JEWISH WOMEN’S FOUNDATION OF THE GREATER PALM BEACHES CELEBRATES NEW PROGRAM
“No Small Change” pilot program ensures future of philanthropy; JWF is now accepting 2017-2018 applications
(West Palm Beach, Fla.) – The future of philanthropy is bright, thanks to leadership at the Jewish Women’s Foundation of the Greater Palm Beaches (JWF). The nonprofit grant making and advocacy organization, which focuses specifically on supporting the needs of women and girls, launched the “No Small Change” program at the start of the school year; Sunday marked the completion of the inaugural class. Members of the community gathered together with more than a dozen teens from all over Palm Beach County at the JCC in Palm Beach Gardens to announce the recipients of more than $12,500 in grant funding. The program’s mission is to empower Jewish teens through education and strategic grant making to advocate for gender justice and economic security for women both locally and nationally.
“‘No Small Change’ is another great example of how JWF continues to be at the forefront of philanthropy and grant making,” said Tami Baldinger, CEO of JWF. “This is the only teen philanthropy program in the country that is co-ed and puts an emphasis on grant making with a gender lens using Jewish values. JWF’s gender equality mission focuses on empowering women and girls, yet gender affects both men and women and we understand the importance of educating men and boys. This program is co-ed because men and boys play a critical role in helping to achieve equality for all.”
The pilot program, which launched in September 2016, was created as an innovative and unique opportunity to teach Jewish teens to become leaders in philanthropy. Open to Jewish teens in 9th – 12th grades, the teens met monthly to attend professional workshops to learn about Jewish values and giving; gender equality and social justice; how nonprofits work; strategic grant making; and how to collaborate as part of a giving circle. The workshops were led by skilled professionals and supplemented by guest speakers.
After evaluating the needs of the community and beyond, the teens developed a mission statement as a group and decided to focus their efforts on improving gender justice and economic empowerment. They then conducted thorough research and in person or videophone interviews, choosing to award $12,800 to Dress for Success Palm Beaches and Gender Justice. The teens raised more than $2,800 for the program and the rest of the funding was supplied by JWF donors as seed money.
Dress for Success will be using the funding to help support its “Next Step” program; a job readiness course for 18 to 24-year-old women who are at risk or who are aging out of foster care and lack the skills and abilities to obtain employment and break the cycle of poverty. Gender Justice takes precedent setting legal cases, and the students were particularly interested in funding cases that could affect them and their peers in the future.
JWF is currently accepting applications for the 2017-2018 program. Participants will need to commit to a weekend retreat and attend monthly meetings from September through April, with a year-end celebration in May. Participants who successfully complete the program will earn 75 hours of community service. Further, there is an opportunity for students from the pilot program to serve on the newly-created Leadership Council.
“It is a really exciting opportunity to reach our future leaders,” continued Baldinger. “With continued uncertainty in the world, we need to be looking ahead to ensure our future leaders are engaged and enthusiastic and now is the time to train them. We are so proud of the teens that completed the pilot program and we look forward to working with a new group of leaders in the fall, along with some of our recent graduates, to expand the impact of ‘No Small Change.’ We are confident this program will serve as a launching pad for future community innovators.”
Jewish Women’s Foundation of the Greater Palm Beaches is a nonprofit grant making and advocacy organization established to improve the lives of women and girls. Guided by Jewish values, JWF advocates for advancing all women and girls, and funds projects that have long-term effects for societal change on local, national and international levels by placing an unwavering focus on the root cause of issues. An inclusive organization, JWF welcomes members of all beliefs and genders who believe that when women and girls are empowered, the entire community benefits.
For more information, or to apply for the “No Small Change” program, please visit www.jwfpalmbeach.org or call Erin Leibowitz at 561-275-2200. Space is limited and applications are due by July 14, 2017. There is a $118 participation fee due upon acceptance into the program.
