not succeed in this important work.”

Of course, all of these activities would be impossible to implement without the support of our funders. We would like to take this opportunity to express our thanks and appreciation to the foundations and individuals for their trust in our work.

Boston Partnership Makes the Mikveh a Safer Sanctuary for Victims of Abuse

2010-07-06T18:45:00.000-07:00

Carol Targum sent us this note and link to an article in Jewish Women's International about Embracing Waters. The story mentions our BJCWF grant to Mayyim Hayyim. The full text of the article is here, and the article can be found at www.jwi.org/Page.aspx?pid=1486.

Rabbi Margaret Frisch Klein, volunteer mikveh guide, Mayyim Hayyim; Janet Yassen, LICSW, Embracing Waters; Julie Youdovin, Outreach and Program Coordinator at Journey to Safety, the domestic abuse program at Jewish Family & Children's Service, Greater Boston

This past year, Mayyim Hayyim Living Waters Community Mikveh and Paula Brody & Family Education Center, together with Journey to Safety (formerly Kol Isha), the domestic abuse program at Jewish Family & Children’s Service in Greater Boston, renewed an ongoing partnership to bring support, help, and healing to Jewish survivors of domestic abuse.

Thanks to a generous grant from the Boston Jewish Community Women’s Fund, Mayyim Hayyim and Journey to Safety have been able to take their ongoing partnership to a new level. Mayyim Hayyim’s initiative, called Embracing Waters, set out a plan to host a Journey to Safety support group, and also to train male and female mikveh guides on issues related to trauma and domestic abuse. Guides explored issues of confidentiality and privacy for immersees, and looked at some of the cultural and religious context that fuels denial and silence around domestic abuse in the Jewish community. Over the course of five hours of training, guides were taught how to recognize signs of trauma and abuse and then spent time exploring ways to respond effectively and refer gently and respectfully.

Embracing Waters is part of a larger organization-wide focus on supporting victims & survivors of abuse. Mayyim Hayyim has also run a training for its staff and board to make sure that everyone is working together on these important initiatives. To that end, Mayyim Hayyim will be disseminating its materials nationally in the fall so that other communities can take advantage of the resources Mayyim Hayyim has developed.

This collaboration continues into the spring, with an Embracing Waters workshop for therapists on the therapeutic uses of mikveh for coping with abuse and trauma. Through a collaboration with Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, therapists will be able to earn Continuing Education Credits while examining topics such as the cultural context of abuse in the Jewish community, uses of mikveh for traditional and contemporary purposes, and mikveh as a therapeutic resource.

Looking ahead, the Boston Jewish Community Women’s Fund has enthusiastically agreed to support the collaboration for a second year. In the fall, Mayyim Hayyim will host an international mikveh conference here in Boston. The conference will include a breakout session on making mikveh more welcoming and more accessible to survivors of domestic abuse and to breast cancer survivors.

This strong partnership between Mayyim Hayyim and Journey to Safety is an exciting new direction for collaboration in greater Boston, creating yet another opportunity for Jewish survivors of abuse to find support, help, hope, and paths to healing from within our tradition and our community.

UN Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women re-elects Rackman Center Leader

2010-06-30T17:39:00.000-07:00

Fund Members,

I’m happy to share this nice news with you. Prof. Halperin Kaddari is a very dynamic advocate, who has been a notably effective leader of The Rackman Center. Carol Goldberg met with her when she was in Boston about two years ago and called her a dynamo.

We have just funded the Rackman Center for the third year, to support advocacy for women’s rights and legal status as well as the hotline that provides legal advice on work-related issues.

What a powerful reinforcement for our commitment to advocacy on behalf of women and girls in Israel!

All the best,

Susan

Professor Ruth Halperin Kaddari, Director of The Rackman Center at Bar Ilan University has been re-elected Vice President of this important United Nations committee. The Rackman Center is a three-time Women’s Fund grantee for its trailblazing work in advocacy for Israeli women in divorce and family law issues in the Rabbinical Courts.

The official news release follows:

“We are thrilled to share this impressive news with you. As you know, Prof Halperin Kaddari was elected in 2009 as Vice-President of the UN experts Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), after serving for the first two years of her term as a member of CEDAW. As the re-election time approached there was concern that recent events in Israel may impede the prospects for re-election. However, her accomplishments over the last years and her professional reputation have surpassed any political barriers, giving her 103 votes in the UN last night. We are so proud of her achievement, both for The Rackman Center and for all of Israel - to know that we are being represented at such a high level in such an important arena.

We wish her a hearty mazol tov and look forward to updating you on her progress in making social change for women.

Best wishes from everyone at the Rackman Center.”

Embracing Waters Sculptural Bench Project at Mayyim Hayyim

2010-06-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

Just an update on the good work being done by one of our star grantee organizations, Mayyim Hayyim.

Julie Jaye and Ellyn Harmon at work on a bench being created for Embracing Waters, at Mayyim Hayyim. The story behind this remarkable project can be found here!

Now in its second year, this specialized program trains volunteers, clergy and health and mental health professionals to help them recognize victims of abuse and show how mikveh can be a source of spiritual healing for abuse survivors.

For more information on Mayyim Hayyim visit their website at www.mayyimhayyim.org or click here.

A Survivor's Story from Mayyim Hayyim

2010-05-29T14:35:00.000-07:00

As we begin the second year of funding the Embracing Waters project, designed to support women who have been affected by domestic and/or relationship abuse, here is a story that Mayyim Hayyim director Aliza Kline recently shared with us.

"Hi Susan,

I wanted to share with you the story of a woman who immersed at Mayyim Hayyim one night this week:

"Marci" came here from out of town after having recently been sexually assaulted by someone who was a good friend of hers. Her mother, not knowing anything about us, suggested that perhaps she might use the mikveh for healing. She went online, came across our website, and scheduled a flight for her journey of 500 miles.

She also used the opportunity to reconnect with a friend of hers, a rabbi, whom she had not seen in years.

After sharing our ceremonies and resources, and placing her in the supportive care of one of our Mikveh Guides, she emerged from the water and said, "I didn't think it would happen, but it worked."

She then wrote the following in our guest book:

"Thank you for having a place like this - where safety and warmth radiate from the moment the door is opened, where compassion, patience, and understanding reign, where we may come to be made whole and know that our style and healing are respected. Thank you also for the care that has been evident throughout, from first contact to the last bite of strawberry. Leeann (her Mikveh Guide), Carrie, Anita - you are a blessing, and I hope the living waters will continue to strengthen you as you strengthen us."

Thank you for your partnership in welcoming and supporting women like Marci."

Clearly, the work that we do through the BJCWF has impact and meaning locally, nationally, and internationally. Stories like this only serve to validate our mission and and to highlight the results of our ongoing group efforts. Thank you each and every fund member for your contributions.

Taking action on a critical issue of key importance to BJCWF

2010-05-19T18:52:00.000-07:00

Our mentor Nancy Sternoff has just circulated the memo that follows. In the spirit of the grants we have made to fight trafficking and exploitation, please read it and take action.

"Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Please read carefully the email below. I hope you will both institutionally and personally take action. You may or may not know that Israel has one of the highest rates of sex trafficking per capita in the world. Let's join with the broader women's community to help!

Best to all,

Nancy"

-----Original Message-----
From: Deborah Richardson [mailto:drichardson@womensfundingnetwork.org]
Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 1:46 PM
To: Deborah Richardson
Subject: Call to Action-Women's Funds Advocacy needed to help stop the commercial exploitation of girls!

Dear Sister Fund Leaders,

I'm writing to update you on several critical activities related to Women's Funding Network's efforts to end the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) - with a primary focus on adolescent girls - and to urge you to take action.

