The Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles (The Foundation) has announced $1.25 million in Next Stage Grants. These capacity building grants will invest in the sustainability, operations, and future growth of five Jewish nonprofits in Los Angeles. The organizations address pressing issues that range from addiction treatment to services for individuals with special needs. Each grantee will receive $250,000 over three years.

Recipients of 2019 Next Stage Grants include:

• Beit T’Shuvah
• Hillel at UCLA
• Jewish Los Angeles Special Needs Trust & Services
• JQ International
• Moving Traditions

Beit T’Shuvah is a residential addiction treatment center serving hundreds of people each year. It is entering a crucial period of transition both to the next generation of leadership and to a new financial model that will include increased public funding. The Next Stage Grant will provide support, staffing, and expertise, enabling the organization to grow as a thriving center of recovery for many years to come.

Hillel at UCLA helps Jewish students build their identities through learning and leadership. The center of Jewish life on a campus that has approximately 3,000 Jewish students, Hillel at UCLA has grown substantially in the past decade. It has increased the number of students it serves, expanded its staff, and added a building on campus. With this grant, Hillel at UCLA will invest in the staffing and expertise needed to establish a significant endowment that will sustain its operations and programs to serve Jewish Bruins for years to come.

Jewish Los Angeles Special Needs Trust & Services (JLA Trust) is the first and only pooled special needs trust in Los Angeles. It was launched in 2015 with a Cutting Edge Grant from The Foundation. JLA Trust helps families plan for the financial security of their loved ones with disabilities without jeopardizing their government benefits. To date, over 80 families have enrolled in the trust. The Next Stage Grant will invest in JLA Trust’s capacity to recruit and enroll new clients and to become self-sustaining by hiring additional staff, creating a marketing and recruitment plan, building its referral network, and redesigning its website.

JQ International (JQ) is the premier LGBTQ+ Jewish organization in Los Angeles. JQ promotes inclusion by providing education, support, and identity enrichment through outreach programs and inclusion training for Jewish organizations. The Next Stage Grant will provide the resources for JQ to develop its infrastructure and attract potential funders. It will also strengthen the organization’s long-term financial sustainability by supporting its strategic fund development plan. Since 2007, The Foundation has awarded two Cutting Edge Grants to JQ International to support its early growth and to launch JQ Helpline, which provides inclusive support and resources for LGBTQ+ Jews, their families, and allies.

Moving Traditions is a national nonprofit which empowers teens by fostering self-discovery, challenging sexism, and inspiring a commitment to Jewish life and learning. Its work with teens and partner synagogues has grown over the years, particularly in Los Angeles, where a 2014 Cutting Edge Grant from The Foundation launched its b’nai mitzvah program locally. As Moving Traditions seeks to deepen its roots in Los Angeles and magnify its impact, the new grant will help build its local infrastructure and expand its partnership model to reach Jewish teens who may not be part of a synagogue.