The San Francisco Jewish Women’s Fund (SFJWF) of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties – a giving circle dedicated to helping women and girls in the local Jewish community thrive – has named their 2018 grantees. Five organizations were selected from a record-sized applicant pool to receive this year’s grants, totaling nearly $200,000.

The funders centered their attention on organizations that focused on health and well-being, leadership development, and economic security.

The recipients are:

• At the Well ($45,000), a pluralistic and inclusive “wellness organization” incorporating Jewish spirituality and values in its mission to foster community and tend to the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of women around the country. The grant will support their Bay Area hub’s efforts to scale, partner locally, and empower women throughout Northern California.
• The Center for Women’s Justice ($40,000) will employ the grant to support their work in Israel by providing legal advocacy and Knesset activism to ensure women’s rights in the face of growing religious control over marriage, divorce, and personal status.
• Hebrew Free Loan ($75,000) – The grant will establish the San Francisco Jewish Women’s Loan Fund which will provide interest-free loans for a variety of needs with the intention to give Jewish women access to capital who otherwise might struggle in the Bay Area.
• IGNITE ($13,000) is a nationwide charity based in Oakland dedicated to “building a movement of young women to become the next generation of political leaders.” The grant will fund their pilot leadership program with San Francisco State’s Hillel chapter.
• Shalom Bayit ($25,000) – The grant will update and implement their “Love Shouldn’t Hurt” curriculum which has been implemented in dozens of Bay Area and national schools, through youth-led education programs designed to stop dating violence and abusive behavior in teen relationships.