As many of you may know, we have partnered with AFNAP Georgia and member funds to pilot and strategically fund programs dealing with CSEC in Michigan, Minnesota and New York. We have launched an AFNAP website and supported research in these states to understand the prevalence of CSEC - and how the numbers relate to adolescent girls - and have trained member fund and community leaders on effective strategies for approaching the issue in their communities.

We are also partnering with a public relations firm to release findings from a cutting-edge market demand study that shows that men who buy sex from minor girls in Georgia do so at disturbing rates with alarming comfort and ease. We are hoping to get broad media coverage on the demand study and expect to have and release national numbers over the next three months.

All of these activities are taking place in a broader climate of increased public interest in CSEC. In the last few weeks alone, there have been multiple media placements on the issue including stories in the New York Times and on ABC News. Most recently, the Atlanta Journal Constitution published an op-ed I co-authored that presents a new approach to preventing the commercial sexual exploitation of our girls.

Rather than continuing to swim upstream, Women's Funding Network and members of a national CSEC coalition are working to shift the focus from the girl survivors to the commercial offenders and businesses like Craigslist who feed the demand side of this thriving industry that puts our girls at risk.

With national partners like Polaris Project, Shared Hope International and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, we are poised to "seize the moment" and will use this window of opportunity to build a zero-tolerance zone across the United States for buying and selling sex from children.

As part of this effort, we are launching a petition on the AFNAP website, that calls on Craigslist, a company reported to be making a $40 million profit off of their adult service section - that includes postings for minor girls, to take immediate measures to prevent the commercial sexual exploitation of our children on their site.

What can you do?

1. Internally: Boycott Craigslist. Until Craigslist makes appropriate changes to protect sexually exploited girls, please don't use their services.

2. Externally: Take Action. After you sign our Craigslist petition, urge your community members, grantee partners and supporters to do the same. Here is a link to an action alert that you may forward.

Thank you in advance for taking action. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. If you would like to learn more about how to bring AFNAP to your community, please let me know or complete our online form at the bottom of the Take Action page.

On behalf of the girls whom we are advocating for, I thank you.

Deborah Richardson
Deborah Richardson | Women's Funding Network | Chief Program Officer | 505 Sansome 2nd Floor | San Francisco CA, 94111 | T: 415-441-0706 x293 | F: 415-441-0827

Violence Claims Young Women Like-and Unlike-Lacrosse Star Every Day

2010-05-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

Please check out this column concerning a topic very near and dear to the fund - domestic violence - written by Patricia Eng of the Ms. Foundation. Her words only emphasize the importance of our shared work and priorities. The article was originally published on the Ms. Foundation For Women Igniting Change Blog.

At the University of Virginia, students are being taught a very personal lesson these days about the prevalence of domestic violence and its impact on communities across the United States.

Yeardley Love was, until her death earlier this week at the age of 22, a senior at the university and a much-loved member of UVA's women's lacrosse team. Her ex-boyfriend, George Huguely, was a lacrosse player too -- one with a history of "run-ins" with the law. According to the NY Times, Huguely now admits that, early this past Monday morning, he "kicked his foot through [Love's] bedroom door and forced his way in." Once inside, court papers show, Huguely attacked Love, shaking her to the point that "her head repeatedly hit the wall," and causing her to die.

There is no getting around the fact that Yeardley Love's death at the hands of a man she once trusted is a nearly unspeakable tragedy -- for her family, her friends, and for her entire community. But the even greater tragedy is that Yeardley Love is hardly unique in the circumstances that brought about her death. She is one among thousands -- if not millions.

In the U.S. alone, 3 women die every day at the hands of their intimate partners. 1.3 million American women are victims of physical assault by their partners each year. And in 70–80 percent of intimate partner homicides, research shows that the male partner had physically abused the woman before the murder. What's more, it is no accident that the stories we hear involve younger and younger generations. Approximately one in three adolescent girls in the U.S. is a victim of physical, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner -- a figure that far exceeds victimization rates for other types of violence affecting youth.

The media has catapulted the Love-Huguely case to the headlines because, from the outside, this couple looks like everything the dirty secret of domestic abuse is supposedly not: young, beautiful, educated, athletic, successful and white. That this seemingly bright young man should perpetrate a set of acts so heinous, shakes our collective fantasy about where violence against women lives, and where we pretend it does not.

The reality, as the students at UVA are learning, is that it lives everywhere. On the same day that Yeardley Love died, two other women also lost their lives at the hands of an intimate partner. Who were they? What were the circumstances of their lives? What about the three women who will die today…and tomorrow? Imagine what the impact on our society would be if, each day, our morning papers forced us to confront the names and faces of the people just lost to intimate partner violence. Imagine the shock we’d feel. Imagine how our commitment to violence prevention would grow.

As one of the very first funders of domestic violence shelters in the U.S., we at the Ms. Foundation know how crucial raising awareness is to bringing an end to any problem. And how critical it is to prioritize prevention and stop the violence before it starts, at long last. (See Young Women's Action Team and Close to Home for great examples of community-based, violence-prevention organizations.) That much, at least, we owe to Yeardley Love -- and to the thousands of women who died before her, whose names we may not know, but who mattered just as much.

Patricia Eng
Vice President, Program

Celebrating 10 Years of Impact and Achievement

2010-05-10T19:23:00.000-07:00

The Boston Jewish Community Women’s Fund celebrates ten years of...

IMPACT AND ACHIEVEMENT

Tuesday, June 1, 2010
6:00 p.m.
Private home, directions will be sent upon RSVP
Dinner will be served
Dietary laws will be observed
RSVP by May 15 to Hannahg@cjp.org or 617-457-8591

Here’s how we measure success!

$1.65 million granted
175 women debating, discussing, learning, forging friendships — changing lives
106 grants to 52 programs to benefit other women and girls
Thousands of lives touched and changed

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.

BJCWF 2010 Grant Awards

2010-05-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

Boston Jewish Women’s Fund Awards $276,450 to 20 Groups for 2010!

For some women, it will open the path to financial literacy, skills training, and a way to support their families. For others it will mean counseling and a way out of an abusive relationship. Some girls it will find a way to express themselves through art, design or poetry. Others will find new meaning in their own family histories as they prepare for Bat Mitvah.

The Boston Jewish Community Women’s Fund grants for 2010 range across a gamut of needs – girls’ healthy development, issues of aging, employment, women’s rights in Israel’s religious courts and more. Awards ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 have been given to 20 groups in Boston and Israel for innovative and established programs.

Here is a complete list of our 2010 grantees.

GRANTS TO JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS IN BOSTON

Multi-year grant (totaling $75,000) (2009 grant - $40,000)

Jewish Women’s Archive - second year $20,000
Project: Bat Mitzvah Interactive (BMI)

JWA continues to develop this new online initiative designed to bring fresh meaning, relevance and inspiration to the Bat Mitzvah experience for girls and their families. By weaving together the strands of community service, family stories and Jewish women’s history, the program invites girls to explore the stories of Jewish women in America and in their own families, and to make connections between traditions and values and their own emerging identities. In the first year of Women’s Fund support, JWA has expanded the scope of BMI, and laid the groundwork for a program that is national in scope.

NEW

Bais Yaakov of Boston - $9,100
Project: Chayei Hanhigut L’Bnot Torah

Health education, leadership training, nutrition awareness and physical education programming designed to promote healthy self-images and personal confidence in adolescent girls at a traditional girls’ high school.

