JCF Grants Help Build the Southern NJ Jewish Community

The following is a reprint of the JCF's Money Matters column, published in the May 13, 2026, issue of the Jewish Community Voice, titled "JCF Grants help build the Southern NJ Jewish community":

Each spring and fall, the Jewish Community Foundation, Inc. provides grants of up to $5,000 each to nonprofits and synagogues to launch new programs and services throughout Southern New Jersey. The JCF has managed this process for over 25 years, during which time we have awarded approximately $2.4-million to benefit an estimated 1,000 grant requests, and counting.

For the Spring 2026 JCF Grants Cycle, the JCF’s Grants Committee, which is co-chaired by Rhona Cohen and Susan Olinsky and consists of over a dozen volunteers from across the Jewish community, announced the approval of 13 grant requests, totaling $26,900, with an additional $21,700 allotted from private contributions, resulting in a grant sum of $48,600. The JCF Board of Trustees unanimously approved these results.

To view a list of this cycle’s awardees and a brief description of each approved grant, visit jcfsnj.org/spring26grants

Looking ahead, here are four FAQ’s regarding JCF grants:

• When is the next JCF Grants Cycle? The Fall 2026 JCF Grants Cycle will kick off on Thursday, Sept. 3 with a Grants Workshop for prospective applicants. Then, the deadline to submit applications will be Friday, October 23. Visit jcfsnj.org/grants for full details, and additional updates will follow in coming months.

• What does the JCF aim to fund? Requests should be submitted by nonprofits and synagogues that aspire to benefit residents of Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties via new initiatives. While we do look to fund a broad array of programs, we have several endowment funds that have specific criteria to support that sometimes do not receive many applications. In particular, we tend to not receive many requests that focus on older adults or substance abuse prevention for teens.

• What tips do you have for applying? Our Grants Workshop goes into greater detail, but there are several key items to keep in mind. First, on our Grants webpage, read our JCF Grant Guidelines to ensure that what you are hoping to apply for falls under our parameters. Next, when you have decided what your organization aims to have funded, be sure to give ample, well-thought-out details about your plans in addition to a well-researched budget. Lastly, make sure that your initiative will occur after the deadline, preferably at least two months.

• How can I support JCF Grants as a donor? Over the course of several decades, generous donors have either established endowment funds to perpetuate biannual JCF Grants or contributed directly to one of these funds or to specific requests that they want to support. In addition, we often work with donors to establish endowment funds to provide ongoing support to JCF Grant-funded programs or services that have made a strong impact on the community. If you would like to start an endowment fund to provide more grant dollars or to perpetuate a specific program or service, or if you would like to learn more about contributing to certain types of requests that we receive (for example, to support programs for children), please contact JCF Assistant Director Mike Staff at (856) 673-2528 or mstaff@jfedsnj.org

Our donors find this opportunity to be incredibly rewarding, and we invite you to share in their enthusiasm for helping the community.

As one can see, JCF Grants provide a unique partnership on multiple levels by collaboratively involving local Jewish and secular organizations, the organizations’ constituents who benefit from new initiatives, and the philanthropic donors who work with the JCF to bring everything to fruition.

The JCF Grants Committee, Board, and staff look forward to another exciting round of JCF Grants in a few short months. Please join us in this impactful endeavor!

dsnyder@jfedsnj.org