Federation awards $183,000 from new Local Impact Fund
November 30, 2023 –The Jewish Federation of Greater Houston is proud to announce that it has awarded $183,000 in grants from the new Local Impact Fund to support 13 programs that respond to the community priorities determined in last year’s Hineni Houston listening journey.
Grants range from $1,500 to $30,000 and eight of the 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 and preference was given to programs that showed cross-organizational collaboration.
“The committee was guided by an earnest commitment that the final funding be an accurate reflection of what the community had told us it lacked and needed, and I’m very proud that, after pouring through an impressive number of submissions, the programs receiving the fund’s inaugural dollars address precisely those 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; interfaith families.
- Engagement: Middle school age children; adults across ages and stages (including seniors).
- Education: Combating antisemitism; building bridges between the Jewish community and non-Jewish communities.
The Federation received an overwhelming response from local organizations. Each proposal was thoroughly reviewed and evaluated by the Impact Fund Committee.
The Impact Fund is one of the Federation’s fundraising initiatives for this year’s Community Campaign so it can continue to grow this avenue of supporting new and innovative community programs.
For more information on the Local Impact Fund, contact Sara Sandhaus, Planning and Allocations Manager, at ssandhaus@houstonjewish.org or 713-972-6743.
