The following grants were approved by the Board of Trustees in 2008:
| The Abraham Fund Initiatives | |
| The Abraham Fund works to advance co-existence, equality, and cooperation among Israel's Arab and Jewish citizens. This year's funding supports the organization's Government Training and Advocacy Initiative, which partners with Israeli government ministries and Civil Service officials to educate government employees and administrators about the conditions and realities of the Arab sector and to help shape and inform government decisions. | $35,000 |
| Anti-Defamation League | |
| The Anti-Defamation League works to stop the defamation of the Jewish people; fight anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry; advocate for Israel with policymakers, the media and the public; and defend the security of Israel and Jews worldwide. The grant is for operating support, designated to the Washington, DC office. | $10,000 |
| American University Center for Israel Studies | |
| This funding was awarded to the Center to help fund its operations during academic year 2009-2010. The creation of the Center for Israel Studies is part of a national initiative to create strong Israel Studies programming on college campuses. | $35,000 |
| Dance Place | $15,000 |
| Dance Place has created a community center with programs for underserved youth, while building a national reputation in the field of dance presentation, commissioning of choreographic works, and the training of dancers. Funding is for general operating support, with a special focus on Dance Place's programs for youth, which support the healthy development of young adults through academic education, cultural and performing arts, life skills training, job readiness, and first time employment. | |
| Facing History and Ourselves | $24,000 |
| Facing History and Ourselves is an international educational and professional development organization whose mission is to engage students of diverse backgrounds in an examination of racism, prejudice, and anti-Semitism to promote the development of a more humane and informed citizenry. This grant provides program support to explore the possibility of spreading the organization's work to Montgomery County and Washington, DC. | |
| The Foundation for Jewish Culture | $25,000 |
| This grant will fund the first phase of a New Jewish Music Initiative. The initiative would involve the creation of a national network of institutions focused on the development and dissemination of a broad span of Jewish music. The network would span all parts of the creative process from creation through distribution and would include the creation of a collaborative model for funding, development, touring, and promotion of new projects. | |
| The Gandhi Brigade | $35,000 |
| Gandhi Brigade's mission is to prepare youth from the southern end of Montgomery County, particularly those who are vulnerable or at-risk, to become community leaders, using media as their vehicle. This grant supports a training program leading to youth certification in media production and subsequent employment as peer instructors, as well as the creation of multiple media projects. | |
| Impact Silver Spring | $25,000 |
| This grant is for a pilot project to spark and sustain long-term change in the culture at a multicultural elementary school in Montgomery County, while also improving student achievement, parent-teacher communication, and parental involvement. | |
| Jewish Federation of Greater Washington | $150,000 |
| The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington cares for those in needs, deepens engagement in Jewish life, and strengthens the bonds among Jews in the Washington area, in Israel, and around the world. The grant is for general operating and program support. | |
| Jewish Funds for Justice Tzedec Program - DC Loan Fund | $10,000 |
| Jewish Funds for Justice's Tzedec Program is the only national Jewish program for community investing in low and moderate-income neighborhoods. Through education, organizing, and lending, Tzedec creates partnerships between Jewish investors and these communities. This grant is for the loan fund program in DC only. | |
| Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA) | $25,000 |
| JSSA offers a broad range of counseling, educational, and career services - as well as in-home support, hospice and nursing care, and social services - regardless of race, religious background, or ability to pay. This grant is for operating support. | |
| Mental Health Association of Montgomery County | $15,000 |
| Mental Health Association of Montgomery County supports those with mental illness and promotes mental wellness by sponsoring and implementing advocacy, education and community service programs. This grant is for operating support. | |
| Montgomery County Collaboration Council | $25,000 |
| Funding will provide for training and implementation of a standardized assessment measure that will allow out-of-school-time programs to self-assess program quality and develop strategies for improvement as necessary. | |
| Neighbors in Need Fund | $25,000 |
| The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region's Neighbors in Need Fund is a grantmaking fund supporting effective nonprofit organizations in the Greater Washington, DC region that provide "safety net" services such as food, clothing, and shelter. | |
| New Israel Fund/Shatil | $25,000 |
| This grant supports a project in three Israeli communities that is dedicated to meeting the needs of immigrants from the former Soviet Union regarding their Jewish identity | |
| Nonprofit Village Center | $10,000 |
| The Nonprofit Village Center was founded to develop, nurture, and sustain the organizational and collaborative capacity of mid-size, small, and very small nonprofits who are working to improve the quality of life for county residents, by providing them with affordable, attractive office space accompanied by shared supportive services. | |
| PANIM | $15,000 |
| PANIM educates and empowers Jewish youth to activism, leadership, and service through service learning that combines Jewish values, learning, and social responsibility. The current funding is for the continuation and expansion of PANIM's professional development programs for educators, including local training and service learning sessions, monthly teleconferences, and extensive online resources. | |
| The Sitar Center | $10,000 |
| Sitar Arts Center provides young people in its inner city community with a rich selection of multidisciplinary arts programs, including classes in music, dance, drama, creative writing, visual/digital arts, or private instrument instruction. Most students receive substantial tuition discounts. Arts partners include The Washington Ballet, The Shakespeare Theatre, Arena Stage and the Corcoran Gallery of Art. This year's funding is for general operating support. | |
| THEARC | $45,000 |
| THEARC is a multipurpose facility that provides arts, educational, recreational, and medical services to underserved residents east of the Anacostia River in Washington. The grant supports The Arts Fund at THEARC, collaboration between The Levine School of Music, The Washington Ballet, and The Corcoran Gallery of Art that provides and promotes THEARC's arts programming for children. This grant underwrites a daylong Community Arts Festival, as well as provides scholarship and program support. | |
| The Israel Project (TIP) | $10,000 |
| The Israel Project is devoted to educating the press and the public about Israel while promoting security, freedom, and peace. By providing journalists with the facts, context, and visuals they need, TIP aims to present the country's more positive public face, while helping to reduce anti-Semitism and protect and increase pride in Israel. This grant is for operating support. | |
| The Washington/District of Columbia Jewish Community Center | $15,000 |
| Funding is for The EntryPoint/Gesher City program, which acts as a bridge between young Jewish adults and the local Washington Jewish community by providing access to social and professional networks, information resources, and local Jewish agencies and organizations. This grant will continue to help fund a full-time staff person who will maintain, expand, and develop new and existing programs. | |
| The Washington/District of Columbia Jewish Community Center- Washington Jewish Music Festival | $50,000 |
| The Foundation is the principal underwriter of the annual Washington Jewish Music Festival. The primary purpose of the Festival is to increase public awareness and appreciation of the wide-ranging cultural and stylistic diversity of Jewish music through creative programming and community outreach. This funding will underwrite the 11th year of the Festival. |
