Jewish Community Foundation Grants

Jewish Community Foundation, Inc.

The Jewish Community Foundation, Inc. offers grants to non-profit organizations serving the Southern New Jersey community, including Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey agencies, synagogues, Jewish day schools, and secular non-profits. These grants are awarded twice annually, during our Spring and Fall JCF Grants cycles.

The JCF provides funding of up to $5,000 (an increase from our previous maximum of $3,600) for each grant application that is approved by our Grants Committee and Board of Trustees, and applicants can apply for funding for more than one program per cycle. Each program is eligible to receive funding over the course of up to three cycles (usually once per year for three years), with a new application required for each cycle

Funding is provided primarily for new and innovative programming and services benefiting residents of Burlington, Camden, and/or Gloucester counties in South Jersey. Grants are not intended to supplement or duplicate existing funding or ongoing operating budgets of an organization or programs and services presently in existence.

What Are the JCF’s Goals in Providing Grants?

• Benefits to the Community: First and foremost, JCF Grants are meant to provide benefit to community members, not strictly the organizations that are awarded the funds.
• Launching New Community Initiatives: We operate in a vibrant Jewish and secular community, and the JCF hopes to ensure this continues into the future. We are thrilled to see programs that we fund grow into larger, ongoing programs for many years. While we don’t expect this to happen to each and every initiative that we fund, we do ask that grantees give it their all when producing a program, and, if it works, it will gain momentum, and, if not, it was worth a try.
• Marketing Exposure: The JCF also provides Grants to gain marketing exposure in the community. Our hope is that, when awarding a grant to your organization, the constituents who take part in the program, your existing Board members, and/or your donors, will want to consider endowing the program (or another initiative) to last for future years. The JCF works with donors to establish endowment funds which we manage, and we would be happy to work with you and your donors to discuss this important opportunity to benefit your organization.

What Does the JCF Fund?

The JCF welcomes applications from any organization that is interested in applying. That said, our typical Grant awards fall under the following guidelines:

• New & Innovative Programs: This type of proposal is the JCF’s top priority. Your organization may apply if you are looking to try out a new program and need seed funding to get off the ground. It’s like having a safety net for your big leap into a new endeavor.
• Expansion of Existing Programs: Secondly, if your organization has an existing program that is built into your budget, but intends to expand it in new directions, we welcome your application.
• Emerging Critical Needs: Lastly, if your organization is seeing critical issues arising in the community that need to be addressed, you may apply.

The above areas of funding are intentionally broad. We want to allow organizations to be creative but also have some framework to start with.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

• IRS-qualified 501(c)(3) non-profits or incorporated synagogues/churches that may not have a 501(c)(3) designation
• Organizations must be in existence for at least one year
• For organizations that are “new” to the JCF, we may ask for more information, such as the most recent IRS Form 990, a list of the organization’s Board members, or a copy of a tax exempt form

Ineligibility

• Here are elements of your program’s budget that we generally avoid funding:
  • Program activities, capital needs, salaries, or any other purpose, that are already included in the budget of your organization, or which will be starting before being approved for a JCF Grant
  • Food, unless it is for college-age or needy populations
  • Sponsorships for fundraising events