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e-news December 14, 2018
 
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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!

 
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New look, same mission!

 
 

This is an exciting, transformational time for the Weinberg Foundation. Following months of careful consideration and planning, the Foundation has reorganized its grantmaking into four primary areas: Housing, Health, Jobs, and Education. (If you would like to see a quick snapshot of this new structure, click here.) We have two main goals: to increase the Foundation’s ability to be strategic and impactful, while enhancing the grantee experience.

The Foundation remains dedicated to meeting the needs of specific populations, including older adults, women and children at risk, people with disabilities, individuals experiencing homelessness, and veterans. In short, our 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.

The Foundation’s new website—which we hope you find even more useful and informative—will help you learn and navigate this new framework. Our goal, in addition to showcasing our new, streamlined grantmaking structure, was to make it easier to find information and, more specifically, to apply for a grant. As a result, grantees now are able to use a fully-automated online grants intake tool.

Our website also now includes a blog, which provides the Foundation with a new, distinct communications platform—one that will allow us to better focus important news and messaging to key audiences and stakeholders through unique content.

Visit www.hjweinbergfoundation.org to explore all of these exciting changes and new tools!

 
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Hold the date and save your seat for a national convening on Jewish poverty in the United States—space is limited!

 
 
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The Convening, hosted by the Weinberg Foundation, will be a series of conversations among a diverse audience of experts on Jewish poverty, including researchers, direct-service providers, federation leaders, and philanthropists.

Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Program: 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. PST
Cocktail reception*: 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. PST
Hilton San Francisco Union Square Hotel

Please RSVP now at jewishpovertyconvening@hjweinberg.org with your name, title, organization, and phone number. Space is limited, and RSVPs will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis. Don’t wait!

*The reception will include a volunteer activity to honor the Purim tradition of giving gifts to the poor. (Purim begins at sundown on Wednesday, March 20, 2019.)

Our agenda will include the following components:

  • Welcome by Weinberg Foundation Leadership. The Convening will include participation by four Weinberg Foundation Trustees—Chair Robert T. Kelly, Jr., Ambassador Fay Hartog-Levin (Ret.), Paula Pretlow, and Gordon Berlin—as well as President and CEO Rachel Garbow Monroe.

  • Keynote Panel: A Conversation of the State of Jewish Poverty in the United States. The panel will discuss the challenges of poverty in general throughout the US, as well as the unique aspects of Jewish poverty; assess the current research on low-income Jewish households; and recommend priorities for a national agenda on Jewish poverty.

    Wes Moore, CEO, Robin Hood Foundation
    Alan Cooperman, Director, Religion Research, Pew Research Center
    Sarah Abramson, VP, Caring, Community Impact and Strategic Partnerships, Combined Jewish Philanthropies (Boston)

  • Interactive Breakout Sessions. Sessions will focus on specific aspects of Jewish poverty, including services for Holocaust survivors, perspectives from the press, building a system of comprehensive case management for low-income Jews, enhancing research and data on Jewish poverty, among others. Leading experts in their fields will each author a specific concept paper, which will be distributed to each participant prior to the Convening for advance reading. Those in attendance will have the opportunity to hear these experts speak further on their papers and to engage in an active discussion during the breakout sessions.

  • Bright Spots. This will be a fast-paced series of presentations by nonprofit and community leaders sharing examples of evidence-based, replicable programs already in the field.

For any other questions about this Convening, please reach out to Jon Hornstein at jhornstein@hjweinberg.org.

 
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Nearly 1,000 attend Weinberg Biennial Community Gathering to celebrate work of grantees and partners!

 
 
Biennial Community Gathering 2018

The Weinberg Foundation recently welcomed nearly 1,000 community, civic, and business leaders to its now Biennial Community Gathering. This program celebrates the Foundation’s mission, partnerships, and accomplishments of the past year, including plans to distribute $125 million in grants in 2019.

The Foundation’s growth in assets and increase in grant dollars is part of a transformational time for the organization, including its five-member Board of Trustees. In just two and a half years, the Foundation has on-boarded three new trustees. Ambassador Fay Hartog-Levin (Ret.) joined the Foundation in May 2016, followed by Paula B. Pretlow in January 2018. As previously announced, Alvin Awaya retired from the Foundation on November 30, 2018 and was succeeded by Gordon Berlin on December 1, 2018. The Foundation now has also begun the process of identifying the successor to Donn Weinberg, who retired on October 2, 2018.

