Empowered Women, Empower Women

Ladies of Jewish Women’s Giving Foundation (JWGF)

Welcome to a new year of grantmaking at The Associated’s Jewish Women’s Giving Foundation (JWGF). I’m excited to begin another year of learning, giving and, most importantly, making a difference for women and girls. And to our new members: welcome! I hope you’ll find JWGF as inspiring and rewarding as I have.

Over the summer, our committee chairs have been hard at work preparing for another year of meaningful and impactful giving. I’m looking forward to what we’ll accomplish together.

Our theme again this year is “Empowered women, empower women.” It captures what JWGF is all about: coming together as women to use our collective philanthropy to help women and girls thrive.

The need is clear. Funding for organizations serving women and girls has remained below 2% of charitable giving for more than a decade. And while women have made tremendous progress, they remain underrepresented in positions of leadership in both Israel and the United States.

There is still work to do. And through JWGF, we have an opportunity to be part of that work.

Turning Giving into Action

This past grant cycle, JWGF funded programs that put empowerment into action. Our grants are:

Supporting women’s reproductive autonomy
Providing therapeutic support for wives of Israeli combat veterans living with PTSD
Providing emergency support and shelter to women who have survived domestic violence
Funding critical home repairs and appliance replacement for low-income Jewish women
Helping incarcerated women in Maryland prepare for parole hearings
Equipping high school girls in Israel with the skills they need to pursue STEM studies and technology careers
Using law and advocacy to protect women experiencing domestic violence in Israel
Helping women entrepreneurs from challenging backgrounds in Israel achieve financial independence and build sustainable livelihoods

Behind every one of these grants is a woman or girl whose life has the potential to be changed because JWGF members chose to invest in her future.

And our giving is grounded in something deeper than philanthropy alone. As a Jewish Women’s Giving Foundation, our Jewish values guide the way we approach every conversation, every decision and every dollar we allocate.

Our grants reflect values such as not being passive in the face of violence, acts of loving-kindness, peace in the home and loving our neighbors as ourselves.

That Jewish lens is what makes JWGF unique. We may support organizations that serve women and girls across many communities, but we do so as Jewish women, guided by the values and traditions that connect us.

Your Voice Matters

JWGF is also unique because our grant decisions are democratic. Every member has a voice and a vote. Together, we learn about the issues, hear from organizations doing the work and decide where our collective dollars can have the greatest impact.

While we aim to allocate 50% of our funding to Jewish organizations, that percentage can vary from year to year. What remains constant is our commitment to making thoughtful decisions through a Jewish lens and supporting women and girls in ways that create meaningful change.

I’m excited for the year ahead: to hear your voices, learn from one another and from our grantees, and see what we can accomplish together.

Empowered Women, Empower Women

Empowered Women, Empower Women

Turning Giving into Action

Your Voice Matters

Subscribe to our newsletter

Keep Reading