YOUTH DIRECTED FUNDS
The Dallas Jewish Community Foundation is proud to be associated with the following youth-directed philanthropic funds:
Parkhill 2007-2008 B'nai Mitzvah Fund
Students from Parkhill in Richardson have joined forces to form our newest B’nai Mitzvah Fund . The fund is in its initial stages as committee members approach their Bar Mitzvah dates. Alan Greenspan serves as the adult advisor.
GIFT - The Generous Initiative for Tzedakah Fund
The Student Advisory Committee for this fund is currently preparing to allocate funds in January, 2008. The fund, also referred to as The Greenhill 2006-2007 B’nai Mitzvah Fund was established in February 2006 with Stephanie Rosuck and Arlene Switzer Steinfield serving as adult advisors, in keeping with the Jewish tradition of performing acts of righteousness and acts of lovingkindness (Gemilut Chesed) and the Jewish tradition of Tikkun Olam (repairing and improving the world in which we live) to help assure the continuity of a strong and vibrant Jewish community in Dallas, in Israel and throughout the world by making grants to organizations of any kind having purposes which further those traditions.
K-HELP—Kids Helping Everyone Live Peacefully
This philanthropic fund was established in 2005 by Bar and Bat Mitzvah candidates at Greenhill School with direction from Rabbi Nancy Kasten and Samara Kline who wish to foster an attitude of communal as well as individual responsibility for others by fulfillment of religious and ethical obligations.
Past group funds TGIF—To Give in Friendship Fund
This is Dallas’ original Youth Bar/Bat Mitzvah Fund established by Nancy Kaufman in 1998 after searching for a relevant way to celebrate the bat mitzvah of her daughter, Ariel. She borrowed the idea from an article she read about a San Francisco Jewish Day School project. A Donor Advised Fund* was established through the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation with an Advisory Committee comprised of students in Ariel’s Bat Mitzvah class at Solomon Schechter Academy (currently The Ann and Nate Levine Academy). The 7th grade committee decided upon the name, The TGIF (To Give in Friendship) Fund and determined that all grant recommendations be directed to benefit children. All monetary gifts commemorating each student’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah were combined and placed in the fund. When committee members reached high school graduation the fund had collected and distributed $13,665. The Greenhill School Goodwill Fund was established in February, 1999, and raised $3075.31, granted to the UJC Emergency Relief Fund before it closed in 2002. It was established to aid the Jewish Federation and beneficiary agencies, Jewish charitable organizations in U.S., charitable organizations serving Greater Dallas in fields of inter-group relations, religious, civic, cultural, health and social service, and other charitable organizations outside Greater Dallas which provided an identifiable benefit for the welfare of the area or its residents.
The TEAM Fund—Together Everyone Achieves More Fund
Established in April of 2000 by an Advisory Committee of Solomon Schechter students. Grants were recommended under the Fund’s guidelines specifying charitable organizations serving Greater Dallas in fields of inter-group relations, religious, civic, cultural, health and social service including charitable organizations outside Greater Dallas which would provide an identifiable benefit for the welfare of the area or its residents.This fund was closed in January, 2002. Several individual donor advised funds have also been established by Dallas youth.