by Lucy Bernholz and Conan Liu Introduction Every day we hear about new digital applications that make it easier to compare products, find news, animate books, and play games. We also hear from the creators of these tools that they want to do more than just build the next best shopping site; they want to do something that matters. At the same time, most organizations that serve our communities struggle to maintain working technology infrastructures, let alone to experiment and imagine how to achieve their missions in a digital world. Bridging this gap between media innovation and mission accomplishment was the core goal of the Jewish New Media Innovation Fund (the Fund), a pilot launched in 2010 by the Jim Joseph Foundation, the Righteous Persons Foundation, and the Schusterman Family … Continue Reading
Natan Fund 2013 Grant Application Process Open
Natan is proud to announce that the application process for Natan's 2013 grants is now open! We've made several changes to our grant areas for the 2013 Grants, all of which are explained below. Now Open for Applications: Natan is now accepting initial Letters of Inquiry (LOI) from new applicants in two program areas: Emerging Models of Jewish Connection in North America and Jewish Peoplehood. All of the necessary information (and a new FAQ page) can be found on the Grants pages of our website. Organizations may apply for grants of up to $50,000; LOIs are due by noon ET on Monday, April 23, 2012. Following a multi-stage application process, grantees will be notified of their awards by January 31, 2013. Emerging Models of Jewish Connection in North America grants support innovative approaches … Continue Reading
Natan’s Jewish Peoplehood Grants
This essay is from The Peoplehood Papers, volume 7 – Reinvigorating Jewish Peoplehood: The Philanthropic Perspective; published by the Center for Jewish Peoplehood Education. by Felicia Herman The Natan Fund is a grantmaking foundation funded by young philanthropists who pool their philanthropic resources and make grants together to emerging Israeli and Jewish nonprofits and social entrepreneurs around the world. Since a small group of young professionals founded Natan in late 2002, the foundation has granted $7.77 million to 129 organizations and individuals in Israel and around the Jewish world. Natan is a giving collaborative, and thus its grantmaking reflects the aggregate philanthropic interests of its members (primarily young professionals in New York). Natan’s particular focus … Continue Reading
Bikkurim Releases Pivotal Study That Identifies Unique Needs and Characteristics of Jewish Post-Start-Ups
New York, NY, March 14, 2012 - To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Bikkurim: An Incubator for New Jewish Ideas has released a pivotal study conducted by Wellspring Consulting that identifies characteristics of successful start-up organizations and highlights the unique needs and challenges that Jewish “post-start-up” organizations face. A cohort of post-start-up (also known as mezzanine or second-stage) organizations has grown over the past seven years, and has gained traction within the Jewish community as offering significant, new entry portals into Jewish life. They have secured initial funding, are growing rapidly, and are strong in transformational potential - but their success is far from assured. From First Fruits to Abundant Harvest: Maximizing the Potential of Innovative Jewish … Continue Reading
The Natan Fund Announces 2012 Grants
New York, NY February 6, 2012 - The Natan Fund today announced $973,500 in 47 grants to 48 emerging nonprofits organizations and individuals in Jewish communities around the world. The 2012 grants reflect Natan members’ unwavering commitment to supporting innovative initiatives that are transforming 21st-century Jewish life. “In our ninth annual round of grants, Natan’s grantmaking has grown both broader and deeper,” said David Steinhardt, chair of Natan’s board of trustees. “Natan continually takes risks on new ideas, new people and new initiatives, while at the same time remaining committed to current grantees that are demonstrating success.” Natan received over 350 Letters of Inquiry in 2011 in nine discrete focus areas. Unlike most traditional grantmaking foundations, Natan is a … Continue Reading
Toward the Miraculous Future: A Chanukiya of Predictions for 2012
“There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.” Albert Einstein “Daddy, how do we know it REALLY was a miracle, not just that somebody counted the oil the wrong way?" Morgan Cohen, age 9 For the serious adult student, Chanukah presents interesting questions about Jewish history, the challenge of heroic narrative and the complexities of a Jewish authority. But for a nine year old, a simple question belies its profound impact: was it really a miracle that the oil burned for eight nights? This question, asked last week by my daughter Morgan, has been burning in my head ever since, especially as I prepared my annual list of predictions for the coming year. In many ways, 2011 was a year filled with surprises that, despite the … Continue Reading
How Big? How Great?
by William Foster and Toby Rubin Over the past decade, according to a recent survey report by Jumpstart, the Natan Fund, and The Samuel Bronfman Foundation, the Jewish innovation sector has created more than 600 new organizations that seek to effect change in the world through a Jewish lens. Toby Rubin interviews William Foster about the obligations of both entrepreneurs and philanthropists to increase the impact of those organizations and determine if and how to provide next-stage funding and a crack at sustainability. Toby Rubin: What are three key trends in the philanthropic sector that inform our understanding of whether philanthropy in the social sector is positioned to step up? Please name them and discuss each in turn - ideally, with a “call to action” for philanthropists, social … Continue Reading
Increasing Supply, Not Only Demand
by Shawn Landres People sometimes ask me how Jumpstart balances what appear to be the competing dimensions of our work: global vs. local, research vs. advocacy, startups vs. the “establishment,” and, most fraught of all, funders vs. grantees. The thing is, we just don’t see our work that way. In our effort to help make Judaism & Jewish life vibrant and relevant, we know we gain strength and purpose by working together. Changemakers with shared visions shape the world with the tools they have available, whether those tools are financial or programmatic, operational or intellectual. I was struck by Yoni Gordis’s observation to a roundtable on innovation and philanthropy moderated by Seth Cohen, just published in the October 2011 issue of Sh’ma: “...We’ve done a great deal … Continue Reading
Young Funders: To Innovate or Not to Innovate: That Is the Question
by Erica Schacter Schwartz Is funding innovation economy-sensitive? Does it flourish during good times and wane during an economic downturn? Has the relationship between young funders and innovation been a mere fling that is likely to unravel from the pressures of a new economic reality? Based on conversations with some young funders and professional staff from across the Jewish philanthropic landscape, the answer appears to be “no.” The interest of young funders in innovation seems to be stronger and more long term than a fling. Through collective philanthropic funds, family foundations, and as individual donors, young funders who have pursued innovation during periods of economic growth have continued to pursue innovative projects and organizations during today’s more challenging … Continue Reading
What Will the Jewish Community Do?
by Ruthie Warshenbrot I was surprised and disappointed to hear of the recent closing of one of the Jewish community’s darling innovative organizations, JDub. I have great respect for my colleague Aaron Bisman, and have enjoyed watching JDub’s growth and reach over the past almost-decade of its existence. This big news makes me wonder how the organized Jewish community will react. I suspect that JDub’s closing will result in a flurry of reactions via social media, articles, op-eds, and even obituaries, potentially touching on the following topics: Was arts & culture programming actually a good entry-point to Jewish life, especially for young adults? Many studies emerged just as JDub was gaining popularity that supported its mission, almost verbatim and JDub’s own numbers in its … Continue Reading
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