The Weinberg Foundation has a lot of news to share! We hope you will take a few minutes to read our latest e-news. Also, we invite you to like the Weinberg Foundation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

RSVP now for the Weinberg Foundation’s Biennial Community Gathering!

This year’s Biennial Community Gathering—a celebration of the Weinberg Foundation’s work, as well as its wonderful grantees and partners—will be held on Wednesday, November 14:

4:30-6:30 p.m.
Beth El Congregation
8101 Park Heights Avenue
Pikesville, Maryland 21208

At the event, the Foundation will formally introduce the Foundation’s two newest trustees: Paula B. Pretlow, who began her term on January 1, 2018, and Gordon Berlin, who was recently appointed to the Board and will begin his term on December 1, 2018.

In addition, Becky Margiotta will be this year’s featured speaker. Margiotta co-founded the Billions Institute with her friend Joe McCannon to answer one question: how can we engage one billion people to solve the world's biggest problems over the next 50 years? She is also responsible for creating the Skid Row School, which trains foundation and nonprofit executives how to effectively design and run large-scale change initiatives. Prior to that, she led the 100,000 Homes Campaign that mobilized 186 cities to house 105,000 people off their streets in just four years.  

The Weinberg Foundation is always excited to share news of its Biennial Community Gathering with as many friends and supporters as possible. But if you do not live or work in the Baltimore area, please do not feel compelled to travel for this event. We will miss you, but we do not want people unnecessarily driving long distances.

RSVP to Yvonne Sporrer at ysporrer@hjweinberg.org or 443-738-1185. We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, November 14 for what promises to be another extraordinary celebration.

Looking forward to some exciting changes!

As part of the Biennial Community Gathering on November 14, and following months of careful consideration and planning, the Foundation will announce some significant changes in its programmatic structure. Hoping to increase the Foundation’s ability to be strategic and impactful, while simplifying the grantee experience, Foundation leadership has determined that the seven current areas of giving—Older Adults, Workforce Development, Education, Disabilities, Basic Human Needs & Health, Veterans, and General Community Support—should be merged into four primary focus areas: Housing, Health, Jobs, and Education. The Foundation will remain dedicated to meeting the needs of specific populations, including older adults, women and children at risk, adults with disabilities, individuals experiencing homelessness, and veterans. In short, the Foundation’s focus on meeting the basic needs of low-income and vulnerable people is not changing; rather the Foundation’s strategic framework is evolving to better achieve sustainable and meaningful impact.

In addition, and building upon an online grant application process already available on the Foundation’s website, grantees will soon be able to use a fully-automated online grants intake tool. Nonprofits will enjoy an easier, faster path in navigating the grant-seeking journey. And, all of these new features and information will be accessed through a new Foundation website, which will also be introduced to the public on November 14! More to come in the weeks ahead!

Thank you for sharing your stories with us!

We have received an overwhelming response to our Show Us Your Story contest—nearly 120 video entries! Thank you to all of the current grantees who accepted our challenge to showcase their mission and impact in just 60 seconds. You definitely made us say “wow!”

Judging is underway, and the Foundation will promptly notify the 10 organizations that submitted the best of the best. Those videos will be featured at the Weinberg Foundation’s Biennial Community Gathering, and each nonprofit will receive a grant for $2,500—a total of $25,000 awarded in grants!

In the meantime, check out our website as well as our Facebook and Twitter pages—where we are featuring select video entries daily—to learn more about the wonderful work of our grantees.

Expanding our vision: A gathering and celebration of those who support older adults in Baltimore

On Tuesday, October 10, more than 100 professionals in the field of aging gathered for the inaugural convening of Baltimore’s older adult service providers. This celebration of accomplishments was also an opportunity to reenergize collaborations for future projects. Hosted by the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers (ABAG) and sponsored by the Weinberg Foundation and the Leonard & Helen R. Stulman Charitable Foundation, the event took place at The Maryland Historical Society, where guests were able to tour many of their exhibits.

