Jewish Community Foundation Invites Proposals for 2017 Cutting Edge Grants

LOS ANGELES (Sept. 7, 2016) – The Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles (The Foundation) today announced the kickoff of its 2017 Cutting Edge Grants program. There will be a mandatory informational workshop conducted by The Foundation for grantseekers on Nov. 1, 2016, with an application submission deadline of Dec. 13, 2016.

Awards of up to $250,000 over a multi-year period are available to fund innovative programs that address important, substantiated needs in the Los Angeles Jewish community.

Nonprofit organizations or social entrepreneurs may receive funding for:

· Untested ground-breaking programs;

· Successful Los Angeles pilot programs ready for community-wide implementation; or

· Local adaptations of successful high-impact initiatives previously launched outside of Los Angeles

In 2016, The Foundation awarded $2.3 million in Cutting Edge Grants to 12 recipients. The newly funded initiatives are designed to bring together a broad cross section of Jewish Los Angeles through programs which harness the power of community. The 2016 cohort includes programs that range from engaging Jewish millennials through the performing arts, to creating connectivity in an emerging alternative downtown community, to a platform ensuring continuity in senior health care that will improve overall well-being. Since establishing the Cutting Edge Grants in 2006, The Foundation has awarded more than $15 million to launch 84 ground-breaking programs.

Marvin I. Schotland, The Foundation’s president and chief executive officer, said: “Cutting Edge Grants continue to make a deep and meaningful impact on Jewish Los Angeles. Our grantees are strengthening the fabric of the community through their vision and innovation. Their programs are also enduring, with the majority growing from their initial Cutting Edge Grant seed funding and continuing to serve their populations long after the grant cycle has ended. The Foundation is proud of its instrumental role in launching programs that have touched the lives of countless Jewish Angelenos.”

Organizations or individuals interested in applying for a Cutting Edge Grant can learn more about the process by visiting www.jewishfoundationla.org/CEG and registering for the Grantseekers Workshop. Information will include selection criteria and tips on writing a competitive application. Advance registration is required.

About The Foundation

Established in 1954, the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles manages charitable assets of more than $1 billion (as of 12/31/15) entrusted to it by over 1,200 families and ranks among the 10 largest Los Angeles foundations. The Foundation partners with donors to shape meaningful philanthropic strategies, magnify the impact of giving, and build enduring charitable legacies. In 2015, The Foundation and its donors distributed $96 million in grants to over two thousand nonprofit organizations with programs that span the range of philanthropic giving. Over the past 25 years, The Foundation has distributed more than $1 billion in grants to thousands of nonprofits across a diverse spectrum. www.jewishfoundationla.org