Jewish Family Service of Metrowest - $10,000
Project: Taking Charge, Making Changes

Enhanced financial literacy and career development are the primary goals of this new program which focuses on women suddenly assuming “head of household” duties (single, separated/divorced, widowed) in the ongoing financial crisis. Two senior staff members will be trained as Accredited Financial Counselors to build their skills, and the balance of funding will support implementation of the program.

Jewish Vocational Service - $15,000
Project: We’re All in This Together

An initiative of JVS Career Moves, the program will engage economically vulnerable women in group and individual activities to help them develop the job search skills, networking ability and confidence to break into the workforce. Four Success Teams, professionally-led peer support groups, will be organized at JVS offices in Boston and Newton and local synagogues to address the needs of single women who have lost jobs, older women unexpectedly entering the workforce, and new college graduates.

Second year funding

Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly - $18,000
Project: Mental Health Initiative
(2009 grant: $25,000)

Because they may be unable to adequately care for themselves and their apartments, tenants with mental illness or memory impairment may jeopardize their tenancy. They may also demand inordinate amounts of staff time and disturb neighbors. The project, in partnership with Jewish Family & Children’s Service, trains JCHE staff, from maintenance and office workers to resident managers, to recognize and deal with potentially challenging situations, and ensure the safety of residents.

Mayyim Hayyim - $14,350
Project: Embracing Waters
(2009 grant: $17,500)

Training for Mayyim Hayyim volunteers, clergy and health and mental health professionals to help them recognize victims of abuse and show how mikveh can be a source of spiritual healing for abuse survivors. The program is conducted in partnership with Journey to Safety at Jewish Family & Children’s Service.

Moving Traditions - $8,000
Project: Rosh Hodesh: It’s a Girl Thing!
(2009 grant: $25,000)

This national program which first came to Greater Boston last year, promotes self-esteem, leadership skills and Jewish identity in girls grades 6 – 12. The 5 year curriculum is based in the Rosh Hodesh (new moon) holiday. Facilitators are trained by the national organization. The program is being implemented in synagogues in the community.

Fifth year funding

Jewish Family & Children’s Service - $18,000
Project: Journey to Safety
(2005 – 2008 grants: $25,000 annually)

Domestic abuse occurs at exactly the same rate across all populations. Jewish women stay in abusive relationships two to three times longer than women in the general population (7-15 years vs. 3-5 years). Journey to Safety, formerly called Kol Isha, is the domestic abuse program at JF&CS. It has a dual mission of providing direct services to survivors of domestic abuse and raising awareness about domestic abuse in order to promote healthy and safe intimate relationships. The importance of the issue continues to motivate Fund members to maintain support for the program.

GRANTS TO SECULAR ORGANIZATIONS IN BOSTON

NEW

Brookline Mental Health Center - $14,000
Project: Project GROW

Project GROW (Girls’ Relationships Offer Well-Being) is a preventative group mentoring initiative that focuses on 60 girls ages 8 to 16 from underserved populations who are at risk for bullying due to social isolation. This includes Asian American, African American, and Latina girls, as well as some Caucasian girls, with primary emphasis on low and moderate-income families living in Brookline and Boston. Some have recently immigrated to the US, and others have been adopted; all are challenged with fitting in. Project GROW specifically targets issues that impede a girl's potential for success and emotional well being, such as racism, gender bias, and girl bullying.

Haley House - $10,000
Project: Take Back the Kitchen

Take Back the Kitchen is a cooking, nutrition and healthy lifestyle program for at risk youth and their families. Our funding will support the launch of all-girls programming with the goal of improving health and well-being. Haley House and its community programs are committed to promoting health through offering whole grain foods, fresh produce, and unprocessed foods, and helping participants gain the skills and knowledge to incorporate them into their meals at home.
Third year funding

Adolescent Consultation Services - $5,000
Project: Specialized Girls Group Treatment Program
(2009 grant: $5,000; 2008: $5,000)

Run through the Cambridge Juvenile Court Clinic, the program serves court-involved girls. Attendance and participation are conditions of each girl’s probation. This program is designed to advance the healthy development of girls by equipping them with valuable coping skills. The psycho-educational treatment groups address a variety of issues, including: healthy relationships with partners, family, and friends; body image; dealing with difficult living situations; and the impact of zero tolerance, racism, and sexism.

RAW - $10,000
Project: Art 4 Girls/Women 2 Be/Project Launch
(2009 grant: $10,000; 2008: $10,000)

RAW’s continuum of girl-only programs serves young women in Lynn, Massachusetts, an economically challenged city where many children lack the basic resources, security, and support to enable their healthy development. Over 98% of RAW’s seniors graduate from high school and 90% of RAW’s high school seniors have gone to college, aided by mentors in Project Launch.

Victim Rights Law Center - $20,000
Project: Girls Rape Survivors Law Project (GRSLP)
(2009 grant: $15,000; 2008: $20,000)

This initiative addresses the needs of young victims and potential victims of rape and sexual assault in the Greater Boston area. Funds will enable the Victim Rights Law Center to make the existing GRSLP curriculum and direct services more available to girls under the age of 13, a group not covered under existing federal funding regulations.

Fourth year funding

Recognizing the funding challenges that many service organizations are facing this year, The Fund invited several long-term grantees to apply for an unprecedented fourth year of support for 2010-2011. Grants were reviewed within our regular competitive process, and two grants were awarded, both focused on core services.

Bird Street - $13,000
Project: The S Group (Smart, Savvy, Secure and Self Sufficient)
(2009 grant: $20,000; 2008: $19,000; 2007: $25,000)

This program for girls and young women, combines the skills, passion, and interests of Bird Street’s girls with information, experiences, and tools that they can use in their daily lives to prepare for success at school, college, within their families, and in the workforce. “The S Group” brings girls to Bird Street with a goal of guiding them towards appropriate gender sensitive and gender specific programs focusing on academic achievement, physical health, mental health and leadership development.

Project Hope - $10,000
Project: Adult Learner Program (ALP)
(2006 grant: $10,000; 2005: $20,000; 2003: $10,000)

One of Project Hope’s basic programs, the ALP offers 75-80 low income and/or homeless women access to basic education and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses, in combination with empowering foundation classes to promote the women’s learning, self-development, and potential for self-sufficiency.

GRANTS TO PROGRAMS IN ISRAEL

NEW

Leket - $15,000
Project: The Leket Work Program

Leket is a food bank that addresses nutritional insecurity throughout Israel, collecting surplus food and distributing it through the Israel Food Bank. The work program is an agricultural gleaning initiative that collects produce left in fields and orchards at the end of the season’s harvest. It provides 20 seasonal farm laborers, all Arab Israeli women, with fair working conditions including above minimum wages and full benefits. Produce is distributed to needy Israelis through homeless shelters, battered women’s shelters, community centers for the elderly and programs for children at risk.

Kol Israel Haverim -- Sha’ar School Network - $15,000
Project: Gateway to Science

The program focuses on high school girls in Bat-Yam, a city in central Israel which has a high immigrant population and significant unemployment. Gateway will offer an intensive and varied science education to eighty girls with the goal of awakening and nurturing an interest in science and helping them break out of the cycle of poverty. Girls in the program will study science throughout high school, and meet with leading women scientists at the Weizmann Institute.

Third year funding

Israel Women’s Network - $15,000
Project: The Advocacy Center
(2007 grant: $15,000; 2009: $14,000)

The hotline at The Advocacy Center responds to women facing gender-based discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace, and receives thousands of calls each year. The Center also develops legislation on issues affecting women, consults with members of the Knesset, and provides legal assistance and representation in precedent-setting cases, many of which first come to light through calls to the hotline.