Speakers included Baltimore Mayor Catherine E. Pugh and Dr. Linda Fried, Dean at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, who spoke about her vision of design opportunities for service providers. A full afternoon of sessions covered a range of topics, including aging in community, brain health, dementia, and intergenerational housing—all of which emphasized the positivity older adults bring to each and every community.

The Weinberg Foundation would like to thank everyone who has worked so hard to serve the needs of older adults in Baltimore and for allowing us to partner with nationally recognized programing. We look forward to continued collaborations in the future.

Weinberg Foundation announces $12 million grant to the Foundation for Jewish Camp

The Weinberg Foundation recently announced a $12 million grant to the Foundation for Jewish Camp that will support The Yashar Initiative—to increase accessibility for campers and staff with disabilities at Jewish summer day and overnight camps. The Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC), an organization that works with more than 250 day and overnight camps from all streams of Jewish belief and practice to promote excellence, will manage this initiative.

Jewish camp is a tool for decreasing learning loss over the summer while building Jewish identity, community, and leadership. According to a 2013 Foundation for Jewish Camp survey, camp professionals highlighted two areas, among others, in which they required support to better serve children with disabilities: funding for capital improvements to increase accessibility as well as training for staff. Yashar, a Hebrew word meaning both “level” and “just,” aims to “build inclusive camps with integrity,” by providing day and overnight camps with essential support for capital improvements and staff training. The initiative will also provide funding for professional development, research, and evaluation. FJC and Weinberg hope this support will significantly increase the number of children and staff with disabilities who are able to participate in Jewish camp.

Since its founding, the Weinberg Foundation has provided 78 grants, totaling $5.8 million, to camps, Jewish and otherwise, to improve accessibility for campers and staff with disabilities. 

The $12 million, three-year grant includes $10 million to support capital projects, as well as $1.4 million in program grants ranging between $20,000 and $30,000 to any camp receiving a capital grant. In addition, $600,000 will support FJC’s operation of this initiative, including oversight of an evaluation and development of inclusion training programs for camp leadership and camp inclusion directors.

 Projects funded through The Yashar Initiative will support individuals with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and physical and sensory disabilities.

Over the next three years, there will be a series of open application periods for camps to submit applications. The Foundation for Jewish Camp will lead the application process. More details on this initiative will be released soon at www.jewishcamp.org/accessibility. To receive funding through this initiative, Jewish day and overnight camps must be located in the United States, have ACA accreditation, and be welcoming and accommodating to all children regardless of affiliation, denomination, or religious background.

To learn more about this initiative, click here.

Record number of students participate in SummerREADS this year!

Now in its fifth year, SummerREADS is a drop-in literacy program that combines reading activities, free meals, and hands-on workshops for students across Baltimore City. From July 2 to August 3 this summer, more than 400 students enjoyed five weeks of workshops at nine libraries renovated as part of the Baltimore Elementary and Middle School Library Project.

Here are some highlights from this year’s program:

• On average, 27 students visited each of the libraries every day (an increase from 21 students last year).
• Harford Heights had the highest daily attendance of 52 students on July 13th.
• Moravia recorded 1,227 reading hours to win the reading challenge this year.

Local partners included Art with a Heart, Aquarium on Wheels, Code in the Schools, The Irvine Nature Center, the Maryland Zoo, the Maryland SPCA, Playworks, and Young Audiences. As part of this year’s program, students were introduced to BookNook—a research-based, guided reading software application that helps schools address students at every reading level. Students completed a total of 775 BookNook sessions.

The goal of SummerREADS is to provide students with safe and welcoming spaces in which they are able to continue developing their reading skills during the summer months. Research confirms that reading on grade level is an important indicator for future academic and life success. Students from kindergarten through grade three are especially susceptible to summer learning loss and spend much of the following school year trying to recover lost reading skills.

Thanks to our incredible partners—Baltimore City Public Schools and Young Audiences!

