The giving circle will focus on Jewish values and Jewish causes. Building primarily on the Jewish value: וְשִנַנְתָם לְ נֶיךָ - and you shall teach your children, we are focused on inspiring local Jewish entrepreneurs to build programs that will engage our community tailored to San Diego's Jewish population interests.
We will encourage the creation of independent programs designed by community members for their peers.
In San Diego only 15% of the Jewish population is estimated to be engaged in Jewish life, through traditional institutions. Engagement in traditional Jewish education is also exceeding low; we believe San Diego may be educating only 5-7% of the Jewish children about their heritage and Jewish values.
While we know there is informal Jewish life taking place, we also know many programs likely don't start, sustain or grow without having a culture in San Diego that welcomes these initiatives and supports them.
Modeling this Fund on innovation grant programs in other cities, we will provide financial support for Jewish social entrepreneurs in San Diego that is unrestricted; i.e. not aligned with any one mission beyond the engagement of Jews in our community.
We hope this approach will result in a wide range of proposals, unfettered creativity and will permit founders to build what they want and how they want for the community in appealing, vibrant ways.
Proposals
A 1-2 page narrative and simple budget
(google sheet/excel) with a Program Description, Program Leadership
(list the people who will build and execute the program and 2-3 sentence
biography of each), The Need (why will Jewish San Diegans want this?)
and Estimated Impact.
Target program participants must live
in San Diego.
Projects which have the potential for recurring engagement are preferred.
Applicants must show an intention to create a sustainable program filing for 501(3)(c) status within 3 weeks of grant approval or show proof of fiscal agency under another 501c3.
Grant allocations will be made January 15 and May 31 of each calendar year.