The Rackman Center at Bar Ilan University - $18,000
Project: The Program for Legal Aid, Advocacy and outreach in Family Law and Women’s Rights (2007 grant: $13,500; 2009: $15,000)

The Rackman Center works through Israel’s legal and judicial system to advocate for women in divorce and family law issues in the Rabbinical Courts. The program provides free legal counsel for women in the courts, advances legislation on behalf of women’s rights and advocates for fair election of judges to the Rabbinical Court. Additionally, it trains law students and provides free legal advice through a hotline.

Mahut - $19,000
Project: Advancing Employment for Women Over 40
(2008 grant: $25,000; 2009: $19,000)

Education, training, and placement services for economically marginalized women over the age of 40, in tandem with work with employers to improve their attitudes toward hiring women in this age group. The program also provides ongoing support to women who have completed training and remain in the job market.

Early Spring BJCWF Update

2010-02-18T08:28:00.000-08:00

Hello members!

Just a brief update for you on what's happening at BJCWF. As you are aware, our tenth year of grantmaking has begun!

Our grant process is moving forward right on schedule. Thanks to our many members who read 70 letters of intent! We invited 26 organizations to submit full proposals, which were due on February 3rd. The 2010 process is being led by grant committee Chairs Mady Donoff and Leslie Gaffin and subcommittee co-Chairs Harriet Kantrowitz, Maxine Rosenthal, Melinda Berman, Betsy Epstein, Barbara Targum, and Rebekah Kaufman.

And here's proof we're hard at work already! Here in this larger picture above, we have Fran Feldman, Fund Chair Margo Newman and Sonia Michaelson at the training session for new readers, which was held on February 2nd. And the smaller photo features Grants Co-Chair Mady Donoff with Grant Subcommittee Chair Betsy Epstein at the same meeting.

If you have not signed up for a committee yet, and would like to, contact Susan Ebert at SusanE@CJP.org. It's not too late!

We continue to grow our rosters and are pleased to welcome seven new members who have joined the Fund since last fall. They are: Leah Berk (lrberk@gmail.com), Alice Cutler (alicut@comcast.net), Fran Feldman (fyfeldman@gmail.com), Linda Gelb (lgelb@att.net), Louise Loewenstein (lloewenstein@comcast.net), Lauren Rubin (bunda@comcast.net), and Myra Zisk (myramortzisk@aol.com).

As always, we are looking for new members to share in our good works. Most new members are brought in though other members, so if you know of someone who you think would be a good match for the BJCWF, consider inviting her to the next event or direct her to this blog, where she can learn more about what we do.

Our new Lunch and Learn program series has been very well received and attended by members. At the December Lunch and Learn, staff and boar members of The Victim Rights Law Center presented the work of this amazing group which assists victims in the aftermath of sexual assault. VRLC is the first group in the country solely dedicated to these needs. Their unique model of civil intervention in rape cases has become a national model. We are proud to have supported their efforts through our grants the last two years.

Our next Lunch and Learn is at the Jewish Women's Archive in Brookline on Tuesday, March 16th from noon to 1:30pm. The address is 138 Harvard Street in Brookline. Lunch will be available for $10. Their program, Bat Mitzvah Interactive, is our first long-term grantee. Please RSVP to Susan at SusanE@CJP.org if you plan on attending. Hope to see you there!

Before you know it, it will be June! Mark your calendars for our annual celebration, which will be held on Tuesday evening, June 1st. Laurel Friendman has graciously invited us to join her at her home in Brookline to mark the completion of our 10th grant cycle. Look for the formal invitation in the spring!

Thank you for your membership, interest, and involvement in BJCWF. We can't do our fine work without you!

Best,
Margo Newman
Fund Chair

Great New Article on Jewish Women and Philanthropy

2009-12-16T05:54:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-24T06:12:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-18T18:28:00.000-08:00

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 Cent er 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 Em powerment 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!

2009-11-03T12:28:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-28T10:15:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-20T16:47:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

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:

Learn/relearn/refresh everything you need to know about domestic abuse in the Jewish community.
Update your knowledge about resources available to help victims/survivors abuse.
Learn about the impact of abuse, the healing process, and its implications for guests and immersees at Mayyim Hayyim.
Refresh/review immersion ceremonies for survivors and deepen your skills
regarding introducing/explaining immersion ceremonies.
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.
Come together as a guiding community for an evening of learning, conversation, support, connection, and dinner.
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

2009-10-01T06:21:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-01T06:13:00.001-07:00

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 Grantmaker s, 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

2009-09-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-30T19:01:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-30T18:03:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-30T17:50:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-16T06:39:00.000-07:00

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

Opening Event Details and Transportation

2009-09-09T06:53:00.000-07:00

We’re looking forward to seeing you tomorrow evening!

If you’re coming to dinner, Margo has sent all the information.

If you’re coming straight to the event, we’ll look forward to seeing you there at 7:30 PM

In either event, please read on.

Our meeting is at Golda Meir House, 160 Stanton Avenue, Newton, but we can’t park on Stanton.
Please consult the directions that were included in the invitation – email if you don’t have them.
Park in the T lot at the far end of the station.
Look for a “Local Motion” bus that will be taking our group from the parking lot to the building. It will start running at 7:00 PM
The same bus will return us to the lot after the meeting.

Roles of Members of Executive Committee

2009-09-09T06:45:00.000-07:00

Somehow, it’s September again. Summer always seems to end with a thud, but it brings us right into a busy and intense fall.

We’re looking forward to tomorrow’s opening event at Golda Meir House, 160 Stanton Avenue, Newton at 7:30 PM, and look forward to seeing you all.

Looking further into the calendar, our first Executive Committee meeting is just three weeks away. This seems like a good time to review the roles of members of the committee.

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee shall consist of current and past Fund chairs, all committee chairs, and up to five ad-hoc members. The terms of ad-hoc members of the Executive Committee may be limited to two years. To ensure continuity in the policy and practice decisions of the Fund, members of the Executive Committee must make every effort to attend meetings which shall occur four times per year.

Current members:

Madelyn Bell – ex officio

Mady Donoff – co-chair, Grants

Esta Epstein – ex officio

Leslie Gaffin – co-chair Grants

Carol Goldberg – ex officio

Rosalind Gorin – past Chair

Alison Jaffe – Long term grant liaison

Rebekah Kaufman – Communications

Beth Klarman – past Chair

Margo Newman – Chair

Rena Olshansky – ex officio

Barbara Schultz – advisory Chair

Joyce Schultz – development

Jennifer Silver - past Chair

Carol Targum – Chair elect

Karen Tucker – past Chair

Andrea Waldstein – ex officio

Note that we have not yet named a Programs Chair

Margo will soon share a memo that proposes a reorganization of responsibilities of the Communications, Development and Program areas in a new and effective way, enabling us to look at new communication possibilities and keep closer connections with our members. It will also offer opportunities for members of the Executive Committee who don’t currently hold portfolios to have more specific involvement.

We will review all of this in more detail at our September 30 meeting.

Thanks, Susan

Womens’ Fund Executive Committee Meeting Dates 2009-2010

2009-08-28T06:57:00.000-07:00

Womens’ Fund Executive Committee,

We are looking forward to an exciting year – our tenth year of learning about the issues that affect women and girls and making grants to address them.

And shaping the policies and programs that guide our Fund when we meet together.

Please calendar the following dates for Executive Committee meetings this year.

All meetings will be held from noon to 2:00 PM in West Newton, either at Mayyim Hayyim or Temple Reyim, as their schedules permit.

Detailed agendas will be emailed a week before the meetings.

