JTFGB is a year-long program for Jewish high school students with different denominational backgrounds from across the greater Boston area. Together, they develop strong leadership and communication skills, learn the ins and outs of professional philanthropy and grant-making through a Jewish lens, and allocate grants to effect real change in the causes they care about most.
The Jewish Teen Foundation of Greater Boston (JTFGB) will begin its eighth year in the fall of 2022 and is proud to have started as a part of the Foundation Board Incubator, which is a project of Honeycomb (formerly the Jewish Teen Funders Network), generously funded by Laura Lauder and the Maimonides Fund for the first five years.
JTFGB enabled me to make a palpable difference in an area I am passionate about, while simultaneously strengthening my ties to the Jewish community and reinforcing a Jewish rhetoric which will be applicable throughout my life. Through this program, I was able to make a positive change in the world and renew my sense of Jewish identity using philanthropy and tzedakah, driven by Jewish values and morals.
JTFGB just finished its seventh year, where our teens raised almost $51,000 from hundreds of different donors for organizations that are doing work to help fight youth homelessness, foster care, youth mental health, and access to medical treatment. During the first seven years of the program, JTFGB teens have awarded 58 grants to unique organizations all across the world. While JTFGB may be based in Boston, it absolutely has a way to make a global impact.
With JTFGB, teens learn how to:
Assess community needs
Strengthen their teamwork and leadership skills
Work closely with real nonprofits to meet their needs
Debate issues that matter
Challenge their perspective
…all while meeting awesome Jewish teens from the Greater Boston area, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island!
Who should apply to be part of JTFGB?
Jewish teens who will be in grades 9-12 in fall 2022, and who are interested in philanthropy, leadership and helping to transform the world around them. The 2022-23 application is now available.
Students from all over the greater Boston area, Southern New Hampshire, and Rhode Island! This coming year will include two boards: one board for first-year participants and one board for second-year participants–intended only for teens who have already participated in the program at least once.
What is the commitment like?
Each teen board will meet every three to four weeks for two hours. There will also be an orientation, program kick-off, and a grant presentation ceremony to close out the year in late spring. In the spring each board will do 5-7 site visits to learn more about their different nonprofits. Full engagement in every session is a requirement of the program, and there may be minimal work required in between (about 2 hours a month). Teens must also commit to a fundraising minimum of $360. Upon acceptance to the program, teens will receive a calendar of events and meetings for the year.
Where will the program be held?
Hebrew College in Newton, Massachusetts
How much does the program cost?
The program fee for JTFGB is $550. If this is a financial burden, we will never turn any families away and will make it work.
Note: Currently we can only accept MasterCard and VISA payments. All payments are subject to a 4% credit card convenience fee. Should you wish to avoid the credit card convenience fee, you may pay by check, payable to Hebrew College, with a note that includes your name, address, phone number email address, JTFGB, and which program option you are choosing. Please send your check and note to Hebrew College, 1860 Washington Street, Newton MA 02466. It will help us if you email Cindy Bernstein and teenlearning@hebrewcollege.edu to let us know to expect your payment in the mail. Thank you.