More than $14 million in additional new grants announced

Older Adults

The Foundation supports organizations that help low-income and vulnerable older adults to age in their communities with independence and dignity. This is the largest single area of grantmaking by The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.

YWCA of San Francisco & Marin
Chicago, IL and San Francisco, CA
$330,000 program grant over two years to support this organization’s FiftyPlus Employment Support program that provides job-training and placement services for women, age 50 and over, ($200,000) and to support the replication of this program in Chicago ($130,000).
https://www.ywcasf-marin.org/

Senior Services Plus
Alton, IL
$320,000 capital grant to support the expansion of this organization’s comprehensive wellness center with the goal of helping older adults maintain their independence and quality of life.
https://seniorservicesplus.org/

Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island
Brooklyn, NY
$100,000 program grant to support the Senior Citizen Transportation Program that provides transportation options for older adults with the goal of helping them remain connected to family and supportive services.
https://www.jccgci.org/

Casa Central Social Services Corporation
Chicago, IL
$75,000 program grant to support this organization’s Adult Wellness Center that provides comprehensive services for older adults with the goal of improving cognitive, physical, and emotional well-being.
http://www.casacentral.org/

Yachad
Prince George’s County, MD
$100,000 Small Grant over two years ($50,000 per year) to support comprehensive home repairs with the goal of allowing older adults to age in their communities.
https://www.yachad.org/

Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition
Baltimore, MD
$80,000 Small Grant over two years ($40,000 per year) to support this organization’s Securing Older Adult Resources (SOAR) program that offers personalized financial counseling and case management for older adults.
http://www.marylandconsumers.org/

Maintaining Active Citizens
Eastern Shore, MD
$40,000 Small Grant to support the general operations of Chesapeake Housing Mission, an organization that provides free construction of wheelchair ramps, and a variety of other critical home repairs, with the goal of helping older adults age in their community.
https://macinc.org/

Workforce Development

The Foundation supports organizations that are committed to helping people help themselves by obtaining and retaining employment, preferably on a career track. Grants are directed to organizations that provide job training, placement, and retention for unemployed or underemployed individuals.

CASA
Baltimore, MD
$2,300,000 capital grant to support the renovation of a new regional education and training center that will provide essential programs and services for immigrants and the surrounding community.
https://wearecasa.org/

Henry Street Settlement
New York, NY
$1,300,000 capital grant to support the renovation of a former firehouse, adjacent to this organization’s headquarters, that will serve as a neighborhood resource center providing job training and support services.
https://www.henrystreet.org/

HopeWorks Social Enterprises
Everett, WA
$1,250,000 capital grant to support the construction of a job-training facility that will serve as a hub for classes, workshops, trainings, and workforce-related gatherings.
http://www.hopewrks.org/

Jewish Vocational Service
San Francisco, CA
$500,000 operating grant over two years ($250,000 per year) to support the general operations of this organization that helps people build skills and find jobs with the goal of achieving self-sufficiency.
https://www.jvs.org/

Red Hook Initiative
Brooklyn, NY
$150,000 operating grant over two years ($75,000 per year) to support the general operations of this organization that works to prepare youth for adulthood by providing academic support, job-skills training, internships, and part-time employment.
http://rhicenter.org/  

Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers (ABAG)
Baltimore, MD
$140,000 program grant over two years to support the Baltimore Workforce Funders Collaborative—a public/private partnership dedicated to advancing the labor market prospects of unemployed and underemployed City residents, and to support the aging funders affinity group—a network of older adults service providers.
https://www.abagrantmakers.org/

Twin Cities Rise
Minneapolis, MN
$100,000 operating grant to support the general operations of this organization that provides coaching, personal empowerment, job-skills training, and employment-retention services for unemployed adults.
http://www.twincitiesrise.org/  

Education

US - The Foundation supports organizations that ensure children achieve grade-level academic performance in reading, math, and science; and graduate from high school prepared for college and the workplace. This portfolio includes an emphasis on early childhood development, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) literacy, out-of-school time, and child and family safety.