September 30
December 9
February 24
May 5

Many thanks, Susan

BJCWF 2009 Opening Event Annoucement

2009-08-19T07:12:00.000-07:00

When do you tell your mother that it’s time to stop driving? Or your father that he shouldn’t live on his own anymore? How involved should you be in your parents’ finances? How do you manage these difficult conversations? These are just some of the thorny issues facing older people and their families.

As we start our tenth year as grant makers, our Women’s Fund is focusing on learning…..about issues and grantees.

Elder issues may not be sexy, but they’re important to the well-being of millions of families. Historically, our Fund has not awarded many grant dollars to this critical area. This is a good time to tackle a meaningful discussion about another tough social issue (remember domestic violence and trafficking?).

On Thursday, September 10 at 7:30 PM, we’ll hold our opening meeting at Golda Meir House, a unit of Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly (JCHE), and a 2009-2010 Women’s Fund grantee for a program that addresses some mental health issues faced by seniors. JCHE President Ellen Feingold will keynote with discussion to follow.

Fund Co-Chairs Margo Newman, Carol Targum and Barbara Schultz will be in touch this week to invite you to join them for dinner before the event.

Please RSVP to Susane@cjp.org to let us know that you will join us for the first step in this year of learning.

NYT Special Report: Why Women's Rights Are the Cause of Our Time

2009-08-17T07:03:00.000-07:00

The Sunday New York Times Magazine from 8/17/09 leads with an article entitled "Why Women's Rights Are the Cause of Our Time." The issue is filled with important and sobering reading, highlighting issues that are of concern to us all.

It starts off...:

IN THE 19TH CENTURY, the paramount moral challenge was slavery. In the 20th century, it was totalitarianism. In this century, it is the brutality inflicted on so many women and girls around the globe: sex trafficking, acid attacks, bride burnings and mass rape.

Yet if the injustices that women in poor countries suffer are of paramount importance, in an economic and geopolitical sense the opportunity they represent is even greater. “Women hold up half the sky,” in the words of a Chinese saying, yet that’s mostly an aspiration: in a large slice of the world, girls are uneducated and women marginalized, and it’s not an accident that those same countries are disproportionately mired in poverty and riven by fundamentalism and chaos. There’s a growing recognition among everyone from the World Bank to the U.S. military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff to aid organizations like CARE that focusing on women and girls is the most effective way to fight global poverty and extremism. That’s why foreign aid is increasingly directed to women. The world is awakening to a powerful truth: Women and girls aren’t the problem; they’re the solution.

You can read the article in it's entirety by clicking here.
My best to you all,

Susan

Great Chronicle of Philanthropy Article About Couples' Giving Decisions

2009-05-19T19:46:00.000-07:00

BJCWF Friends,
Here's a very interesting article from the Chronicle of Philanthropy, a top notch research journal, about women and charitable giving decision making. Fascinating!
Best, Susan

From the Chronicle of Philanthropy, May 19, 2009

Women Take the Lead in Couples' Charitable-Giving Decisions

By Paula Wasley

Women are taking an increasingly prominent role in determining their household’s charitable giving, with high-income women in particular more likely to seek financial advice and use sophisticated methods when making donations, according to a new study sponsored by Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund.

An online survey of 1,000 adults who had given $1,000 or more to charity in 2007 — half of whom had donated $5,000 or more — found that more women than men act as their household’s primary decision-maker in determining how much to donate to charity and which causes to support.

Among participants in the survey — 80 percent of whom were married — the majority of male respondents named their spouse as the primary influencer in charitable-giving decisions, while women in the study were more likely to name a range in influencers that included family members, friends, and co-workers.

Women in the survey also felt more strongly about involving their children in philanthropy. Nearly half of the women in the study (48 percent) strongly agreed that it was important to them that their children continue their tradition of charitable giving, as compared with 39 percent of men in the study.

Upper Tier

While the average household income for participants in the survey was $136,000, the study particularly looked at the giving habits of the 11 percent of respondents who were women with household incomes of at least $150,000.

The survey found that, in comparison to the other respondents, these high-income women were more likely to make public rather than anonymous gifts to charity, to use more complicated financial structures to make gifts, and to seek the guidance of financial advisors when making charitable contributions.

For example, 7 percent of women in this group said they had made gifts of securities to charity, as compared to 4 percent of all respondents, and 3 percent of men of comparable household incomes.

And 16 percent of high-income women said they had used a donor advised fund, charitable remainder trust, or a private foundation to make contributions, as compared with 9 percent of all donors, and 10 percent of high-income men.

High-income women were also more likely than others in the survey to donate to health and science causes and to make additional gifts to charity in response to increasing needs and difficult economic times, the survey found.

The survey’s findings offer insights into how women are likely to shape the future of philanthropy, says Sarah C. Libbey, Fidelity’s president. “Women have always had a hand in their household’s charitable outreach, but that role is evolving as women increasingly create their own wealth and become beneficiaries of wealth transfers because they live longer,” said Ms. Libbey, in a written statement. “We, and other nonprofit organizations, should pay more attention to this very influential group of donors.”

Researchers also grouped respondents into four distinct donor “profiles” based on their giving patterns and attitudes toward philanthropy.

The “mainstream contributor” — which accounted for 52 percent of those in the study — was less likely than others to increase giving in difficult economic times. And, when cutting back on the percentage of the household income contributed to charity, donors in this category tend to give to the same number of causes as in previous years but decrease the size of their gifts. Donors who fell into this category gave an average of $6,842 to charity in 2008.

Nearly a third of the respondents in the study were identified as “empathetic givers” who were more likely to give more in tough economic times and to respond to a cause when personally touched by illness or tragedy. Respondents in this group gave an average of $7,287 in 2008.

About 15 percent of those surveyed were described as “reactive contributors” who, in comparison to the other groups, give a smaller percentage of their household income to charity and are more likely to reduce their donations in difficult economic times. Total donations from individuals in this group averaged $3,687 in 2008.

Just 4 percent of respondents were identified as “pioneering givers.” Donors in this group gave away the highest percentage of their income to charity, were more likely to give to new and lesser-known causes, and more frequently used credit cards or securities to make donations. Individuals in this group gave an average of $7,347 to charity in 2008.

New Report of The Impact of Giving Circles

2009-05-17T14:17:00.000-07:00

Hello BJWCF members,
We received this forwarded email from our friend Nancy Sternoff concerning giving circles. Fund member Rosemary Putnam also brought the article to my attention for the group. I thought you would find all of this of great of interest, especially given our new priority in eduction... Best, Susan

Hello giving circle colleagues!

A new report on the impact of giving circles on members' philanthropy and civic engagement is being released today. The report finds that donors in giving circles say they give more, give more strategically, and are more engaged in their local communities. Members also gain more knowledge about nonprofit organizations and problems in the community, among other findings.

The to view the press release which contains link to the study's summary and full report, click here.

Wonderful Note From Mayyim Hayyim

2009-05-12T14:24:00.000-07:00

BJCWF Friends,

I wanted to share this wonderful note that our grantee, Mayyim Hayyim, distributed to its clergy, board, and volunteers concerning the BJCWF.

