Rockville, Maryland – The Tikkun Olam Women’s Foundation of Greater Washington (TOWF) awarded a record $130,000 in grants to 11 organizations in the DC area and in Israel. In seven years, TOWF has granted more than half a million dollars to organizations making a positive difference in the lives of women and girls. This year, TOWF also successfully launched a new member recruitment campaign, which has been critical to the strength of our grantmaking.

TOWF’s grant recipients address prevalent issues affecting women and girls locally and in Israel. Programs include leadership and professional development training, positive body image work, economic empowerment through small business entrepreneurship training, advocacy for women’s rights during a Jewish divorce, abusive relationship prevention through teen education, and domestic worker abuse advocacy and education. “These programs advocate for women’s empowerment, on a personal level and at a grassroots and community organizing level,” explains Carol Feder, The Foundation’s Chair.

One $60,000 grant (over two years) made to the Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse (JCADA), provides a teen dating awareness and violence prevention educational program at schools, camps, synagogues and youth groups. “Without Tikkun Olam Women’s Foundation’s continued support, our prevention program would not be what it is today,” says Elissa Schwartz, Executive Director of JCADA. “This year, their grant enabled us to expand the reach of our program, teaching many more teens what it means to be in a healthy relationship.”

The Tikkun Olam Women’s Foundation is the only Jewish giving vehicle in the Greater Washington area that offers women a voice and a vote in supporting causes that impact the lives of women and girls. They achieve this by pooling their charitable donations and then, together, deciding how to allocate funds.

A full list of our new grantees, can be found at towf.org/our-grants/2012-grants/