For over a century, the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago (JUF/JF) has worked to enrich Jewish communities both locally and abroad through public service, fundraising, and the observance of Jewish traditions. The organization’s broad support of the Jewish community includes the Breakthrough Fund, which aids emerging programs and initiatives throughout Chicago’s Jewish nonprofit sector. JUF/JF launched the Breakthrough Fund in 2013 to spur growth and innovation among organizations that serve the Jewish community of Chicago. Since then, it has provided $2.3 million to a diverse array of 40 programs. Each summer, JUF/JF selects a group of new grant recipients that work throughout the year to serve the needs of local residents while engaging and strengthening Jewish communities in Chicago, Israel, and around the world.
In the summer of 2015, JUF/JF awarded $1.27 million to a variety of Chicago nonprofits. Of the total grant pool, $588,000 will provide continuing support to six programs that received multi-year grants in 2013. The remaining $687,000, which will be disbursed in amounts ranging from $13,000 to $100,000, will support the launch of 13 new initiatives.
In the summer of 2015, JUF/JF awarded $1.27 million to a variety of Chicago nonprofits. Of the total grant pool, $588,000 will provide continuing support to six programs that received multi-year grants in 2013. The remaining $687,000, which will be disbursed in amounts ranging from $13,000 to $100,000, will support the launch of 13 new initiatives.
Selected programs include those that ensure the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in the Jewish community, such as the Jewish Community Centers of Chicago Aquatics Inclusion Program and the Jewish Child & Family Services Encompass Synagogue Inclusion Project. Additional grant recipients focus on serving senior citizens, while others, such as the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs Teen Institute for Social Justice, focus on community building and healing. JUF/JF provides grants to initiatives such as the Associated Talmud Torahs: REACH-Collaborative Problem Solving program, will serve the Jewish education community, while other funded programs strive to reach diverse audiences in the Jewish community. These nonprofit initiatives include A Wider Bridge Chicago, which sponsors community development initiatives for LGBT Jews, and SHALVA, which provides educational and support resources related to domestic abuse. |