Improve Women’s Lives, Including Your Own


The Associated established JWGF in response to a lack of resources being dedicated to the issues affecting women and girls, both at home and abroad. Today, our foundation stands with dozens of Jewish women’s foundations around the country, enabling women like you to have a powerful voice in championing these important efforts.

You don’t need prior experience, and, by participating, you can develop skills in the areas of grant reading, meeting facilitation and leadership. There is no better opportunity to grow personally and professionally, while doing so much good.

How to join the JWGF

Your financial commitment to JWGF is $1,100 per funding year. One thousand dollars of your contribution will be granted in the year following your payment, while the remainder is applied to JWGF’s administrative costs. Initial memberships are a two-year commitment and will automatically renew for as long as you choose to participate. The deadline for your membership commitment is October 15 of each year, and full payment is due by November 15.

In addition to making a targeted investment in women and girls, JWGF members are asked to make a philanthropic investment in the greater Baltimore Jewish community through The Associated’s Annual Campaign. Joined with support from thousands of community members, our members’ donations enable our local partners to broadly evaluate and meet the needs of The Associated’s 14 agencies, programs and overseas partners through a collective allocation process. In the first year of JWGF membership, a member or member’s household is asked to consider a donation of $365 to The Associated. In a member’s second year, a minimum gift of $365 is required. This commitment increases to $500 in a member’s third year and beyond. Upon joining the Foundation, a JWGF member currently making a personal or household donation to The Associated’s Annual Campaign in excess of any suggested or required gift is expected to at least maintain her annual giving.

What to expect

Each year, JWGF receives dozens of inquiries from prospective grantees. Those that fall within our guidelines go to the membership for evaluation, discussion and a voting session each December. Based on the vote, certain organizations will be asked to submit a full proposal. You are invited to join in lively discussions during an extensive review of the resulting proposals, including reading-group meetings, site visits and voting sessions.

We encourage your full participation and understand that life is busy. Our process is designed so that every member has an equal voice in decision making, even if you are unable to participate in all or part of the review process. You are a valued member of the giving circle, with a voice and a vote, in whatever degree you can engage with us.

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Take a small step to make a big impact