Jewish Women's Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh

Community Day School – $10,000
Pink, Blue Complicated You: Women and girls are disproportionately impacted by intolerance, social media toxicity, and disrespect. Through partnerships with two organizations (Moving Traditions and Keshet), CDS intends to give girls in grades 6-8, their parents, staff, board, and greater community, necessary and trusted resources, training, and experiential learning that can mitigate and prevent continued harm in these areas. The goal of the Pink, Blue Complicated You program is to empower girls, promote well-being and identity, develop leadership skills, and instill a sense of social responsibility among young people.

Hillel Academy – $5,000
Hillel Academy’s Girls Athletic initiative will increase the number and quality of the competitive sports teams offered, and the after-school athletic clubs available, to ensure that every girl enrolled has the opportunity to participate in the athletic sport of their choice. The goals are to design quality athletic programs and opportunities for female students that reflect the diversity of the students’ interests; inspire and educate female students through athletics to be the successful female leaders of tomorrow; and improve the mental and physical health of female students.

Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh – $10,000
There is a significant gap in public knowledge when it comes to the efforts of women and girls during the Holocaust and World War II, and even more so when it comes to the role of Girl Scouts. Local Pittsburgh Girl Scout Lily Sassani wants to change this by creating a Holocaust Education patch, which will provide education on the Girl Scouts’ and Guides’ response to the humanitarian crisis of the Holocaust. Once the patch program is created, its step-by-step guide will be available for all 3,200 middle and high school Girl Scouts in Western PA, moving them into action on an issue of social justice where they live.

Jewish Community Center – $25,000
The JCC will develop a pilot program, Fostering Women’s Leadership at EKC, that addresses a systemic issue around gender equity that occurs throughout Jewish camping. At EKC, 33% of females applied for advancement in 2023 compared to 50% of males. EKC sees an opportunity to foster empowerment and amplify women’s advancement, in spite of the limitations on women’s potential to rise in the workplace. Long-term goals focus on empowering and advancing female staff at EKC, equipping them with life-long tools applicable in any workplace, and modeling a supportive and inclusive work environment that cultivates growth.

Jews for a Secular Democracy – $12,040
This grant is completely underwritten by Trustee Nancy Weissman, in memory of her beloved mother-in-law, Trustee Jackie Wechsler.
Few initiatives advocate for religious freedom as a matter of separation of church and state and leverage that perspective to address specific, ongoing policy challenges. The Jewish Women and Religious Freedom in America: Fostering a Community of Action in Pittsburgh initiative networks Jewish women into an intentional community of learning and advocacy around church-state separation issues, including reproductive rights, women’s equality, LGBTQIA+ rights, public education, antisemitism, and more. Participants will gain a greater understanding of how these issues are interconnected, learn to strengthen their advocacy, and will create new connections with fellow women leaders.

National Council of Jewish Women, Pittsburgh Section – $5,000
NCJW Pittsburgh is a progressive women’s organization that has been working in our region and nationally for 125 years to support and improve the lives of families and women with children. They do this through free drop-in childcare at the Allegheny County Courts, free out of school time programming at Thriftique, distribution of free children’s clothing; and through MomsWork, which brings working moms together to learn about gender equity issues, encourage advocacy work, and amplify teen voices to hear their perspectives on current equity issues through a gender lens.

Penn State Hillel – $6,675
Penn State Hillel’s Jewish Women’s Professional Institute will provide 30 college-age Jewish women with knowledge and confidence to speak about topics that are commonly overlooked and underrepresented in regular dialogue but affect women’s daily lives, including financial literacy, period poverty, resume writing, job interviews, gender-based violence, personal safety, sexual and reproductive health, and mental health. Participants will gain knowledge and confidence on these important topics, and later educate their friends, family, and communities, to create a women’s network of resources and support.

