Founded in 1998, First Place for Youth (First Place) works to prevent poverty and homelessness among youth growing up in foster care. Operating in 6 California counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Solano), the organization helps foster youth build the skills they need to make a successful transition to self-sufficiency and responsible adulthood. Through its nationally-recognized program model, First Place provides access to safe housing, support to finish high school and enroll in college, and training to improve job skills and career readiness. In 2016, it served over 1,400 youth across all programs and provided permanent housing and supportive services to 476 youth in all 6 counties.

Founded in 2002, Friendship Circle provides Jewish children and young adults with special needs with a full range of social, recreational, educational, and Judaic experiences and enriches, inspires and motivates Jewish teenagers through volunteer and leadership opportunities. 
 

Founded in 2002, Friendship Circle provides Jewish children and young adults with special needs with a full range of social, recreational, educational and Judaic experiences. Since receiving one of our first Cutting Edge Grants in 2007 to help provide special needs children with friendship and community, Friendship Circle has grown to annually serve 120 children and their families, engaging nearly 500 teen volunteers. With a Next Stage Grant, Friendship Circle will reassess and develop its volunteer infrastructure, improve its outreach to current and new families, and develop a fund strategy for the next stage of its growth. 

Established in 2012, Fuente Latina’s mission is to increase Latino (Spain, U.S. and Latin American) support for Israel by ensuring that global Spanish language media have the facts they need to accurately cover Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish world.

Founded in 2008 by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, Grameen America, Inc. is a community development financial institution dedicated to helping entrepreneurial women who live in poverty build businesses to enable financial mobility. To support women pursuing entrepreneurship as a pathway out of poverty, Grameen provides microloans, credit establishment services, savings programs and financial education. Starting with a branch in Queens in New York City, Grameen America has expanded to a total of 20 branches serving 104,000 women in 13 cities including Austin, Boston, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York, Oakland, Omaha, San Jose, San Juan, and Union City.

GREEN LA Coalition was founded in 2005 to forge a partnership between the nonprofit sector and municipal government to share knowledge and implement pioneering environmental policies. The shared purpose of the coalition of 60-plus organizations is to advance improvements in resource conservation, alternative technology, urban greening, mass transit, and environmental health.

Founded in 2006 by the Rashi Foundation, Gvahim provides job training, job placement, business Hebrew courses and mentorship to more than 200 highly-qualified olim (new immigrants) from all over the world each year.  Its programs include the Career Development Program, an accelerated program for experienced entrepreneurs; and a pre-citizenship internship program for young leaders.

Established in 1989, Hamidrasha facilitates the acquisition of Jewish culture among secular Israelis, promotes a meaningful connection with Jewish heritage, and creates a more pluralistic cultural and spiritual landscape in Israel. It trains leaders who influence family life, the school system, and community/public life. Programs connect study, practice and volunteerism with Jewish life. It reaches 40,000 participants a year, working with diverse populations in schools, communities, and adult education settings. 

Founded in 2007, HaShomer HaChadash works to ensure a stronger Jewish presence in the Negev and the Galilee, promote a sense of mutual responsibility among the Jewish people, and uphold the Zionist ideals on which the State of Israel was founded. Through its pre-army program, volunteer guardsmen live on agricultural lands and patrol it from observation posts, preventing fires, theft, physical violence, and slaughtering of herds. Other programs include an agricultural volunteerism program for visitors from around the world, and a post-army program placing young Israelis with jobs in the agricultural sector. Today, HaShomer HaChadash engages over 38,500 volunteers working throughout 190,000 acres of land at 70 locations in the Negev and Galilee.

Founded in 1991, Hillel – The Right to Choose helps thousands of Yotzim – those who leave ultra-Orthodox communities to integrate into wider Israeli society. Its services, which serve approximately 600 individuals per year include: a hotline and drop-in centers; transitional housing; counseling and support services; academic support including tuition aid and career consultation; employment programs; assistance to Yotzim in the military; programming for single-mothers; aid in accessing social services; and community building and peer networking activities. 

Founded in 1960, Hillel 818 serves students at CSUN, Pierce College, and Los Angeles Valley College. Its mission is to enrich the lives of Jewish undergraduate students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world.

Founded in 1988, Homeboy Industries aims to break the cycle of incarceration and violence by providing men and women who were formerly incarcerated or gang-involved with services and opportunities to re-enter mainstream society and become productive members of the Los Angeles community. Its wraparound services include education and workforce development, intensive case management, legal services, mental health, substance abuse support, tattoo removal, and domestic violence support. In addition to providing direct services, Homeboy Industries operates ten social enterprises that provide job training and employment opportunities for its clients. It works with over 250 trainees each year through its job training program and over 5,500 community members through its classes and other services.

Founded in 2014, Honeymoon Israel provides immersive trips to Israel for locally based cohorts of couples that have at least one Jewish partner, early in their committed relationship, creating communities of couples who are building families with deep and meaningful connections to Jewish life and the Jewish people. 

Founded in 1999, Hut HaMeshulash was established to provide programming, shelter and support to at-risk youth and young adults (ages 14-25) in Jerusalem so that they may reintegrate into society as confident and capable individuals. It runs 3 major programs: a Drop-in Center serving hundreds of alienated at-risk youth 7 days a week; a Residential Home for Young Women, including expectant mothers; and a Residential Home for Young Men for at-risk and homeless men. Specialized services include occupational rehabilitation, therapy, enrichment courses, and basic needs support. Over the past 16 years, 10,000+ youth and young adults have benefitted from Hut HaMeshulash’s programs, and thousands have gone on to lead independent, stable lives. 

Founded in 1989, Inner-City Arts (ICA) provides elementary, middle and high school students, many from LA’s poorest neighborhoods, with arts classes taught by professionals in state-of-the-art studio environments.  The art classes, provided in partnership with the school district, local charter and parochial schools, are often the only arts instructions students will access during the school day. ICA also offers after-school and weekend programs.  Classes are designed to strengthen language development, develop critical thinking skills, promote literacy and improve overall learning outcomes.

Founded in 2002, InterfaithFamily supports interfaith couples and families exploring Jewish life and inclusive Jewish communities through educational content and connections to welcoming organizations and programs and provides resources and trainings for program providers and clergy.