Best, Susan

Dear Clergy, Board members and Volunteer Mikveh Guides at Mayyim Hayyim,

We are thrilled to be the recipient of a grant from the Boston Jewish Community Women’s Fund to initiate a new project called “Embracing Waters,” which will enhance our resources for healing from domestic violence over the course of the next year. This funding will support:

Training for Mayyim Hayyim volunteer Mikveh Guides and board members
Training for Mayyim Hayyim professional staff
New programs for survivors of abuse through our partners at Kol Isha to take place at Mayyim Hayyim
Outreach to care providers in the Boston area who work with Jewish clients
National dissemination of new resources that show how mikveh can be a source of spiritual healing for survivors of abuse

We will be working in partnership with Kol Isha, the Jewish Domestic Violence Coalition of the Jewish Family and Children’s Services, as well as other community groups. Our own Mikveh Guide, Janet Yassen, LICSW, (Cohort 1) will be coordinating the project. Along with her Mikveh experience, Janet brings many years of professional expertise in working with victims of violence through the Boston Area Rape Crisis Coalition and the Victims of Violence Program at Cambridge Hospital.

We will keep you posted regarding the progress of the project and invite you to offer ideas, input and feedback as we move forward with this new venture. Please contact Janet Yassen directly at jntysn@aol.com to get involved in this important project.

We are grateful that even in these difficult times, the BJCWF has continued to support the important work of Mayyim Hayyim.

B’Shalom,
Carrie Bornstein and Janet Yassen

Annual Grant Celebration!

2009-05-05T14:29:00.000-07:00

Check Friday’s mail for an invitation to our 9th annual grant celebration on Thursday, June 11, at 6:30 pm at Joyce Schultz’s beautiful new home in Dedham (just off Route 128).

Hear from the Jewish Women’s Archive about our first multi-year grant!
Honor outgoing chair Karen Tucker!
Help shape our grant making for 2010!

You can RSVP when the invitation arrives, or email Susan Ebert at susane@cjp.org right now to say that you’ll attend. Directions will be sent when you RSVP.

Looking forward to seeing you!

Executive Committee Meeting: May 13th at noon

2009-04-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

We look forward to seeing you at the next meeting of the Executive Committee on Wednesday, May 13 at noon at Temple Reyim, 1860 Washington Street, Newton.

We’ll use this meeting to set the stage for our 2010 grant cycle, so please make every effort to attend.

Our discussions will include:

A strategic response to the 2009 grant process- incorporating the feedback from our last meeting
Membership Renewals and new development
Programs for next year
Lunch and learn
Dinners
10 year anniversary

Executive committee members, please RSVP so that we can order lunch.

I look forward to seeing you then.

Susan Ebert
Director, Boston Jewish Community Women’s Fund
Combined Jewish Philanthropies\126 High Street\Boston, MA 02110-2700\www.cjp.org
susane@cjp.org\617-457-8590

2009 Grants Announced!

2009-04-25T12:52:00.000-07:00

We are thrilled to announce a record number of grants to a record number of organizations in Greater Boston and Israel. Grant Committees met for a final time last week and recommended 17 grants totaling $275,000 for programs that benefit women and girls.

Congratulations to all our hardworking committees, our chairs and committee members for another year of remarkable achievement!

And, remember to join us on May 7 at 8 AM at Temple Reyim in Newton to hear "So Sexy So Soon" author Diane Levin, and then again on Thursday evening June 11 for our closing event.

BOSTON JEWISH COMMUNITY WOMEN’S FUND 2009 GRANT AWARDS

Multi-year grant

Jewish Women’s Archive: $75,000 (over 3 years)
Project: Bat Mitzvah Interactive
This new online initiative is designed to bring fresh meaning, relevance and inspiration to the Bat Mitzvah experience for girls and their families. Interweaving three related strands – community service, family stories and Jewish women’s history – the program invites b’not mitzvah to explore the stories of Jewish women in America and in their own families, making connections between Jewish traditions and values and their own emerging identities. Using technology and contemporary sources, young girls will acquire the tools to connect their own Bat Mitzvah experiences to a level of meaning that extends beyond text and into the contemporary world. Bat Mitzvah becomes a true rite of passage, a springboard into participation in adult Jewish life, with memories longer-lasting and more meaningful than a party.

Grants to Jewish organizations in Boston

NEW

Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly: $25,000
Project: Critical Mental Health Services for JCHE Women

This project will enable JCHE to address mental illness in women tenants who are at risk of being evicted. JCHE will partner with Jewish Family & Children’s Service to increase existing staff capacity to recognize and respond to mental illness in tenants and to work directly with tenants who need encouragement to accept mental health services. 30 JCHE staff will be trained and 700+ women and their families will be served.

Moving Traditions: $25,000
Project: Rosh Hodesh: It’s a Girl Thing!

This project will empower 300-350 adolescent girls in Greater Boston to stay healthy and Jewish by expanding Rosh Hodesh: It’s a Girl Thing! to 7-10 partner area synagogues. The program draws on Jewish teachings and traditions to promote self esteem, leadership skills and Jewish identity in girls in grades 6-12 during a five year curriculum based on the Rosh Hodesh (New Moon) holiday. The adult facilitators are trained by Moving Traditions. The funding will help support pre-service training and on-going consultation of facilitators and help partner institutions afford the program cost by underwriting fees.

Mayyim Hayyim: $17,500
Project: Embracing Waters Initiative

This project focuses on Jewish survivors of abuse, and will support training for Mayyim Hayyim volunteer and professional leaders, new programs for survivors of abuse, outreach to care providers and national dissemination of new resources that show how mikveh can be a source of spiritual healing for survivors of abuse. A partnership with Kol Isha at Jewish Family & Children’s Service extends the resources available to this project. The target population includes the women and men volunteering as mikveh guides, staff and board members (approximately 120) as well as a broader population reached through national resources. We are convinced that Embracing Waters offers an innovative and authentically Jewish approach to healing and recovery for Jewish women.

THIRD YEAR FUNDING

Jewish Family Service of Metrowest: $12,500
Project: For Our Daughters
(2008 funding: $23,000; 2007 funding: $23,000)

This project focuses on pre-Bat-mitzvah age middle-school girls and teaches healthy body image/self confidence skills in an effort to avoid eating disorders. In the first two years, the project developed curriculums used in separate workshops for mothers and their daughters which have been used at four different synagogues. This year’s funding, though reduced, reflects confidence in the project and the hope that the project coordinators will use this last year of funding to put volunteer lay leaders in position to continue the effort.

Grants to secular organizations in Boston

NEW

Boston Medical Center : $8,500
Project: Hey Mama!

This BMC initiative is directed to improving the health of vulnerable Haitian women and infants by providing services to at-risk, low-income Haitian mothers who have a high rate of poor birth outcomes. The proposal requested support for peer support for Haitian women and a pregnancy, birth and early parenting guide to be translated and reproduced in Haitian Creole. The grant will support the translation and production of the parenting guide.

Second Step: $15,000
Project: IMAGINE: Inspiration, Motivation and Growth in Networks that Inspire

IMAGINE is a mentoring program for survivors of domestic violence who are living on their own in the community. Based on a life-coaching model, IMAGINE provides a long term relationship between a survivor and a volunteer mentor, and also facilitates the building of ongoing communities among survivors. Mentors are trained and supervised by the agency and serve as role models and counselors, supporting their mentees and helping them achieve such milestones as establishing a home, going to school, parenting, finding a job and starting a new life. Each pair meets frequently for at least nine months, and the mentees meet twice a month without mentors present in a facilitated group.

SECOND YEAR FUNDING:

Adolescent Consultation Servi ces
Project: Specialized Girls’ Group Treatment Program
(2008 grant: $5,000)

This project serves court-involved girls with a psycho-educational group that is led by an ACS clinician. Attendance and participation are conditions of each girl’s probation. The groups are geared to young women who are in court due to a CHINS (child in need of services) petition or a non-violent delinquency charge. Groups stress intervention and prevention, covering areas that included dating violence, anger control, bias, depression, safe sex, abuse, depression and stress.

