Strategic Plan
JJF’s Major Grants
Target Strategies
Grants by Invitation Only
FAQs

Strategic Plan

The Board embraces its responsibility to sustain the values and to expand the generous philanthropy of its founding donor.

The Board’s strategic planning process resulted in a clearly articulated mission and discrete grant making goals designed to help the Foundation achieve its vision.

Mission
To foster compelling, effective Jewish learning experiences for young Jews.

Vision
More young Jews engage in ongoing Jewish learning and choose to live vibrant Jewish lives.

Values
As a private Jewish foundation dedicated to supporting compelling and effective Jewish learning experiences for young Jews in the United States, the Jim Joseph Foundation values:

• Torah and the practice of its core teachings
• Importance of Jewish learning
• Recognition that Judaism is dynamic
• A strong commitment to the state of Israel

Primary Strategic Focus
The Jim Joseph Foundation’s strategic grantmaking is based on the following interests and beliefs:

• Strong support for excellence in the education of Jewish children and youth in the United States throughout critical stages of their development.

• Highly qualified Jewish educators are essential to the success of most Jewish learning experiences.

• A broad definition of educators, including day and congregational school teachers and heads of school; camp counselors and directors; pre-school teachers; family educators; parents; rabbis; youth group workers, among others.

• Increasing the number of exceptionally well trained, Jewishly literate educators who are committed to continuous learning and dedicated to the profession.

• The importance of building upon the strength of existing programs of education, in addition to encouraging innovative approaches to Jewish learning.

• Supporting efforts that develop professional, volunteer, and youth leadership.

The Foundation has chosen to focus on ages 13 – 23 in its initial years of grantmaking, concentrating on the greater metro areas of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston and Washington D.C.

In the early years, we anticipate an approximate level of 60% of annual grantmaking will support our primary strategic focus.

Related Strategic Focus
The balance of approximately 40% of the Foundation’s annual grantmaking for Jewish learning is not limited to, but may include:

• Grants made in partnership with other funders enabling the Foundation to help realize its vision through leveraging its resources.

• Grants as investments in research and development that will inform the Foundation’s ongoing philanthropic practice and contribute to learning in the field.

• Grants for seed funding of novel, innovative projects furthering the Foundation’s mission.

JJF Major Grants

Board Approved and Expedited Grants, 2006-2007

Target Strategies

JJF Grant Award Portfolio Analysis, March 24, 2008

Grants by Invitation Only

The Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant proposals. It extends formal invitations for grants and then works closely with the grant applicant on preparing a proposal for the Board’s review and consideration.

Foundation professionals make a concerted effort to respond to all inquiries. Interested grant seekers should carefully review the contents of this web site before contacting the Foundation. We appreciate grant seekers’ understanding that the Foundation’s commitment to its vision and discipline in implementing goals and executing strategy compel us to focus on funding opportunities that align with the Foundation’s priorities.

Frequently Asked Questions

"a rigorous strategic planning process (that) will result
in a clearly articulated mission
and set of discrete
grant-making goals"

"a rigorous strategic planning process (that) will result in a clearly articulated mission and set of discrete grant-making goals"

"a rigorous strategic planning process (that) will result
in a clearly articulated mission
and set of discrete
grant-making goals"