Jewish Funders Network

05/26/2026

What does it look like when a major Jewish foundation goes all-in on one city and starts to see results?

The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation has been rooted in Baltimore for generations, and today 25% of its $140 million in annual giving goes toward combating poverty there. JFN co-founded TEN: Together Ending Need with the Foundation, an effort that has helped shine a light on economically vulnerable Jews and strengthen the social services infrastructure supporting them in Baltimore and beyond.

In a new interview with EJewish Philanthropy, Managing Director Sarah Manekin discusses the city's dramatic drop in homicides, the lessons learned from decades of place-based philanthropy, and why listening to communities (not just funding them) is the real work.

The Baltimore-based Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation is one of many large Jewish foundations with local footprints. Last month, the foundation participated in “Big Bets for America: Baltimore,” a conference hosted by the Rockefeller Foundation that rallied 250 changemakers from the city to...

05/19/2026

Gal Gadot has dedicated her $1 million Genesis Prize award to helping Israel heal. The Jerusalem Post spoke with The Genesis Prize Foundation Chairman Stan Polovets about the philanthropic initiative taking shape around that commitment: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/article-896012

In partnership with JFN, the Genesis Prize Foundation has built a $2 million matching grant program focused on Israel's "human infrastructure": the therapists, educators, social workers, and frontline professionals sustaining communities since October 7. Israeli nonprofits can apply for matching grants until June 15: https://www.jfunders.org/mpage/genesis-grant

Genesis Prize Foundation Chairman Stan Polovets reflects on matching gift initiative in honor of 2026 laureate Gal Gadot

05/14/2026

In the latest episode of What Gives? The Jewish Philanthropy Podcast, JFN President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny speaks with Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, Senior Rabbi at Park Avenue Synagogue and a leading voice in American Jewish life. Through his writing and public leadership, Elliot has been deeply engaged in some of the most contentious debates shaping the Jewish community right now. Andrés and Elliot take a close look at the questions raised about the role of rabbis in political life that arose during last fall's New York City mayoral campaign, and explore how Jewish leaders decide when to speak out, where the boundaries of communal discourse should be drawn, and how questions around Zionism, anti-Zionism, and internal disagreement are playing out across synagogues and campuses.

Take a listen: https://www.jfunders.org/news/727200/Rabbi-Elliot-Cosgrove---Rabbis-Red-Lines-and-the-Future-of-Jewish-Leadership.htm

05/12/2026

What if Jewish teen programming wasn’t another item on an over-scheduled resume, but a respite from the pressure to constantly achieve?

In a new eJewishPhilanthropy piece, JFN's Dr. Beth Cooper Benjamin and Honeycomb's Laura Hemlock-Schaeffer explore how “achievement culture” affects Jewish teens and how youth programs can create space for messiness, failure, growth, and genuine connection.

Read more: https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/getting-messy-on-purpose-how-jewish-teen-programming-can-serve-as-a-respite-from-achievement-culture/

05/06/2026

We're pleased to share a message from Ronny Douek of the Douek Family Foundation:

It was an honor to serve as the Israeli Chair of the 2026 JFN International Conference, especially during such challenging times in Israel and for Jewish communities worldwide. It was inspiring to be in community with you in San Diego, look forward to continuing build and grow our shared work. Hope to see you at JFN’s International Conference in Israel in 2027.

The Douek Family Foundation is proud to have supported the 2026 JFN International Conference.

04/30/2026

On the latest episode of What Gives?—the Jewish Philanthropy Podcast from Jewish Funders Network, JFN President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny speaks with Mijal Bitton, spiritual leader of the Downtown Minyan in New York City and scholar in residence at Maimonides Fund, and Yehuda Kurtzer, President of the Shalom Hartman Institute. This episode takes on one of the hardest questions facing Jewish communities right now: how we think about boundaries, belonging, and the obligations we owe one another.

Take a listen: https://www.jfunders.org/news/726302/Mijal-Bitton--Yehuda-Kurtzer---Boundaries-Belonging-and-Our-Obligations-to-One-Another.htm

Using their two recent essays as a point of departure, Andrés, Mijal, and Yehuda explore the tension between kinship and consent in Jewish life, the legacy of radical inclusion in liberal Jewish institutions, and the ways October 7 forced many American Jews to reconsider what peoplehood actually asks of them.

04/29/2026

Jewish Climate Trust presents the Jewish Guide to Climate Philanthropy, a resource for funders, foundations, and philanthropists. Learn about climate and how you can align resources, Jewish values, and stewardship for the Earth. Interactive site and PDF download at https://guide.jct.org

Jewish Climate Trust is proud to support the 2026 JFN International Conference.

04/21/2026

What does it mean to celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut at a moment when Israel feels both stronger and more fragile than ever?

JFN President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny reflects on the paradox at the heart of Jewish history and Israeli life: vulnerability and resilience, fear and responsibility, fragility and endurance.

Read more: https://www.jfunders.org/news/725657/Im-Still-Here...-for-Israel-Yom-Haatzmaut-5786.htm

04/16/2026

Applications are open for the GPF and JFN $1M Matching Grant Program in Honor of Gal Gadot!

Learn more: https://www.jfunders.org/mpage/genesis-grant

The Genesis Prize Foundation and the Jewish Funders Network have launched a $1 million matching grant program in honor of 2026 Genesis Prize Laureate Gal Gadot, supporting Israeli nonprofits that serve helpers and frontline professionals. Grants of $25,000 to $100,000 will strengthen the people sustaining Israel’s trauma response and long-term recovery.

Applicant organizations are required to secure matching funds equal to at least 50% of the total project cost. Private funders, foundations, federations, and private businesses are invited to participate as matching partners and amplify the impact of their contributions through the grant.

We encourage you to share this opportunity with relevant organizations you work with.

On April 19, a dedicated Zoom session for organizations will be held, where the program details and application process will be presented. This session will be held in Hebrew. Click here to register: https://wkf.ms/4sWSmHV

04/15/2026

Small symbols can spark big conversations.

The Blue Square Alliance Against Hate mobilizes leaders, communities, and cross-sector partners to turn allyship into action across campuses, sports, and interfaith spaces.

Together, building a broader coalition to confront antisemitism and strengthen the communities around us.

Wear it. Share it. Stand up. Together.

Learn more at https://www.bluesquarealliance.org/

The Kraft Family Foundation is proud to support the 2026 JFN International Conference.

03/25/2026

Watch Alon Ohel's Moving Performance from the JFN International Conference!

Alon Ohel had originally been scheduled to join us in person at the 2026 JFN International Conference, but was unable to do so because of the ongoing war. Instead, we were able to meet with him and his family in his own home and record the experience, which you can watch here.

Along with his mother Idit, Alon spoke with Carly Maisel, Global CEO of Kirsh Philanthropies, about his experience of being held captive in Gaza for 738 days. His endurance under unimaginable conditions and reflections on the moments and relationships that sustained him brought the conference audience to tears. In addition, he and his brother Ronen shared their musical abilities with us.

Join us in witnessing the quiet strength and resilience that carried him through.

Alon Ohel had originally been scheduled to join us in person at the 2026 JFN International Conference, but was unable to do so because of the ongoing war. In...