The Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles (The Foundation) has awarded $2 million in grants to eight new local Jewish initiatives focused on innovation. This year’s Cutting Edge Grant recipients include a program engaging Jewish teens in providing literacy and enrichment opportunities to youth from underserved communities, support for L.A. families of lone soldiers serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and volunteer training for Jewish community members at a new, multifaceted social services center at Wilshire Boulevard Temple.

Established by The Foundation in 2006, the Cutting Edge Grants are multi-year awards of up to $250,000 given to creative thinkers, social entrepreneurs, and innovative organizations to develop and implement transformative programs of high visibility and impact in the local Jewish community. These include both initiatives conceived in Los Angeles, as well as local iterations of programs piloted elsewhere. Successful applicants must demonstrate the capacity and leadership to implement their initiative, that the program is unique and sustainable, and that it offers long-term benefits to Jewish Los Angeles.

Recipients of 2017 Cutting Edge Grants include:

• Families of Lone Soldiers for the Los Angeles Center;
• Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles for the Family Camp Pilot;
• Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles for the Y & S Nazarian Foundation Iranian Young Adult Outreach and Engagement Initiative;
• Karsh Family Social Service Center, Inc. for the Volunteer Engagement Project;
• OneTable for the Los Angeles Launch;
• StandWithUs for the J.D. Fellowship;
• UpStart for Upstart LA; and
• Wise Readers to Leaders (formerly Wise Freedom School Partners) for the Tikkun Olam Corps Program.

Additional background on the grantees can be found on the Foundation’s website.