Federation awards $188,360 in 2024 Local Impact Fund Grants
December 17, 2024 – The Jewish Federation of Greater Houston is proud to announce that it has awarded $188,360 in its second year of grants from the Local Impact Fund to support 17 programs that respond to the community priorities determined in the 2022-2023 Hineni Houston listening journey.
Grants range from $3,000 to $20,000 and the majority of programs are collaborative between multiple organizations. All local Jewish organizations were invited to apply for new or expanding programs that align with the fund’s priorities. This year, cross-organizational collaboration became a requirement of the Fund to bring diverse segments of the community together to share expertise and resources. Four programs were renewed for their second year of funding.
“In our second year of the Fund, we are proud to grow both the total amount granted and the number of organizations participating. This year’s grants represent strategic collaboration across the community to create programs that support unmet needs,” said Debbie Karakowsky, Local Impact Fund Committee Chair.
The priority areas for funding were defined as:
- Inclusion: Youth and adults with special needs, LGBTQIA+; Greater Houston neighborhoods outside the central core Jewish area; mixed heritage and Jews of color; and interfaith families.
- Engagement: Middle school age children; adults across ages and stages (including seniors); partnerships across religious denominations.
- Education: Combating antisemitism; building bridges between the Jewish community and non-Jewish communities; volunteer opportunities.
“We are pleased to have so many organizations participate in this collaborative process and are grateful to the applicants and staff of each organization for their efforts to create programming to enhance our community,” Sara Sandhaus, Senior Manager, Community Impact and Partnerships. “We are also very appreciative of Impact Fund Committee who thoroughly reviews and evaluates each proposal in this competitive grant process.”
The Impact Fund is supported by gifts to the Federation Annual Campaign and donor directed giving. All gifts to the 2025 Campaign will continue to grow this avenue of supporting new and innovative programs that bring the work of Hineni Houston to life and work to address emerging community needs.
For more information on the Local Impact Fund, contact Sara Sandhaus, Senior Manager, Community Impact and Partnerships, at ssandhaus@houstonjewish.org or 713-972-6743.
| Lead Organization | Collaborative Organization(s) | Program Name | Program Description | Award |
| A&M Hillel | Jewish Federation, ERJCC Film Festival, Kenny & Ziggy’s | Israel Engagement and Pride | Israel focused speaking events, expanding the Aggie Israel Fair, Jewish cooking classes, and attending the ERJCC Film Festival. | $9,000 |
| BBYO | Jewish Federation, Alexander JFS, various Houston Jewish teen programs | THRIVE Day | Teen Health & Resilience In Vibrant Environments, wellness for Jewish teens. | $15,000 |
| Chabad of the Brazos | Stand with Us Campus, Chabad at UTD, Chabad at Texas State, Chabad at Texas Tech, ASSI, AEPhi, AHAVA, ZOA | The Regional Jewish Campus Shabbat | A shabbaton at Chabad A&M in partnership with Chabads on Campuses in Texas with a smaller Jewish population. | $15,000 |
| Chabad of West Houston | N/A | Chai Senior Programs of West Houston | Programming in West Houston for seniors who live independently or in senior living centers. | *$9,000 |
| Congregation Beth El in Missouri City, Texas | Sweetwater Havurah, Mazal Chapter of Hadassah | Amplify Jewish Life in Fort Bend County | Engaging unaffiliated Jewish people in Fort Bend County. | $10,000 |
| Congregation Beth Israel | Congregation Beth Yeshurun; Congregation B’rith Shalom | Kehillah 7 | Engagement program for 7th graders to maintain synagogue involvement and join Kehillah High. | *$3,000 |
| Congregation Beth Shalom of The Woodlands | Central Houston Jewish organizations and synagogues | Shorashim – Growing Roots In Our Community | Connecting Jewish people in The Woodlands to Jewish programs and organizations in central Houston. | $10,000 |
| Congregation Beth Yeshurun | Congregation Beth Israel, Congregation Brith Shalom, Congregation Emanu El | Hineinu – Special Needs Programming for our Community | Holiday programming to benefit people with special needs, and religious school programming at Beth Yeshurun. | *$10,000 |
| Evelyn Rubenstein JCC of Houston | Inclusion Committee at Beth Yeshurun; Friendship Circle of Houston | Kids Nite Out – Inclusion Program | Expanding the J’s Kids Nite Out program that serves children with disabilities and behavioral challenges. | $5,780 |
| Evelyn Rubenstein JCC of Houston | QJews (Houston Hillel) | Q Jews in the Studio | Fosters the queer Jewish community through casual and fun art events at the J. | $3,080 |
| Holocaust Museum Houston | ADL, J-Hype, Houston Hillel, Living Links | 3G HTX | Empowers and engages the third generation of Holocaust Survivors to honor, preserve, and keep the legacy alive. | $20,000 |
| Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism | Holocaust Museum of Houston, Anti-Defamation League, Congregation Shma Koleinu, and church partners | Unity in Diversity: Bridging Faiths through Jewish Allies, Civil Rights, and Holocaust Remembrance | Building bridges between the Jewish and African American communities with educational programs that will culminate in a trip to the Deep South. | $10,000 |
| Moishe House | Jewish Federation | Embark in Houston | Creating a sense of community for cohorts of young interfaith couples, and helping each couple align on how Judaism will be a part of their lives. | $15,000 |
| Southwest NCSY | ADL, Bellaire HS, Energy HS, Carnegie HS, DeBakey HS, Memorial HS, Lamar HS, Xavier HS, HAIS, HSPVA | JSU Engagement Expansion | Expanding the number of clubs, and frequency of club meetings in non-Jewish and public schools, and leadership training for club presidents. | $20,000 |
| University of Houston Jewish Studies Program | Holocaust Museum Houston | Understanding Antisemitism Today | Speaker on antisemitism on University of Houston’s campus for students, faculty, and the Greater Houston community. | $10,000 |
| UT Chabad Student Center | Jewish campus groups at UT Austin | Combating Antisemitism: Strategies for Education, Experience, and Engagement | An educational series on combating antisemitism for students, and a mega Shabbat dinner for students and faculty of all backgrounds. | $20,000 |
| West Houston B’Yachad (ERJCC – West Houston) | Temple Sinai, Congregation Or Ami, Chabad of West Houston, Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism | West Houston B’Yachad | Programming for West Houston’s Jewish communities. | *$3,500 |
| Total | $188,360 |
*Denotes second year of multi-year grant