American Jewish World Service (AJWS) has announced the three winners of its design competition focused on philanthropy and social change. Where Do You Give? challenged artists to create a 21st century icon inspired by the values and imagery of the traditional Jewish tzedakah, or charity, box. The three winners are: 1. “Vending Box.” Doug Burnett, art director, Chicago, IL. 2. "Discover Needs." Michael Cohn Moreau, software engineer, Nashville, TN. 3. “Change.” Lily Feinberg, artist, Washington, D.C. Special Jury Prize: 1. Untitled. Sam Holleran, artist, New York, NY. Honorable Mention: 1. “Charity Plan.” Grace Robinson-Leo and Rob Matthews, Yale University Graphic Design Program graduate students, New Haven, CT. “We are not so different from the people we want to … Continue Reading
Nine Artists Reimagine Tzedakah Box for 21st Century
American Jewish World Service (AJWS) has announced the nine finalists for its design competition focused on philanthropy and social change. Where Do You Give? challenged artists to create a 21st century icon inspired by the values and imagery of the traditional Jewish tzedakah box. In March, AJWS invited the general public to vote on 70 Where Do You Give? submissions. The organization collected over 8,500 votes online and announced the three “People’s Choice” winners on its website earlier this month. Following the public voting process, a panel of judges from the arts, design and Jewish communities met to select the six remaining finalists. Each of the nine finalists will receive a $250 prize and will be featured in a national mobile tour hosted in galleries, synagogues and various … Continue Reading
The Best of Both Worlds: Back to the Future of Philanthropy
by Sandy Cardin Ask anyone to name the greatest philanthropists of all time - Jewish or otherwise - and they will invariably identify people known for giving away huge sums of money. From Rockefeller to Rothschild, from Buffet to Blaustein, from Morgan to Montefiore, most of us have come to equate philanthropy with the charitable contributions of people of immense wealth. And justifiably so; quite recently, much attention has been directed to the nearly 70 high net worth individuals and families in America who have signed the Giving Pledge, publicly declaring their intent to spend hundreds of millions, even billions, of dollars during their lifetime in an effort to help redress the most vexing and complex societal challenges of our day. The impact of this kind of giving cannot be … Continue Reading
On Generosity and Giving
by Rabbi Lisa Goldstein This morning a man came down the crowded subway, collecting money for the homeless. I’ve seen him before; this is part of his regular beat. He usually ends his pitch by reminding the passengers that homelessness doesn’t only happen to “others.” A lost job, a house fire, a death in the family can be enough to tip the balance. He is pretty persuasive and more people give to him than to some of the other people asking for money in the New York subway. I wonder what it is about this man that makes him such an effective tzedakah collector. Is it because, unlike other panhandlers, he is asking on behalf of other people? Or is it because he taps in to the underlying worry inside many subway passengers: could I become homeless? I suspect that the latter reason is … Continue Reading
Reminder: Enter the Where Do You Give? National Design Competition
Students under 18 years of age: As you know, many people give tzedakah by collecting coins in a can, in a bowl or in a box. But do these containers really inspire people to give? If you could create something that would inspire people to give money to those in need and reflect your values of giving, what would it look like? Show us! Enter the Where Do You Give? National Design Competition and design a tzedakah box that will get people to give. Three student winners will be featured in a traveling design exhibit alongside professional artists and designers. Talk about a great thing to have on your college application! Don’t wait! The deadline to enter is March 26, 2012. Enter now by clicking here. Over 18? Submit to our main competition here. Adults have the chance of winning a $2500 … Continue Reading
What Would Rambam Think About DonorsChoose.org?
In today’s world, the opportunity to engage in the work of social change is, literally, at our fingertips. But, does this newfound accessibility make us better donors? Adene Sacks and Dawne Bear Novicoff talk about our role as donors in an age of interconnectedness and independence: These days, it happens all the time. A 13-year old girl, preparing for her bat-mitzvah, sits down with her parents to talk about the mitzvah of giving tzedakah (charity or justice) for the occasion. The family turns to the internet and identifies a worthy project where they will ask friends and relatives to donate. With a few keyboard strokes, this family is able to express support for a project of their choice and provide funding for an individual who may live 10,000 miles away. In today’s world, the … Continue Reading
Everyone is a Philanthropist
[eJP note: AJWS recently launched Where Do You Give? - a conversation about where, why and to whom American Jews donate money. This is cross-posted from their blog.] by Erika Davis How do you make giving meaningful? Tzedakah, the Jewish commitment to righteous giving, is something that most people are familiar with. Tzedakah boxes are things of childhood memory for many Jews, except me. I tithed. Growing up with a Baptist mother, a Methodist father and educated in Catholic schools, the idea of giving charity was not lost on me. I can remember my mother reaching into her pocket book every Sunday morning to fish out crisp dollar bills for my sister and I to put in the collection plate that was passed around. I don’t remember what it felt like to put that money in the shiny gold plate, because … Continue Reading
Artists to Reimagine Tzedakah Box for 21st Century
American Jewish World Service (AJWS) has launched a national design competition focused on philanthropy and social change. Where Do You Give? challenges artists to create a 21st century icon inspired by the values and imagery of the traditional Jewish tzedakah, or charity, box. The organization is encouraging designers to consider the tzedakah box in the context of an increasingly interconnected, global and technologically accelerated world. “Where Do You Give? aims to spark vibrant conversations about where, why and to whom American Jews donate money,” said AJWS vice president for programs, Aaron Dorfman. “As an international human rights organization, AJWS is charting new territory by launching a design competition. We’re looking forward to working closely with artists, design … Continue Reading
The Guide for the Perplexed Donor: Tzedakah as Jewish Identity
by Noam Zion “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” - Anonymous Bombarded by requests for help from worthy causes, how does a philanthropist choose? The answer resides not only in the nature of the cause and the effectiveness of the organization, but also in answering certain questions: Who are you as a giver? What is your reason for giving? And, what is your vision? Beyond personal biography and a rigorous process of due diligence, a donor may be enriched by understanding the collective cultural and religious roots of giving in the Western world. But how do we set priorities among all the truly valuable projects? Effective, professional giving is essential, but it must be translated into a value language in order to explain it - especially, to explain one’s … Continue Reading
Volunteering + Values: Connecting the Dots
by Jon Rosenberg and Lisa Eisen Opportunities to shift fundamentally the Jewish communal landscape and deepen our collective impact on the world do not arise every day. But as it happens, one has been making headlines within and beyond our community over the past few weeks. With the release of Volunteering + Values: A Repair the World Report on Jewish Young Adults, we received a roadmap for helping young Jews bring Jewish identity and values into the forefront of their efforts to serve the common good. Why is this important? Because today we are blessed with a generation of young Jews who believe deeply that they can - and should - have a positive impact on the world. They are volunteering in droves and are full of passion, especially about eradicating poverty and illiteracy and preserving … Continue Reading
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