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. 
 

Friendship Circle provides Jewish children and young adults with special needs with a full range of social, recreational, educational, and Judaic experiences including Sunday Hebrew School, weekly playdates, and holiday programs. With reduced options for childcare and schooling, particularly for children with disabilities, families rely on Friendship Circle’s services.

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 (FL) mission is to increase Latinx (individuals from Latin America) 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, regardless of geographic location. By educating and empowering Latinx journalists to cover issues accurately, Fuente Latina breaks down stereotypes and increases positive perceptions for 600 million Spanish speakers globally.

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.

Fuente Latina is the only organization engaging and educating the US Latinx population about the Jewish world, Israel, and the Middle East through mainstream Spanish language platforms including TV, radio, and print. As a result of the pandemic and rising misinformation, Fuente Latina has developed a growing social media presence to address increasing anti-Semitism in that space.

Founded in 1972, Girls Club of Los Angeles (GCLA) is a community center that enriches the lives of underserved, at-risk boys and girls, youth and families through early education, youth development, and community outreach. Its Faith Children’s Center provides early education to children ages two to five years old and its Freedom School READ LEAD program serves K-12 youth through six-weeks of summer literacy and cultural enrichment. Its youth program, Project LEAYD, prepares at-risk students for college and careers with a strong focus on building resiliency, life skills, and a strong support network. In addition to education programs, it is also the lead agency in both the Early Learning Alliance (a network of 14 South LA early education nonprofits) and Best Start West Athens (an organization that teaches and organizes parents to advocate for the needs of their children in the community).

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.

Founded in 2016, Great Public Schools NOW (GPSN) is dedicated to ensuring all Los Angeles students receive a high-quality education by accelerating the growth of highquality public schools. GPSN is a philanthropic nonprofit that invests in schools, organizations, and initiatives that catalyze excellence in public education, convene leaders, and uplift public understanding to advocate for great public schools.

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.

Founded in 2009, Gvahim works to connect skilled new immigrants to the Israeli employment market and entrepreneurship ecosystem through training, mentorship, and networking. Programs include preparation courses for new olim (immigrants to Israel); career tracks tailored for engineers, medical professionals, and social entrepreneurs; and career centers in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

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 1989, Heart of Los Angeles Youth Inc. (HOLA) provides underserved youth with afterschool programs in academics, arts, and athletics with a nurturing environment, empowering them to develop their potential, pursue their education, and strengthen their communities. It serves 2,100 youth ages 6-24 each year in the Rampart District through its academic programs, enrichment programs (e.g. athletics, music and youth orchestras, leadership, etc.), and a Family Services Department that provides wraparound support, counseling services and emergency aid.

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.