Foundation News —Chip Edelsberg

Foundation News
—Chip Edelsberg, Executive Director

February 2008

As we expand Jim Joseph Foundation (JJF) philanthropy, we will intensify efforts to show work products that reflect our thinking, doing and learning. The transparency we are trying achieve on this site is meant to give interested stakeholders insight into JJF’s approach to its philanthropy. We want our work to be accessible, understandable, and open to comment and critique.

To that end, please find several additional reports linked to the site this month (News and Publications). Of note is the final installment of the research study that JJF commissioned Brandeis University to conduct in mapping the field of education of Jewish youth in the United States, Lessons from Mapping Jewish Education. You can also find a paper authored by JJF professional Adene Sacks entitled The New Jewish Educators? This work-in-progress fleshes out JJF’s thinking on one of the prominent themes expressed by JJF madrichim Rachel Levin in the paper we commissioned her to author (Read Rachel’s document).

JJF naturally focuses its grant making on execution of its strategic plan. To the extent that JJF goals, strategic priorities, and its operating theory of change are unique, this differentiates us from other funders. But we also persistently seek to collaborate as a means to augment funds directed to initiatives of priority to JJF. Additionally, we do not want to become so particularistic as to lapse into a kind of proprietary behavior that would separate us from like-minded funders or promising grantee partners.

Both major and expedited grant processes are now fully operational at JJF (both occurring by invitation only). We are preparing to initiate our first Request for Proposal. As JJF matures, we want to be certain to contemplate a continuous flow of fundable ideas. We are curious to see what quality proposals we will receive that come to us without the benefit of having extensive pre-proposal dialog and conducting organizational due diligence to which we have become accustomed.

The Foundation will release details on the request for proposals shortly. Please check this site periodically for pertinent information.

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