Israel - The Foundation supports primarily capital projects for youth at risk including shelters for women and their children who are escaping intimate partner violence and youth villages for youth at risk without family support.  

Salvadori Center
Scranton, PA
$600,000 program grant over two years ($300,000 per year) to support the expansion of this organization’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programming to students in fifth and ninth grades.
https://salvadori.org/wordpress/

Hadera Development Fund
Hadera, Israel
$500,000 capital grant to support the construction of a comprehensive early childhood complex focusing on developmental delays, intervention, and integration that will also include an infant and toddler program, as well as three kindergarten classes.
https://eng.dfhadera.org.il/  

KIPP Baltimore
Baltimore, MD
$300,000 program grant over two years ($150,000 per year) to support this organization’s after-school and summer program that provides academic instruction, extracurricular activities, and character development for students, kindergarten through grade eight, with the goal of better preparing them for college.
https://kippbaltimore.org/

Older Adults Technology Services
Throughout Israel
$300,000 program grant to support the implementation of a digital literacy program, in partnership with JDC – Eshel (a program of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee), that will provide older adults with free access to digital technology and hands-on courses with the goal of helping them complete activities of daily living.
https://oats.org/

Project Lead the Way
Baltimore, MD
$300,000 program grant over two years ($150,000 per year) to support the expansion of this organization’s Launch program that provides hands-on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) activities for students, kindergarten through grade five.
https://www.pltw.org/  

Friends of the Poor
Northeastern PA
$115,000 program grant to support this organization’s summer program, and new school-year extension, that provides a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math)-infused curriculum for students, pre-kindergarten through grade six.
http://friendsofthepoorscranton.org/  

Discovery Multiple Intelligences Preschool
Northeastern PA
$105,000 capital grant to support the renovation and expansion of this early childhood program with the goal of increasing the number of students served by at least 50 percent.
http://mydiscoverypreschool.org/  

Heroes Helping Heroes
Baltimore, MD
$50,000 Small Grant over two years ($25,000 per year) to support the general operations of this organization that provides hands-on, after-school programs, including academics, community service, and athletic components for students ages 5 to 18.
http://heroeshelpingheroes.org/

True Star Foundation
Chicago, IL
$50,000 Small Grant over two years ($25,000 per year) to support the general operations of this organization that provides youth with after-school and summer job training in the journalism, digital media, graphic design, radio, and marketing fields.
https://truestarfoundation.org/

Disabilities

The Foundation supports organizations that respect and promote the independence and individual choice of young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This portfolio focuses on connecting people with housing and jobs in the most integrated setting appropriate to meet individual needs.

ENOSH – The Israeli Mental Health Association
Bat Yam and Jerusalem, Israel
$430,000 program grant over two years ($195,000/$235,000) to support two centers that provide behavioral health services for young adults.
https://www.enosh.org.il/en/service/enosh-the-israeli-mental-health-association/

Bizchut, The Israel Human Rights Center for People with Disabilities
Jerusalem, Israel
$250,000 program grant over two years ($125,000 per year) to support a program that provides legal aid as well as access to social services for individuals with physical, sensory, intellectual, and psychiatric disabilities and their families.
http://bizchut.org.il/en/

Envision Unlimited
Chicago, IL
$250,000 program grant to support the transformation of this organization’s day treatment program into a series of community hubs that will integrate employment, volunteer, and social opportunities.
http://www.envisionunlimited.org/  

Abilities Network
Towson, MD
$200,000 operating grant over two years ($100,000 per year) to support the general operations of this organization that offers a variety of services for individuals and families with disabilities.
http://abilitiesnetwork.org/

Benedictine Programs and Services
Ridgely, MD
$150,000 program grant over two years ($75,000 per year) to support this organization’s transition from a day program to a person-centered, community-based program serving people with developmental disabilities.
https://www.benschool.org/

Sunflower Bakery
Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s Counties, MD
$80,000 Small Grant over two years ($40,000 per year) to support the general operations of this organization that provides training in pastry arts and customer service for young adults with cognitive disabilities.
https://www.sunflowerbakery.org/

Basic Human Needs & Health

The Foundation supports organizations that meet the basic needs of individuals, families, and communities. These include programs in the areas of homeless services, economic assistance, food security, and health.

