December 2007 / January 2008

The Jim Joseph Foundation (JJF) was officially incorporated in January of 2006. Throughout the first year, grants totaling $5,709,750 were awarded. The Foundation’s first strategic plan was approved at the year-end Board meeting, conducted on December 15, 2006. Since that December 2006 meeting the Directors approved grants totaling $46,516,847.

We are pleased that for the first time on this site, you can link directly to a record of JJF’s major grants. You might be interested to see, as well, how we are fairing relative to our target strategies.

The amount of funding granted by the Foundation is a single – and one dimensional - measure of its activity. A more complete profile of JJF’s philanthropy obviously would include descriptions of the actual initiatives supported by the Foundation; details on outcomes and results achieved; accounting for impact, if realized, especially if the impact is assessed against the changes it sought to affect; and sharing of important lessons learned.

For the moment, looking broadly at JJF’s grant making, we have reason to believe early grantees whom we support are measurably advancing JJF’s vision. We know, for example, that young adults who would have not otherwise have experienced birthright nor necessarily have participated in alumni activities are doing so. We anticipate that thousands of first time campers will enjoy the ruach of residential Jewish summer camps as a byproduct of JJF funding. We expect that four institutions of higher education helping to prepare and “induct” a next generation of day school educators are now a step closer to solidifying their programs as a result of JJF funding.

We also look forward to success with a cohort of youth group advisors who will benefit from a potentially model program of general and Jewish education afforded them by Jim Joseph Foundation as part of their professional employment. And JJF conjectures that the research, field studies, and program assessments it has commissioned will very shortly make a contribution to Jewish philanthropy, providing the field much needed data and analysis.

JJF strives to be open and patently transparent in its grant making. We are thoroughly probing and engaging – in the classic spirit of Martin Buber’s I/Thou formulation. We are developing a process that in and of itself should bring benefit to grantees. FJC Board President, Skip Vichness, commenting on the many months that the Foundation for Jewish Camping and JJF professionals worked together to co-create $8.4 million Initiative for a Jewish Specialty Camp Incubator remarks that, “the hard work… done by both staffs…should serve as a role model for Jewish organizations and funding sources throughout the Jewish world.” Skip’s comments - for those of you who know him - is certainly far less about flattery of FJC or JJF than it is an appeal for more rigor in the Jewish world in the areas of proposal design and development.

Next year, JJF reduces its scheduled Board meetings from six to four. We are already in discussion with several potential partners for between $15 and $20 million of funding in proposals to come before JJF Directors at their March 17-18, 2008 meeting. We are privileged to accelerate our grant making while creating grantor-grantee partnerships that evidence great promise for achieving mission-focused results.
 

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