Partners in the News

New Case Study Details Characteristics of Successful Teen Education Funder Collaborative

– by American Israelite

May 20th, 2015

American IsraeliteThe Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati (JFC), is a member of the Jewish Teen Education and Engagement Funder Collaborative, a group, comprised of 15 national and local funders committed to investing in community–based Jewish teen education initiatives. Recently this organization released a commissioned case study detailing insights and lessons learned from their first two years working together. The case study, Finding New Paths for Teen Engagement and Learning: A Funder Collaborative, was prepared by Informing Change, and is designed to inform other co–funding and shared learning efforts both within and outside of the Jewish philanthropic community.

Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati Executive Director Brian Jaffee has been representing the organization at Funder Collaborative meetings. On Tuesday, April 28th, a convening of local Jewish community stakeholders was held at the Mayerson JCC. Two experts from the Jewish Education Project, Dr. David Bryfman and Justin Rosen-Smolen, described the work of the Funder Collaborative, and presented research findings from focus groups conducted with Jewish teens in four communities across the country. Participating in the convening, which was organized by The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati, were volunteer and professional leaders and educators from ten congregations, the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, the Mayerson JCC, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Kulanu, Mercaz, Hillels of Cincinnati, Miami University Hillel, Jewish Community Relations Council, Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education, as well as several Jewish teen leaders. The objective going forward is to design a local Cincinnati community initiative to be funded by the end of 2015.

“There’s no single reason to explain this success,” adds Irie. “Many factors combine to create an environment that cultivates important organizational partnerships and grantmaking grounded in best practices for teen education and engagement. And while every collaborative or partnership has a unique structure or purpose, we believe lessons from this one certainly can help others in the philanthropic world.”

Specifically, the case study notes four distinctive Collaborative characteristics that have been keys to success: 1) a deep–rooted purpose, 2) commitment to evaluation and shared learning, 3) focus on national–local funding partnerships, and 4) clear–eyed and generous leadership. Within the Collaborative framework, five local communities already have received grants and begun implementing initiatives.

“Through this collaborative initiative, we are eager to leverage the investments our community is already making in Jewish Teen Education and Engagement through our internationally recognized Cincy Journeys Israel and Overnight Jewish Camping Grants, robust Hebrew High Schools and congregational youth groups, as well as BBYO and dynamic teen programming at the Mayerson JCC,” said Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati President Beth Guttman. “Over the next several months we will be partnering with local organizations to develop new ways of thinking about how they can strengthen each other’s efforts so that, collectively, we can engage even more Jewish teens in Cincinnati.”

From its inception in 2013, the Collaborative has grown from a loose collection of 10–15 organizations to a finite group of four national funders and funder representatives from ten communities that dedicate significant time and resources to the Collaborative.

“Participating in the Funder Collaborative has enabled us to deepen our understanding of Jewish teen education and engagement issues, outcomes and impact,” said Jewish Foundation Executive Director Brian Jaffee. “Learning from other communities, and from the model established by the Jim Joseph Foundation and other national funders, has been extraordinarily valuable, and will help ensure that we develop local initiatives that provide leadership platforms and other outlets for Jewish teens that address issues of relevance to them.”

While the Collaborative has evolved, a constant has been the Jim Joseph Foundation’s parameters for, and commitment to, co–funding local initiatives in ten communities. To date, initiatives have been funded in Boston, Denver/Boulder, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles totaling nearly $32.8 million. Over the next eight to ten years, these initiatives will collectively reach and engage tens of thousands of teens in meaningful Jewish learning experiences. Total investment by the Collaborative’s end date over that same time period may reach as much as $70 million.

The Jewish Teen Education and Engagement FunderCollaborative membership includes: The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore; Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston; Jewish Community Foundation, San Diego; Jewish Community Federation & Endowment Fund, San Francisco; Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta; Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati; Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles; Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago; Jewish Federation of San Diego County; Jim Joseph Foundation; Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah; The Marcus Foundation; Rose Community Foundation; Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation; UJA-Federation of New York.

Source: “New Case Study Details Characteristics of Successful Teen Education Funder Collaborative,” American Israelite, May 7, 2015