RAW Art W orks: $10,000
Project: Women 2/Be/Art 4 Girlz
(2008 grant: $10,000)

Women 2 Be (high school)/Art for Girlz (middle school) help at-risk inner city Lynn girls, ages 11-18, find their voices in both art and words through participation in art and the support and mentoring of older girls, women and each other in a safe and vibrant environment. Programming is organized and provided by trained art therapists. Reflective writing/journaling, along with weekly-check-ins, are important components of the groups, along with expressive art projects, such as personal super powers, patterns in music and life and self- portraiture.

Strong Women Strong Girls: $15,000
Project: After-School Mentoring for At-Risk Girls
(2007 grant: $5,000)

Strong Women Strong Girls links young at-risk girls (grades 3-5) with college-age mentors who serve as role models for their futures. The college women engage the girls in a weekly curriculum activity that teaches about a contemporary or historic woman role model and a critical life skill. The program trains and provides supports to the mentors, who are all volunteers. 350 girls in 25 Boston schools are served.

Victim Rights Law Center: $15,000
Project: Girls Rape Survivors Law Project
(2008 grant: $20,000)

The program’s goal is to help teens return to school after a sexual assault feeling safe and achieving greater academic success as a result of civil legal interventions. The staff of VRLC, in collaboration with the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center and Northeastern University, has developed specialized approaches to the issues facing these teen rape victims. They reach out to the legal community in Greater Boston to secure volunteer representation for clients, research best practices in presenting civil legal training, and work with schools and agencies to secure the re-integration of the rape victim into her school and community.

THIRD YEAR FUNDING

Bird Street Community Center: $20,000
Project: The Girls of Bird Street – Bring Out The Me
(2008 grant: $25,000: 2007 grant: $25,000)

Bird Street operates in the Uphams Corner neighborhood of Boston, an area blighted by poverty and violence. Girls’ programs help young women 10-22 prepare for independence and improve self-sufficiency. Social and emotional wellness time, sexual identity, peer influence, and other vitally important topics are included in into all programs, and the agency has recently added in-depth mentoring into the mix. Programs meet four times a week, and provide exposure to math, science, technology and other fields. An innovative arts entrepreneurship program includes fashion design, video production and dance.

Grants to organizations in Israel

SECOND YEAR FUNDING

Israel Women’s Network: $14,000
Project: Advocacy Center
(2007 grant: $15,000)

The Advocacy Center develops legislation on issues affecting women, consults with members of the Knesset, provides legal assistance and representation in precedent-setting cases and cooperates with other social-change organizations to achieve shared goals. Funding supports its hotline for women facing gender-based discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace, which last year received over 1,200 calls.

Mahut: $19,000
Project: Women Open Doors to Employment
(2008 grant: $25,000)

Women Open Doors to Employment combines economic empowerment courses with education, professional training and an active placement program along with long term personal support in order to provide participants with personal empowerment, an employment tool kit and emotional support to succeed in the employment market to become economically independent. The program serves women in their 20’s through 50’s.

Rackman Center at Bar Ilan University: $15,000
Project: Legal Aid, Advocacy and Outreach in Family Law and Women’s Rights
(2007 grant: $13,500)

The Rackman Center for the Advancement of the Status of Women works through the legal and judicial system in Israel to advocate for women confronting the Rabbinical Courts in divorce and related family law issues. Under Rabbinical law, the only judiciary for legal divorce, control is in the hands of the husband. Training law students at Bar Ilan University, the program provides free legal counsel for women in the Rabbinic Court, advances legislation on behalf of women’s rights and advocates for fair election of judges to the Rabbinical court. It also provides free legal advice through a hotline.

THIRD YEAR FUNDING

Economic Empowerment for Women: $19,000
Project: Business incubator
(2008 grant: $25,000: 2007 grant: $24,000)

Started in April 2007, this is the first incubator for low-income women entrepreneurs in northern Israel. Its goal is to nurture the growth and success of women’s micro-enterprises through an array of support resources and social services that will increase their viability during the vulnerable start-up period. Through business seminars, small coaching groups, peer support, one-on-one consultations, and meetings to facilitate sales opportunities and personal support, the program currently serves 50-60 women (65% Jewish and 35% Arab) whose average income per family is at the poverty line for a family of 4.

KIDMA, at the University of Haifa: $15,000
Project: Nipping Violence in the Bud
(2008 grant: $17,000: 2007 grant: $15,000)

This program focuses on educating teenage girls about abuse or violence in intimate relationships, values clarification in relation to dating violence, personal health matters, healthy sexuality, making informed choices and empowerment. It serves 6 to 8 groups of approximately 12-15, more than 100 girls. Through lectures and workshops with group facilitators, a structured program is offered to teen girls in schools and immigrant programs.

Spring BJCWF e-Newsletter

2009-03-31T11:18:00.000-07:00

A FEW WORDS FROM MARGO

Recent events have made it clear that we are not always blessed to escape the difficulties of life unscathed. The ongoing economic downturn is affecting each of us as well as our families, friends, co-workers and the world at large. It is in this environment that we are completing our latest grant cycle, and are intending to award 17 inspiring and exciting grants to improve the situations of women and girls here and in Israel. Congratulations and thank you to all those who made this possible: the readers of Letters of Intent, the Grant Committee chairs, co-chairs and readers, and the general Fund membership! We can all feel proud about the work we’ve done and the work we will make possible.

On April 2, we will present details on the grants selected for funding -- and start thinking about next year. In the Town Meeting portion of the evening, we will discuss how to improve the grants process going forward. We have also set aside time to talk about how the Fund should respond to the changing economic landscape in next year’s grant cycle. Many worthy ideas have already surfaced during the Grant Committee meetings: making fewer but larger individual grants, funding a single issue, and providing expertise from within the Fund to grantees. Still, we need your input. Your creativity, perspective and energy will help us generate and evaluate possible strategies as we look to fund effectively in these difficult times. Please make a special effort to join us!

Obviously, the economic downturn has also affected the endowment of the Fund. As of February 28, 2009, the Fund’s endowment stands at $1,844,000. This is down 20.5% from a year ago. While this represents a significant reduction in value, we have fared better than many thanks to the prudent investment management provided by CJP’s Board of Managers. Most importantly, we remain financially stable and strongly committed to our mission to support those women and girls who need our help most.

Finally, a special welcome to our newest member, Barbara Targum, and a thank you to Toby Sloane for renewing. Our membership now stands at more than 170. Speaking of membership, please note that the upcoming May 7th breakfast discussion about the sexualization of childhood provides a great opportunity to familiarize prospective Fund members with our activities and membership, so consider bringing along a guest. (RSVP to hannahg@cjp.org)

I hope to see you on April 2nd and May 7th and also at our closing event on June 11. More details on all of these events will follow shortly.

Margo Levine Newman
Co-chair

ADD THESE DATES TO YOUR CALENDAR

April 2: Final grants discussion and Town Meeting – 6 PM at JCHE on the JCC Campus in Newton

May 7 : “So Sexy So Soon” – author Diane Levin talks about the media’s sexualization of childhood and how to respond to it - 8 AM at Temple Reyim, 1860 Washington Street in Newton

June 11: Our 9th year celebration and closing event at the home of Joyce Schultz - 6 PM; address will be sent to you when you RSVP

GRANTS UPDATE

Jewish Women’s Archive wins our first multi-year grant!

We’ve talked about it for years, and now it’s real!

