< Jewish Women’s Foundation
Since its founding, the Jewish Women’s Foundation of San Diego (JWF) has awarded over $1 million to organizations and programs that benefit and enhance the lives of primarily Jewish women and girls locally and globally. JWF awards grants in 3-year cycles, with the current cycle occurring from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2027. Applications for the 2027-2030 granting cycle will open in Fall 2026.
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Projects that promote relationships among women from different cultures, denominations and economic status.
Projects that address building financial literacy and self-sufficiency, improving the economic status for women and their families.
Projects that provide educational opportunities for women and girls to increase their voices by developing skills such as negotiation and advocating.
Projects that address the elimination of injustices and changing attitudes that systematically exclude or disadvantage women.
Projects that protect, promote and educate about health and healthy lifestyles.
The 2024-2027 Grantees approved in May 2024 range across a variety of JWF Impact Areas, serving Jewish women and girls across the socioeconomic spectrum. We considered the strength of each program, their written proposals, the thoroughness of their interviews, and their direct alignment with JWF’s mission and core values.
The mission of Kindness Initiative (KI) is to alleviate poverty in the San Diego Jewish Community by meeting the basic physical and psychological needs of vulnerable Jewish individuals. The Esha Chazakah program, funded by JWF, is a three-year pilot program that brings together an annual cohort of 12–15 single Jewish mothers to create financial stability and emotional support, which addresses many of the issues identified by the San Diego Jewish Community Study. The purpose of this program is to equip single mothers with valuable skills such as financial literacy, budgeting, self-care, cooking, meditation, journaling, exercise, and more in order to help participants become self-sufficient, work towards achieving a better lifestyle for themselves and their families, and foster a stronger bond between single mothers and their children.
Grantee Awarded – $75,000 Contact Sarah Schatz for Hands-on Volunteer Opportunities with this Grantee. www.kindnesssd.org
The Center for Jewish Care (CJC) was established at Jewish Family Service to provide critical services to San Diego’s Jewish community. Clients identifying housing stability as a primary need will meet with CJC’s Housing Resource Navigator who will employ multiple tools to build financial literacy. JWF’s funding is specifically used to support single women and female heads of households and provide them with housing assistance so that they may achieve stability in San Diego. As of January 2025, JFS has supported 5 female-led households and distributed more than half of JWF funds. They are well on target to meet and exceed projected outcomes for the year.
Grantee Awarded – $30,000 Contact Sarah Schatz for Hands-on Volunteer Opportunities with this Grantee. www.jfssd.org/
El HaLev is dedicated to creating safe spaces for women and girls in Israel, amidst increased rates of violence, with effective tools to navigate risks and assert boundaries. JWF’s support allowed El HaLev to quickly adapt their flagship “IMPACT” course — a globally recognized, highly effective program for addressing gender-based violence—to at-risk girls aged 12-20 in southern Israel who have endured trauma and sexual violence. Each session lasts 4+ hours over four weeks and will be conducted four times per year. Their first course, offered to 15 girls at Eden Boarding School, was greatly successful, with participants sharing that they feel stronger and more confident.
Grantee Awarded – $50,000 www.eng.elhalev.org/
JWF’s funding provides support for a Graduate Program Coordinator as she helps Mechina (a post-high school gap-year program for at-risk and immigrant communities) graduates as they complete their mandatory military service and begin their life beyond. The graduate coordinator plays a vital role in maintaining ongoing contact with the graduates, offering tailored support, and fostering a strong sense of community among alumni. Despite the many challenges posed by the ongoing war, ImpactIsrael has maintained strong connections with 191 graduates, representing 90% of our graduate population. Of the 137 graduates who have completed their compulsory military service, 47 are currently pursuing or have completed their studies, including Master’s degrees. Additionally, they have provided academic and employment guidance to 70 graduates transitioning from military service, who have not yet pursued a clear educational or career path. From 2021-2024, JWF funded the creation of the Developing Leadership and Advocacy Skills program as part of the Mechina. JWF is pleased to continue this strong partnership with ImpactIsrael.
Grantee Awarded – $45,000 www.impact-israel.org
Previous Grantees from 2021-2024:
Grantee Awarded – $70,000 Financial Fitness www.jwi.org
Grantee Awarded – $30,000 Rosh Hodesh www.movingtraditions.org
Grantee Awarded – $25,000 Alumni Program www.shavot.org
Grantee Awarded – $25,000 IsraElite Young Women’s Leadership & Advocacy Program www.impact-israel.org
Previous Grantees from 2018-2021:
Previous Grantee from 2014-2017:
Previous Grantees from 2010-2013:
Previous Grantees from 2004-2009: