Foundations’ grants aid 23 groups

By JEWISH REVIEW

article created on: 2011-03-15T00:00:00

The Oregon Jewish Community Foundation announced that the Community Endowment Fund and the Schnitzer Supporting Foundation awarded a total of $121,480 to 23 Jewish and secular organizations in 2010.

Each year, these funds provide critical support for community organizations and synagogues. Thanks to an unexpected and generous bequest by Chuck Karsun, the Community Endowment Fund was able to award a total of $66,730, a 200 percent increase, in 2010. In addition, more individual donors are supporting the Community Endowment funds with direct gifts ranging from modest to significant.

OJCF became the first local partner to fund Portland’s Moishe House, which provides Jewish experiences to young adults.

“Moishe House Portland was thrilled to receive generous support from the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation. Locally, Moishe House targets Portland’s young adult population and creates more than 85 innovative programs a year for this often neglected demographic. Moishe House now relies on local support and is very excited to have its first Portland partner in the OJCF,” said Moishe House Western Regional Director, Aviva Nan-Tabachnik.

OJCF Executive Director Julie Diamond says that this kind of direct community investment is a perfect example of OJCF’s mission. “OJCF was created not only to support and grow Jewish Portland’s existing organizations, although that is certainly critical, but also to help encourage innovative programs that enrich our Jewish identities and experiences in new ways.”

In all, 22 programs with 20 Jewish and secular organizations received funding: B’nai B’rith Mens Camp Association, Dor l’ Dor camper incentive program; Cedar Sinai Park for Elder’s Family Learning Initiative, Mindfulness of Aging Initiative, and on behalf of Hesed Shel Emet (indigent burial); Community Warehouse, Westside expansion; Congregation Neveh Shalom, Mother’s Circle Associated Program; Jewish Family and Child Service, Mensches in the Trenches volunteer program; Jewish Student Union, Hebrew High PDX; Jewish Theater Collaborative, Stages of Experience: capacity expansion; Maimonides Jewish Day School, Early Childhood space refurbish; Moishe House, Sustaining Moishe House-Portland; Morasha Melton, Melton Scholarship and Subsidy Fund; Mittleman Jewish Community Center, Chai Baby Program and Warm Water Therapy Pool; OJCF, PJ “Pajama” Library; Mittleman Jewish Community Center expansion; Oregon Area Jewish Committee, Building Bridges for the Future; Oregon Board of Rabbis, Portland Jewish Youth Initiative; Oregon Holocaust Resource Center, Website Development and Rebranding; Oregon Jewish Museum, Building for Education; Portland Jewish Academy, Jewish Cultural Enrichment Programs; Returning Veterans project, 2010-11 Outreach Program; and Sharie Hildreth Ovarian Cancer Foundation, Business Plan Development.

Additionally, the Leonard and Lois Schnitzer Supporting Foundation continues to make a great impact. Since it began making awards in 2004, the Supporting Foundation has provided more than $455,000 to a wide variety of programs in the community.

In 2010, 14 local organizations received a total of $54,750 in funding: JFGP, 2010 Capital Campaign; BBMCA, Dor l’ Dor camper incentive program; CSP, Mindfulness of Aging; CNS, The Mother’s Circle Associated Program; JFCS, Support for the Needy; JTC, Stages of Experience: capacity expansion; MJCC, Chai Baby Program and Warm Water Therapy Pool; Melton, Scholarship and Subsidy Fund; Oregon Hillel, Micro-Communities through Home Shabbat; OJCF, The PJ “Pajama” Library; OJM, Building for Education; PJA, Jewish Cultural Enrichment Programs; Community Warehouse, Westside Expansion; and The Sunshine Pantry, Food Bank Support.

To help make a difference either through OJCF’s Community Endowment Fund, a donor advised fund or an endowment for the benefit of Jewish Federation, your synagogue or any Jewish organization, visit ojcf.org or ojcfgift.org, or call 503-248-9328.