Colef Fund

09/12/2022

The solar-powered lights are now on at Guerete Health Center in Cameroon, thanks to the work of Innovation: Africa. It will be exciting to see this community develop now that they have access to electricity.
Find out more: https://innoafrica.org

06/20/2022

The Colef Fund is so proud to have supported Innovation: Africa as it provides solar energy and light to the Guerete Health Center in Cameroon! See more about this organization and the great work they are doing: https://innoafrica.org/

05/23/2022

Spring Grants Announced

In its eighth round of grant funding, the Colef Fund has awarded grants to the following local and international nonprofts.

• JDC, for the project "Families First," aiding Israeli families in poverty.
• Open Doors, for its project " Transformational Support for People in Housing Crisis."
• Disability Network, for "Ramp Up," which builds ramps for disabled people, allowing residents to remain in their homes as long as they choose despite changes to their mobility and health status.
• Portage Community Center, for youth programming focused on physical health, equity and inclusion.
• Ministry with Community, for their Restorative Justice Program expected to reduce recidivism among the member population of the shelter.
• Yad Ezra V’Shulamit, for their program of feeding impoverished Israelis, including widows and babies.
• Innovation Africa, using Israeli solar energy technology to provide light and electricity to an African school or hospital.
• Jewish Agency for Israel, for its project "Youth Futures in Dimona," helping families living in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities escape the cycle of risk and poverty.

Additional funding was provided to the Community Urgent Relief Fund of the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, as well as Ukraine emergency aid through JDC and Project Hope.

Information about the fund is available at www.coleffund.org.

02/23/2022

We wanted to share the wonderful work of Israeli nonprofit Yad LaKashish, a recent Colef Fund grantee. Since 1962, Yad LaKashish has been promoting a model for healthy aging which engenders dignity, well-being and belonging among thousands of Jerusalem’s low income elderly. Take a look at the 2021 Annual Report to read about their inspiring work.https://coleffund.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/YadLaKashish_Annual_Report_2021.pdf

09/05/2021

Introducing the Southwest Michigan Miracle League, a recent recipient of a Colef Fund grant, and one of the wonderful nonprofits that make this community such a great place to live. Their season will be starting on September 18 and will continue for five successive Saturdays on their beautiful new field in Schoolcraft.

We were overjoyed to see kids playing baseball on the Miracle Field at our Summer Camp Field Day! If you haven’t seen a Miracle League game, you don’t want to miss our FIRST EVER SMML season opener on September 18 at 9:30 a.m. See you there!

11/17/2020

The Colef Fund is proud to announce the four nonprofit organizations to receive Fall 2020 grants.

Grantees are Family & Children Services, Community Healing Center, Meshi Children's Rehabilitation Center and the Alano Club of Kalamazoo.

To find out more about each organization, click on the links above!

06/01/2020

The Colef Tzedakah Committee has completed its Spring round of grants for 2020, including some emergency funding requests. The local and international projects that were awarded funds include these organizations:
• Kalamazoo County Ready 4s
• Disability Network Southwest Michigan
• Gryphon Place
• First Day Shoe Fund
• Ecumenical Senior Center
• Jewish Federations of North America - Lunch and Learn for Special Needs Students
• JDC Active Jewish Teens
• JDC's Supportive Housing for Israelis with Disabilities
• Emergency funding request from the Kalamazoo Community Foundation
• Emergency funding request from Boys Town Jerusalem Foundation

The Colef Tzedakah Committee was established in the spring of 2017 to determine goals, processes, and procedures for disbursing income from the bequest of Eugene Colef.

The Colef Trust, established by Gene and his uncle Irving Schensul in 1997, specified that the income was to be used to benefit needy people.

We invite you to contact the Colef Tzedakah Committee at any time with comments, questions or feedback. Thank you!

05/20/2020

Thank you to the Colef Fund in Kalamazoo, MI for supporting BTJ boys during their time of need and sending in a grant for 14 laptops for boys who have no way to learn from home.

You can also help our boys continue their education and change their futures: https://bit.ly/BTJLaptopFB

05/20/2020

The Colef Fund supports programs locally, nationally and globally that address hunger, poverty, homelessness, literacy, joblessness, health, education and building safe communities. Funding is guided by Jewish values of tzedakah and tikkun olam.

In 2018-19, the Colef Fund is proud to have supported 27 local and international projects from 21 nonprofit organizations. Our Spring 2020 grant recipients will be announced very soon.