The Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix (CJP) has awarded grants totaling more than $1.5 million to 29 local and international organizations. The programs funded range from Shabbat dinners for needy families and inclusivity training for summer camps to security funding for Arizona’s small and medium-sized synagogues and the resettlement of Jewish refugees in Israel.
CJP considers it a priority to let the Greater Phoenix Jewish community know where its money goes, who benefits and why it’s good for the community, said Richard Kasper, CJP CEO.
“I am really proud of the work that was done by the Community Impact Committee and by our board of directors, and you can see why when you look at the list of recipients. There is tremendous diversity in the organizations and programs and their constituents that we’re supporting. It feels like progress,” he said.
By funding organizations CJP is “helping them to serve people,” he said, noting it goes beyond the Jewish community.
For example, Scottsdale Arts was awarded $7,500 to support its “Hold on to Hope Traveling Exhibition,” which takes viewers on a visual journey to Nazi-occupied Poland via the personal photos and anecdotes of local Holocaust survivor Oskar Knoblauch. Although the organization is not Jewish, and many of those viewing the exhibit will likely not be Jewish, it is a valuable Holocaust education program for young students.
“We know that a lot of young people are very poorly informed about what the Holocaust was and why they should care,” Kasper said.
While most of the grant recipients are local organizations, CJP also funds global, primarily Israeli, programs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix and the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, CJP’s precursors, focused most of their grants on local organizations to ensure they had what they needed. Now that many of those needs have diminished, CJP is able to consider needs beyond the local community.
“Most Jews, whether it’s in Phoenix or elsewhere, care about Jews in other parts of the world. We have an obligation as Jewish people to care for Jews where they are, not just those in our hometowns,” Kasper said.
Community Impact Committee member Alan Zeichick is satisfied that the grants will “make a difference in our local community and to people living in Israel.”
Sheryl Quen, CJP’s vice president of community impact, oversees the entire grant process, which takes several months and has multiple layers. All applicants begin with a broad letter of intent that leads to some being invited to submit an application outlining the organization’s budget and what the grant money will support, followed by a presentation to the committee, which makes the final decision.
Quen praised the committee as being “very thoughtful in the process.” Members had to work through issues such as what lobbying is permissible, and when the purpose of a grant is to build the capacity of an organization to better fulfill its mission — rather than a single program or service.
“It was a bit of an education for capacity-building grants, but I think increasing an organization’s ability to serve the community is vitally important. When we looked at the proposals for Holocaust programming, the first inclination is to think there’s duplication and no need to fund all. After some discussion, the committee agreed that they serve different segments of the community,” Quen said.
That, after all, is Quen’s priority and the opportunity to support existing programs, as well as welcoming new ones, is exciting. Deciding who’s in and who’s out, however, is where things get tricky.
“Balancing all needs is never easy. You cannot compare feeding people to offering community holiday events,” she said.
Virginie Polster, a committee member who both raised her children in Greater Phoenix’s Jewish community and has elderly family here — “has seen the whole range, knows what’s missing and what can be done better” — seconded Quen’s sentiment.
“It’s about trying to do the best for the community and to have the most impact. But choices have to be made and it’s very difficult, which is why it’s important to have an inclusive, thoughtful process where everyone can feel safe to speak their mind,” Polster said.
Trying to represent the needs of both the young and old, the engaged and unaffiliated, legacy programs and emerging ideas is regularly discussed by the committee.
“We do a pretty good job generating the most impact for the community. For example, I’ve been a lay leader on both the legacy and startup side of things. You don’t want to neglect the people who have been around doing the work even when it’s not as sexy as the new fabulous ideas,” she said.
While some organizations won’t make it past the first step, that doesn’t mean that CJP doesn’t consider its program valuable, Kasper stressed.
“There’s a lot of demand, a lot of need and a lot of really good proposals, and being aware of that context is really important, especially for organizations who only see their own application. This year’s process may have had some bumps in the road, but overall, I think this process has been well received,” Kasper said.
The committee consists of a dozen diverse community leaders, nine of whom are voting members. Kasper, Quen and Rachel Hoffer, CJP board chair, sit on the committee but do not have a vote.
“It is a very big job to review and understand all of the proposals and put them in context, and we are so fortunate to have Sheryl Quen in the role that she’s in,” Kasper said.
Breaking down the numbers shows that the bulk of the funds will go to the general operating budgets of CJP’s seven historic strategic partners — Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Phoenix, East Valley Jewish Community Center, Gesher Disability Resources, Hillel Jewish Student Center at Arizona State University, Jewish Family and Children’s Service, Valley Beit Midrash and Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center.
Looking ahead, CJP is preparing to eliminate this strategic partnership model. Next year, all seven partners will be awarded the same amount they received this year and last year, but in 2025, they will only be assured of 50% of that amount and by 2026 it will be a “blank slate,” Kasper said.
Currently, each of the seven partners’ general operating budgets receive funding, a trend in the world of philanthropy over the last decade. While these organizations will be eligible to apply for a grant and may even receive an equivalent amount, there will no longer be any guarantee.
When the idea for CJP was first being bandied about, “one message from the community that came through loud and clear was the desire for a level playing field,” Kasper said. By offering funding for general operating support to all local Jewish organizations within a few years, CJP is proving that it heard the message.
CJP has set a goal for itself of increasing its annual campaign by 20%, which is a hefty but achievable lift, Kasper said, adding that setting such a goal is not about raising money for its own sake but what the money can do for the community.
“The goal is always serving the Jewish community,” he said. JN
For more information and to view the breakdown of grants, click here.
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