Last fall we invited several agencies (whom we’ve funded before) to submit proposals for a long term grant. Roberta Crowley Gottlieb chaired the committee that awarded $75,000 over three years to the new JWA online Bat Mitzvah Initiative, designed to bring fresh meaning, relevance and inspiration to the experience. It will weave together community service, family stories and Jewish women’s history, enabling participants to make connections between Jewish traditions and values and their own emerging identities.

Other grant news:

3 grant committees have reviewed 24 grant applications, and, pending confirmation at our April town meeting, we will be awarding $250,000 to 17 finalists in Boston and in Israel. Full details in our next newsletter...

GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT: JEWISH BIG BROTHER/BIG SISTER
"See What You Can Be"
Hotly debated in the 2008 grant cycle, our $6,000 grant to JBBBS funded workshops and materials that presented girls ages 8 to 12 with images of accomplished women, career options and the tools to help big sisters engage with their “littles” in serious discussions of their futures. JBBBS Chair Carolynn Levy, a Fund member tells us "This was an incredible and useful program for me as a volunteer; but much more important, it provided a true growth experience for my Little Sister, and gave her a set of resources and skill building tools we can use together as our relationship moves forward and as she grows and matures as a young women”.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: CAROL GOLDBERG

Founding member Carol Goldberg is a Boston legend, a corporate and non-profit leader who has been a consistent champion of our Fund. She’s been a critical and driving force since we started, offering her wisdom and energy, supporting us with great generosity, and always willing and available to mentor our leaders. A visible, articulate and devoted advocate, she has drawn others to us, lending her imprimatur to a group that started small, but now includes more than 170 members.

Carol joins a grant committee every year, and also serves on our Executive Committee consistently encouraging and strategizing as we move ahead.

Ask Carol Goldberg what about the Fund makes her most proud? “We get better at decision making every year. We’ve become savvy and sensitive grant makers. And our members take this learning into other areas of community life where they are rising to leadership. Which is what we’re all about.”

Grant Announcement Town Meeting April 2nd at 6pm

2009-03-11T18:32:00.000-07:00

The Fund is awarding 17 grants (including our first multi - year grant) for 2009 totaling $275,000!

Join us on April 2 at Coleman House on the Newton JCC Campus to hear the reports of our grant committees, and set the stage for our 2010 grant cycle!

For 2010…..

Should we fund in one area only?
Should we make only a few large grants?
Should we support infrastructure?

Help make policy – be a part of the discussion. We’ll start with a light supper at 6:00 PM and then move on to the discussion. Please RSVP so that we can plan effectively.

Susan Ebert
Director, Boston Jewish Community Women’s Fund
Combined Jewish Philanthropies\126 High Street\Boston, MA 02110-2700\www.cjp.org
susane@cjp.org\617-457-8590

Hold The Date! Talk By Dr. Diane Levin

2009-01-21T18:36:00.000-08:00

Hold the date! On May 7, BJCWF is proud to sponsor a talk by Dr. Diane Levin, Professor of Education at Wheelock College and co-author of “So Sexy So Soon,” which talks about the media barrage and offers some advice about how to deal with it.

Are you concerned about the media’s sexualization of childhood? About what our kids and grandkids see and hear and read every day?

Event will be May 7, 2009 from 8 – 9:30 AM at Temple Reyim, Newton

Invitation to follow.

Please check out the review from Publisher’s Weekly below.

"The authors accuse the media of sexualizing children. Constantly, American children are exposed to a barrage of sexual images in television, movies, music and the Internet. They are taught young that buying certain clothes, consuming brand-name soft drinks and owning the right possessions will make them sexy and cool—and being sexy and cool is the most important thing. Young men and women are spoon-fed images that equate sex with violence, paint women as sexually subservient to men and encourage hooking up rather than meaningful connections. The result is that kids are having sex younger and with more partners than ever before. Eating disorders and body image issues are common as early as grade school. Levin and Kilbourne stress that there is nothing wrong with a young person's natural sexual awakening, but it is wrong to allow a young person's sexuality to be hijacked by corporations who want them as customers. The authors offer advice on how parents can limit children's exposure to commercialized sex, and how parents can engage kids in constructive, age-appropriate conversation about sex and the media."

BJCWF's Late Fall Newsletter

2008-11-25T12:36:00.000-08:00

A FEW WORDS FROM BARBARA

With the holidays approaching, I have the perfect opportunity to express my gratitude to our Fund’s leadership. We are truly blessed with an array of intelligent, determined, and thoughtful women committed to improving the lives of women and girls. I also want to thank Susan Ebert for everything she does on behalf of the Fund.

I want to welcome our nine newest members: Mollye Block, Deborah Feinstein, Barbara Grossman, Barbara Gutman, Ellyn Harmon, Erica Kaitz, Sonia Michaelson, Rosemary Putnam, Barbara Targum, and acknowledge a membership that Jennifer Silver established in memory of her mother, Nancy Katz. Our membership now stands at more than 170 strong women committed to making a positive impact upon women and girls.

The economic challenges we face today will test the outer limits of our strength. The types of organizations we fund will face increased demand and decreased resources. Therefore, our funding and grant making decisions will be more important than ever before. We must strive to fund strategically such that we maximize our grantee’s impact and create alliances and partnerships with and among our grantees.

To show our commitment to our communities and those who need our help most, our Executive Committee has recently approved a $10,000 donation to the CJP Economic Emergency Fund to help with food, fuel and other emergency costs resulting from the current crisis. (For more info, contact susane@cjp.org)

We are all looking forward to the 2009 grant cycle and to the work ahead.

Barbara Schultz
Co-chair

GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT

THE GIRLS OF BIRD STREET
They are writing poetry, making glass paperweights, and designing and producing handbags. They’re learning to use words to express themselves and develop skills to support themselves. They’re seeing the world outside Dorchester and opening themselves to new possibilities.

The Bird Street Community Center, which we are now supporting for a second year, serves hundreds of youngsters in Boston’s Upham’s Corner neighborhood. Our funds ($25,000 for 2007 and 2008) are directed to programming for girls at a time when girl to girl violence and gang membership are on the rise.

Bird Street Director Andrea Kaiser wrote to us, “The grant has been so critical to the growth of our services to high risk girls and teens in the inner city, and the results speak for themselves.”

For long time Fund member Roberta Crowley Gottlieb, Bird Street epitomizes the best kind of program for teenage girls. “They’re involved, engaged, they learn about each other, and they learn about alternatives and choices that can make sense for them.”

GRANTS UPDATE

• 48 letters of intent are now being read by 36 readers.
• We’ll request about 24 complete proposals, which will be due on January 9, and distributed to 3 grant committees. These will meet in the first week of February.
• A separate committee will review applications for long-term funding.
• You can still join a grant committee. Call or email Susan Ebert
(671-457-8590 or susane@cjp.org).

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
BARBARA GUTMAN

Barbara Gutman joined The Fund after attending our September opening event. We asked her to write about her passions and interests, and to add a note about something that is very important to her.

“My passions are my family (including my dog!), fitness, politics (especially woman's issues) and social action. My hobbies include running, yoga, weightlifting, tennis, skiing, and reading.

I heard about The Fund from Beth Klarman. I decided to join because of my interest in philanthropy and my desire to focus on issues that work to improve the lives of women and girls. I hope to be involved in as many areas as feasibly possible in order to really understand the nuances of grant making.”

AND WHAT’S IMPORTANT…
I would add my sense of accomplishment at having run the 2008 Tufts' 10K in my best time of 53 minutes, and coming in 907 in a crowd of 5500 runners. What makes this meaningful is that this is the only time I ever ran a race, and it felt great to know that I could dig deep inside of me and finish with a respectable time.