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
Striving to Understand Struggling Learners
by Marcia P. Neeley Every day, in almost every school, a student is labeled as ADD/ADHD, lazy or defiant, sent to the principal, ignored or misunderstood because he/she has a learning or behavioral challenge. In Jewish day schools and yeshivas, where some teachers have little formal training, where there are few and insufficient pupil support services, and where students have a dual curriculum, this problem is often more pronounced and the skills of classroom teachers become even more critical. To help children with learning differences reach their full potential in school and life, Hidden Sparks, a non-profit fund, develops and supports professional development programs for Jewish day schools to help increase understanding and support for teaching to diverse learners. Celebrating its 5th … Continue Reading
Jewish Philanthropy in 2011: Some Thoughts
by Felicia Herman Jewish tradition warns us to stay away from prophesiers (Lev. 19:26; Dt. 18:10 and 18:14), which drove much of the collective Jewish skillset away from augury and into strategy. In that spirit, I offer not a list of predictions about what will happen in Jewish philanthropy in 2011, but rather some reflections on what I think needs to happen if the Jewish philanthropic world is going to expand and grow stronger in the coming years. Where you stand, of course, depends on where you sit. These reflections are the product of my having had the privilege to be involved with The Natan Fund for the past seven years, working together with the exceptional young philanthropists who make up Natan’s membership, with the groundbreaking emerging organizations around the Jewish world that … Continue Reading
Introducing the Slingshot 50, 2010-2011
Slingshot present's the sixth annual edition of Slingshot: A Resource Guide for Jewish Innovation, featuring 50 inspirational organizations in Jewish life in North America: While Slingshot ’09-’10 was published amid a time of economic instability and fear, Slingshot ’10-’11 features a cautiously optimistic Jewish innovation sector, where several organizations have found start-up funds or stability through mergers and strategic alliances. However, many organizations that have been around for five years or more are struggling to find funding to support the second stage of their growth. What is standing in the way of these organizations becoming sustainable? What is the path from start-up to establishment? ... Since the topic of this guide is innovation, the first question from most readers … Continue Reading
Picture Your Legacy: Now on iPhone
Deciding on an approach to funding is a critical task. Should you fund programs or provide operating support? Invest in established organizations or experiment with start-ups? The answers to such questions constitute a company’s brand identity; in philanthropy, one must consider where the soul meets the business plan. Such was the reasoning behind the Create Your Own Legacy materials produced by 21/64, a group many of us are familiar with for launching the annual Slingshot 50. Now, understanding the accelerating move to mobile, they have released an iPhone application, a companion piece to the printed deck of images - designed for users to search the image database, tag chosen images with keywords and notes, and send their choices to others. Check it out; and at the same time, think … Continue Reading
Game Changers and Gunslingers: A Few Thoughts From Slingshot Day 2009
In the North American Jewish community there are a few names that, when said, conjure up more than just an organization - they convey an idea. For example, mention the words Birthright or Federation and you get more than a nod of understanding of the name, you typically get a discussion (and sometimes a debate) regarding their meaning. The same is true with another word - Slingshot. Now in its fifth edition, Slingshot has become synonymous with an idea and a movement within the Jewish world of recognizing the contributions of innovative non-profits in the Jewish community. Recognition by Slingshot not only provides exposure to the work of organizations that may otherwise be less visible, but it provides a moment for various organization, funders and partners to meet and discuss common opportunities … Continue Reading
Slingshot Day 2009
The fifth edition of Slingshot: A Resource Guide to Jewish Innovation will be unveiled today at a full day launch event to be held at Random House in New York. Without diluting this year's selected grantees, the bigger story is the creation of a free-standing organization which will steer Slingshot and the Slingshot Fund into the future. Slingshot, fiscally sponsored by FJC, was started as an experimental project five years ago to begin mapping the complex world of nonprofit innovation in Jewish life, which was viewed by many as an emerging fad. Since then, the collective giving mechanism the Slingshot Fund has contributed over $1,000,000 to under-capitalized innovative Jewish projects, and Slingshot’s role in the national, and international, Jewish community has increased dramatically. The … Continue Reading
Slingshot’s Shooter
from a New York Jewish Week article with Will Schneider of the Slingshot Fund: Q: What’s your vision for Slingshot during the next few years? A: Over the next several years, we will engage a larger and diverse set of donors to take ownership over Slingshot. In economic times such as these, we believe that calling attention to nonprofits that deal with problems in an innovative way is more critical than ever. Slingshot may also expand our presence to other cities. For example, I’d like to see a Slingshot presence in San Francisco, which is home to many nonprofits but not as many individual donors who are involved with the Slingshot fund. Q: How do you define innovation? A: I define an “innovative” nonprofit as one that has identified a need and come up with a creative and … Continue Reading
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