Show Us Your Story

This year’s event took place on Wednesday, November 14 at Beth El Congregation in Pikesville and featured remarks by Becky Margiotta, Principal/Owner of the Billions Institute. Margiotta’s remarks highlighted her organization’s mission: how can we engage one billion people to solve the world's biggest problems over the next 50 years?

In addition, past Community Gatherings have featured videos showcasing select grantees that demonstrated the Foundation’s broader work and mission. But this year, the Foundation invited all of its current grantees to tell their own stories. The Foundation was thrilled to feature the winning entries of the Show Us Your Story contest at the event:

  • The Associated – Baltimore, MD
  • Caroline Center – Baltimore, MD
  • Commission on Economic Opportunity (CEO) – Northeastern Pennsylvania
  • Enosh – The Israeli Mental Health Association – Israel
  • Hebrew Home at Riverdale – New York, NY
  • JARC – Jane Addams Resource Corporation – Chicago, IL
  • JVS – San Francisco, CA
  • Kupu – Hawaii
  • MERIT Health Leadership Academy – Baltimore, MD  
  • Wide Angle Youth Media – Baltimore, MD

Not only did we have the honor of seeing and sharing the amazing work of our grantees, we were overwhelmed by the response—more than 100 entries from across the United States, Israel, and Hawaii! As you can imagine, our expert judging panel had an incredibly difficult job selecting only the 10 best. Thank you to everyone who accepted our challenge to showcase their mission and impact in just 60 seconds.  

The Weinberg Foundation also thanks its partners, grantees, and friends for joining us at our biennial celebration and, most importantly, for your meaningful work throughout the year. We look forward to seeing everyone again in 2020.

If you were unable to attend this year’s event, you can view the full Biennial Community Gathering program, as well as the 10 winning grantee videos on our website and YouTube channel.

 
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Foundation for Jewish Camp now accepting capital grant applications to support campers and staff with disabilities

 
 
Yashar

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. Projects funded through this initiative will support individuals with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and physical and sensory disabilities.

Applications for grants through The Yashar Initiative are now open. Grants will provide essential funding for capital improvements to increase accessibility, as well as professional development and evaluation.

To receive funding through The Yashar 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.

The deadline for applications is January 15, 2019. To apply, or to learn more about The Yashar Initiative, visit www.jewishcamp.org/accessibility.

 
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Community celebration kicks off new chapter for the Weinberg Foundation in Hawaii

 
 
Hawaii Celebration

Several of Hawaii’s community and nonprofit leaders recently gathered for a Weinberg Foundation-hosted luncheon at Kahala Resort in Honolulu. The celebration honored decades of service by Alvin Awaya, who served as Executive Officer and a Trustee of the Foundation since 1990.

In addition, guests welcomed Corbett Kalama as the new Executive Vice President and head of the Foundationʻs Hawaii office, as well as Giorgio Caldarone, the new Managing Director of Hawaii Real Estate. Kalama and Caldarone will work alongside the Foundation’s President and CEO Rachel Garbow Monroe, as well as the entire Board of Directors, to continue advancing Harry’s and Alvin’s legacy in Hawaii.

The gathering opened with a traditional Hawaiian chant and prayer, followed by a video presentation honoring Alvin Awaya’s 44 years of work in the Hawaiian Islands. The luncheon concluded with a beautiful performance by the Kamehameha School’s children’s chorus.

The Weinberg Foundation thanks Hawaii’s leaders for their support and partnership as we embark on this new chapter for the Islands. Mahalo!

 
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More than $18 million in additional new grants announced

 
 

Housing

Stable housing provides a foundation for individuals, children, and families to lead healthy and productive lives. Without housing, people are unable to focus on education, employment, health care, and meeting other basic needs. The Foundation is dedicated to supporting organizations that provide safe and affordable housing.

Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey
Cherry Hill, NJ
$2,500,000 capital grant to support the construction of The Commons, an affordable housing development that will serve older adults and adults with disabilities.
https://www.jewishsouthjersey.org/

ReBuild Metro
Baltimore, MD
$1,500,000 capital grant to support the construction of an affordable housing development, including 12 units for people with disabilities, in the Johnston Square neighborhood.
http://rebuildmetro.com/

iHomes
Columbia, MD
$400,000 capital grant to support the construction of 17 units of affordable housing for adults with developmental and/or psychiatric disabilities.

Marian House
Baltimore, MD
$400,000 capital grant to support the renovation of former convent and rectory buildings, on the Independence Place campus, that will provide housing for homeless women who are in recovery and their children.
https://www.marianhouse.org/

Mercy Housing Lakefront
Chicago, IL
$350,000 capital grant to support the renovation of a supportive housing development for formerly homeless adults.
https://www.mercyhousing.org/lakefront

Baltimore City Foundation
Baltimore, MD
$200,000 program grant over two years ($100,000 per year) to support a program, in partnership with Health Care for the Homeless, that will provide permanent supportive housing for 100 chronically homeless individuals and families.
http://baltimorecityfoundation.org/

Israel Elwyn

Jerusalem, Israel
$200,000 capital grant to support the purchase of an apartment that will provide affordable, supportive housing for four young adults with varying types of disabilities.
https://www.israelelwyn.org.il/en

Belair-Edison Neighborhoods
Baltimore, MD
$90,000 Small Grant to support the purchase and renovation of a new, larger facility for this community hub, with the goal of providing housing and related comprehensive services for residents.
http://www.belair-edison.org/


Health

Good health is a prerequisite for any other life pursuit. Poor physical or mental health can prevent people from seeking education, employment, and other opportunities that would allow for economic mobility. The Foundation is dedicated to supporting organizations that help children, adults, and families lead healthy lives.

Floating Hospital
Long Island City, NY
$1,500,000 capital grant to support the relocation of this organization’s clinic to a larger site with the goal of expanding primary care services and introducing specialty services, including optometry and dermatology.
https://www.thefloatinghospital.org/

St. Paul’s Episcopal Home
San Diego, CA
$500,000 capital grant to support the construction of a new PACE (Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) Center that will provide comprehensive health care services for older adults with the goal of helping them remain independent.
https://www.stpaulseniors.org/

Santa Rosa Community Health Centers
Santa Rosa, CA
$350,000 capital grant to support the construction of a new federally qualified health center that will provide medical, dental, and mental health care services.
https://srhealth.org/

Baltimore City Health Department
Baltimore, MD
$300,000 program grant over two years ($150,000 per year) to support B’More for Healthy Babies, an initiative that works to ensure all of the City’s children are born healthy and grow and thrive in healthy families.
https://health.baltimorecity.gov/

The Headstrong Project
Greater Baltimore and Howard County, MD
$200,000 program grant over two years ($100,000 per year) to support the expansion of this organization’s evidence-based trauma therapy for post-9/11 combat veterans and their families.
http://getheadstrong.org/

For All Seasons
Eastern Shore, MD
$150,000 operating grant over two years ($75,000 per year) to support the general operations of this rape crisis center that provides emergency food, shelter, and case management, as well as a crisis hotline and community education and to expand this organization’s behavioral health services.
http://forallseasonsinc.org/

NAMI Montgomery County
Montgomery County, MD
$40,000 Small Grant over two years ($20,000 per year) to support this organization’s Latino outreach program that provides behavioral health services and increases access via Spanish-language web content and brochures.
https://namimc.org/


Jobs

Employment provides the best opportunity for personal success and financial security. Quality training programs that lead to employment enable individuals and families to achieve economic stability. The Foundation is dedicated to supporting organizations that help people secure and keep quality jobs with opportunities for advancement.