House of Ruth Maryland
Baltimore, MD
$1,000,000 capital grant to support the construction of a new community engagement center that will house a training institute as well as The Gateway Project—a model for abuse intervention programming.
https://hruth.org/  

Health Care for the Homeless
Baltimore, MD
$500,000 program/operating grant ($400,000/$100,000) over two years to support this organization’s dental services for individuals and families who face barriers accessing oral health care and to support the general operations of this organization that provides comprehensive health care and supportive services to people experiencing homelessness.
https://www.hchmd.org/  

Bread for the City
Washington, DC
$350,000 capital grant to support the construction of a new facility that will provide health care services, a pre-employment program, a larger food pantry, and legal and social service programs for individuals and families.
https://breadforthecity.org/  

Top Box Foods
Chicago, IL
$100,000 Small Grant over two years ($50,000 per year) to support the general operations of this organization that provides affordable, fresh foods to people living in food-insecure neighborhoods.
https://www.topboxfoods.com/

Night of Peace Family Shelter
Baltimore, MD
$70,000 Small Grant over two years ($35,000 per year) to support the general operations of this organization that provides a pathway for homeless individuals to enter permanent housing.
http://www.nightofpeace.org/  

Maryland Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped
Baltimore and rural communities throughout Maryland
$50,000 Small Grant to support the Donated Dental Services program that provides pro bono dental services and laboratory work for individuals with disabilities.
https://mfdh-dds.org/

The Meeting Ground
Cecil County, MD
$50,000 Small Grant over two years ($25,000 per year) to support the Pathway to Home program that works to guide clients from homelessness to independent living.
https://meetingground.org/  

Crossroads Community Food Network
Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, MD
$40,000 Small Grant over two years ($20,000 per year) to support Fresh Checks, a healthy food incentive program that matches earned income as well as federal nutrition benefit programs to help individuals and families purchase produce from the Crossroads Farmer’s Market.
https://www.crossroadscommunityfoodnetwork.org/  

Veterans

The Foundation supports organizations and programs committed to ensuring military members and their families effectively reintegrate into their communities. Grants made within this portfolio emphasize programs focused on workforce development, mental wellness, ensuring stable housing, and establishing coordinated resource networks.

Volunteers of America
Baltimore, MD
$1,000,000 capital grant to support the renovation and expansion of the Paca House that will provide permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless individuals, including veterans.
https://www.voa.org/

EveryMind
Throughout Maryland and Washington, DC
$250,000 program grant to support the Serving Together program that connects veterans, active duty military, and their families to health, housing, economic, and educational services.
https://www.every-mind.org/

General Community Support

The Foundation supports major Jewish and greater community development efforts as well as philanthropic investments that support low-income and vulnerable families. This area largely includes major leadership and multi-service organizations which do not fit into other specific areas of focus for the Foundation because their missions, while focused on low-income populations, are broad and diverse.

Baltimore Corps
Baltimore, MD
$355,000 operating grant over two years ($205,000/$150,000) to support the general operations of this organization that recruits and places professionals in the nonprofit, public, and private sectors with the goal of creating change in education, public health, and workforce development and to support the placement of a fellow at the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development.
http://www.baltimorecorps.org/  

Seldovia Village Tribe
Anchor Point, AK
$275,000 capital grant to support the construction of a new, stand-alone Federally Qualified Health Center that will provide medical, behavioral health, and tobacco cessation services for uninsured or underinsured families.
http://svt.org/

Habitat for Humanity of Worcester County
Worcester County, MD
$40,000 Small Grant to support the construction of an affordable, single family home with the goal of improving the economic stability and overall health of this rural community.
http://habitatworcester.org/