Foundation News —Chip Edelsberg

Foundation News
—Chip Edelsberg, Executive Director

December 2008

We are in the final stages of preparing for our third annual meeting since the Jim Joseph Foundation’s (JJF) inception in 2006 and the fourteenth regular meeting of the Board of Directors during the period 2006-2008.

Directors will consider nine grant proposals at this upcoming December meeting. Four proposals represent new funding opportunities. Three proposals are for grant renewals. Directors will consider as well two proposals that represent augmenting grants previously awarded for robust assessment of these initiatives.

JJF’s standard approach to what we intend will be careful, thorough appraisal of the Foundation’s major grants is reflected in four attached Theories of Change (TOC) we are posting as a companion to this column:

Bay Area Early Childhood Education Initiative

Jewish Early Childhood Education Initiative

Foundation for Jewish Camp Specialty Camp Incubator

Pardes Educator Alumni Support Project.

We now have seven TOCs available for your review. We will begin reporting on the pertinent findings relative to each of these theories of change as data becomes available.

Also posted for your perusal is an assessment of the DeLeT Teacher Education Program prepared for JJF by the Platforma Consulting Group. JJF funds not only DeLeT but the Hartman Institute Melamdim Program as well as both the Jewish New Teacher Project (in the DC/Baltimore area) and alumni programming for Pardes graduates.

We hope to convene key personnel from these various day school education preparation and professional development programs, along with the New Teacher Center, in 2009. At this gathering, professional teacher educators will share details on their programs, explore potential cooperation and collaboration, and—at the Foundation’s urging—contemplate efficient ways to scale their important efforts.

These are uncertain economic times. Many Foundations find themselves, I think, in uncharted territory. For JJF, as a relatively new foundation, this is a moment to take action that reflects renewed commitment to our donor’s philanthropic priorities while simultaneously exercising heightened discipline in executing the Foundation’s key strategies.

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