Paul’s Place
Baltimore, MD
$2,500,000 capital grant to support the launch of this organization’s training program, restaurant, and catering business that will prepare adults for careers in the food service industry.
https://paulsplaceoutreach.org/

Per Scholas
Throughout the United States
$700,000 capital grant to support the expansion and improvement of this organization’s IT training facilities and equipment at six existing and two new locations.
https://perscholas.org/

JobsFirstNYC

New York, NY
$125,000 capital grant to support the expansion of this organization’s facility with the goal of helping more individuals find, secure, and retain jobs.
http://www.jobsfirstnyc.org/

New Horizons Supported Services
Charles County, MD
$60,000 program grant to support this organization’s employment program that helps adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities find, secure, and retain employment.
http://www.nhssi.org/

Woodlawn Conservancy
Bronx, NY
$100,000 Small Grant over two years ($50,000 per year) to support the Woodlawn Cemetery Preservation Training Program that provides unemployed and underemployed individuals with job training that leads to permanent employment opportunities in the fields of masonry restoration and construction.
https://www.thewoodlawncemetery.org/woodlawn-conservancy/


Education

Education can help break the cycle of poverty. Providing at-risk children and youth with academic opportunities helps prepare them for a stable and productive future. The Foundation is dedicated to supporting organizations that provide or supplement a high-quality education from kindergarten through high school.

St. Francis Neighborhood Center Corporation
Baltimore, MD
$1,200,000 capital grant to support the renovation and expansion of this organization’s facility that will allow its after-school and summer program—providing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education, character development, service learning, and exercise activities—to more than double the number of students served.
http://www.stfranciscenter.org/

Medical Education Resources Initiative for Teens
Baltimore, MD
$200,000 operating grant over two years ($100,000 per year) to support the general operations of this organization that provides academic and internship assistance for students who want to pursue college tracks and careers in healthcare.
https://www.meritbaltimore.org/

Higher Achievement
Baltimore, MD
$150,000 program grant to support programming for more than 300 middle school students and to help this organization strengthen its high school-placement services, alumni programming, and family engagement.
https://higherachievement.org/

Ramapo for Children
Baltimore, MD
$50,000 program grant to support this organization’s inclusion training program and professional learning community for organizations that provide out-of-school time programs.
https://ramapoforchildren.org/

CollegeTracks
Montgomery County, MD
$100,000 Small Grant over two years ($50,000 per year) to support the general operations of this organization that provides first generation college students with the support needed to gain access to financial aid and a college education.
https://www.collegetracksusa.org/

Collegiate Directions
Montgomery County, MD
$100,000 Small Grant over two years ($50,000 per year) to support the general operations of this organization that provides academic tutoring, customized test preparation, college and financial aid guidance, and wraparound support for high school and college students.
https://collegiatedirections.org/

Maryland Book Bank
Baltimore, MD
$85,000 Small Grant to support the expansion of this organization’s facility with the goal of providing more storage, as well as a larger distribution of books and other educational resources.
https://www.mdbookbank.org/ 

Interfaith Service Coalition
Hancock, MD
$55,000 Small Grant to support the renovation of a community center that will include a commercial kitchen and cafeteria where youth can access healthy meals, an activity room for after-school programming, and four apartments for homeless individuals.
https://ischancock.wordpress.com/

Albany Park Theater Project
Chicago, IL
$50,000 Small Grant over two years ($25,000 per year) to support this organization’s high school program that provides mentoring, academic, and college preparation services for underserved students.
https://aptpchicago.org/

Drexel Neumann Academy
Northeastern Pennsylvania
$50,000 Small Grant to support the general operations of this school that provides students with a safe environment to learn, featuring small class sizes as well as additional instructional hours after school and throughout the summer, and to grow their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) program.
https://drexelneumannacademy.net/


Community Services

The Foundation helps to build stronger communities through strategic partnerships. The Weinberg Foundation recognizes that certain service providers operate multiple programs that meet a range of needs and therefore incorporate many of the Foundation’s focus areas. The Foundation also is engaged in selected initiatives addressing Jewish poverty on a national scale, as well as strengthening the leadership of nonprofits that will serve the Jewish community moving forward.

Roberta’s House
Baltimore, MD
$3,200,000 capital grant
to support the construction of this organization’s new grief support center that will serve children and families who have experienced violence and trauma.
http://robertashouse.org/

Jewish Community Alliance of Northeastern Pennsylvania
Northeastern PA
$1,000,000 capital grant to support the construction of a Jewish community campus that will bring several service providers together under one roof, including older adult services, an expanded food bank, and after-school and summer programs for youth.
https://www.jewishwilkes-barre.org/

 
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www.hjweinbergfoundation.org
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