Yeshiva Girls School – $10,000
Yeshiva students are experiencing the same post-pandemic mental health struggles of female teens across the country and have also engaged with significantly traumatic incidents in their formative years: the Tree of Life shooting, the war in Israel, and the rise in Antisemitism. The Art and Craft of Healing program, beginning in the Fall of 2024, will focus on middle and high school students, meeting weekly and strategically utilizing the arts to teach and develop mindfulness, resilience, and grounding practices. Long term goals are for students to use the techniques and practices learned in school to navigate challenges and opportunities of adulthood, and to create greater awareness in the Chassidic world about these topics, moving toward the de-stigmatization of mental health challenges

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General Community Grants

Angels’ Place — $10,000
Angels’ Place serves single parents, predominantly women, raising children (birth to five years) who meet Federal poverty income guidelines. Holistic programming and advocacy increase the probability of parents obtaining stable housing, improving health outcomes, finding employment, building a secure future, and raising healthy, confident children who will excel in school and life. It is designed for single, student parents who attend full-time educational programs while offering high-quality early childhood education and childcare, and access to a Family Support Program.

Bhutanese Community Association of Pittsburgh — $10,000
BCAP has been very intentional in its efforts to celebrate traditional culture while challenging historic systems and behaviors of gender inequity. Women in this community want to become more self-sufficient, invest in their education, careers, and be able to support the various needs of their families at home. Through the Women Empowerment program, Bhutanese women and girls participate in support groups, leadership training, computer literacy training, and driver’s license classes. Programs lead to improved health and well-being, increased access to economic opportunity, expanded social network to provide emotional support, safety and healing, and increased understanding of institutions and their services.

Eden’s Farm — $10,000
The Residential Program for Survivors of Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation is designed to address the pressing problem of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation by offering safe housing, holistic support including mental health care, vocational training, educational opportunities, and access to resources like transportation and legal assistance.

Education Law Center — $6,000
ELC focuses on addressing barriers experienced by the most underserved students. Black girls are subjected to daunting educational barriers that impact their everyday reality at school, stemming from racism, sexism, and ableism. ELC’s Black Girls Education Justice Initiative focuses on challenging the root causes of inequity and improving the educational opportunities for Black girls by advocating for schools to offer all students opportunities to learn in safe, supportive, and inclusive environments.

The Neighborhood Academy — $6,000
Funds from JWF will support the expansion of the Female Counseling Program (an existing program designed for the 9th – 12th grade female students) to include its first cohort of sixteen 6th grade girls. Components of the program will be menstrual health and wellness, coping methods such as how to manage trauma, loss, and grief, as well as the importance of maintaining a healthy diet and eating habits with a TNA’s registered dietician.

Open Field — $10,000
OpenField’s sport-based youth development programs promote girls’ empowerment, education, leadership and life skills, and health and well-being on and off the soccer field. Girls in the Empowering Refugee Girls Through Soccer programs come from Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, Syria, Afghanistan, and the U.S. They all live below the poverty line. With support from JWF, Open Field launched and expanded its girls’ programs to engage more than 50 girls and young women in year-round programs led by self-identified women coach mentors.

Ruth’s Way — $6,000
Ruth’s Way empowers Black girls between the ages of 10-17 and their guardians/family members (200-300 people/year), teaching them the process of identifying and addressing their barriers to success. Ruth’s Way seeks to bridge the gap within the inequities that exist across Allegheny County around mental health/services and social/emotional learning for Black girls; reduce the behavioral health issues that exist among female youth which frequently cause delinquency issues, girls becoming at-risk youth, and facility placement and/or re-entry; and increase student academic and professional success opportunities.

Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh — $6,000
WC&S provides safety, resources, information, and tangible assistance to victims and survivors of domestic violence (DV) including adults and children; loved ones, friends, and colleagues/employers who want to support them; professionals, members of the medical community, students, and community members who receive educational programming and training from WC&S, and those who use abusive behaviors. WC&S provides a wide range of emergency and longer-term services to DV survivors and children to support their safety and healing.

Women’s Law Project — $6,000
The Women's Law Project aims to dismantle gender bias and discrimination using the power of the law by leveraging impact litigation, policy advocacy, public education, and direct representation to strike down gender-discriminatory laws, policies, and practices. WLP prioritizes work on behalf of people facing multiple forms of oppression based on sex, gender, race, ethnicity, class, disability, incarceration, pregnancy, and immigration status.

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