2017-18 Jewish Teen Foundation of Greater Boston Application
The Jewish Teen Foundation of Greater Boston (JTFGB) is an innovative leadership development program for Jewish high school students who want to learn how philanthropy works by participating in a year-long foundation-like group experience. A project of the Jewish Teen Funders Network, generously funded by Laura Lauder and the Maimonides Fund, JTFGB was launched locally by Combined Jewish Philanthropies and will include three foundation boards located in different geographic locations around the Greater Boston area in the fall of 2017, selecting from high school students (grades 9-12).
Over the course of the academic year, the teens on each JTFGB board will work together as a real philanthropic foundation to:
• learn how Jewish values apply to philanthropy and the grant making process
• acquire critical research skills and hone leadership abilities
• explore issues of social justice
• create Request for Proposals and evaluate grant proposals from non-profits
• learn how to solicit and raise funds to support the causes that are important to them
• challenge each other to insightful discussions and make thoughtful grant decisions that address the causes that matter most to them
Over the course of the year, teen board members will work together to identify the issue they'd like to address. At the end of the year, the board members will make grants to charities which may be located in Boston, the country, or the world focused on the issue. Teens learn about tzedakah and tikkun olam and make an impact on their world today.
There will be three different JTFGB board sites this year; teens will most likely be able to participate on the board that is convenient for them geographically and schedule-wise. Boards will meet monthly throughout the year either on Sunday late afternoons at Hebrew College in Newton, Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley on Thursday evenings, and Temple Emunah in Lexington (specific day TBA). Jewish students entering grades 9-12 in the fall of 2017 are invited to apply. Each board will be responsible for raising a minimum of $10,000 to allocate and will decide together how to raise those funds. Each board member is responsible for raising a minimum of $360.
Teens selected for this program are expected to make JTFGB a priority. Participation in the 9 monthly meetings, as well as an all-day kick-off retreat, a parent/student orientation, weekday site visits to non profit organizations in the spring, and end of year celebration are mandatory (unless discussed with and approved by staff in advance). There may also be 2 potential community service and/or social events that take place during the program year that board members would be expected to attend once scheduled.
Participants must be ready to listen, think, participate, debate, write, actively engage, and of course enjoy themselves throughout the program. Minimal work, perhaps a couple of hours, may be assigned in between sessions. As the year proceeds, students will have the opportunity to take the lead in organizing and running the monthly sessions, helping to shepherd the board through the grant-making process.
Participation in the program costs $360. No applicant will be denied participation based on financial need. The program fee will be requested upon acceptance into the program. Please note that this amount goes directly to program fees and is NOT contributed to the teens' overall grant-making pool. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
**Program dates available upon request.**