Surging grant applications call for immediate community impact fund growth
For 61 years, Jewish Foundation of Manitoba donors have proven they have the foresight and the willingness to make a difference in the Jewish community through their continued support.
Today, we are seeing exponential increases in requests for Community Impact Grants from Manitoba's Jewish charities.
The problem? The increasing need has outpaced the growth of dollars available for the Foundation to support essential grant applications.
We are turning to our powerful donor base to address this shortfall. When you reflect upon your philanthropic goals for 2025, we hope you will consider one of the following actions;
- Establish a Community Impact Fund
- Contribute to an existing Community Impact Fund
- Direct distribution from your existing fund toward the Community Impact Fund granting pool
The organizations synonymous with our Jewish community rely on Foundation grants to provide their services, and the amount needed to deliver their programs will continue to increase. Without the dollars to match, their future becomes unclear.
In 2014, 61 grant applications from Jewish community charities were reviewed, requesting $850,000 from a pool of $412,000. While the number of applications remained relatively stable in 2024 at 60, the total amount requested surged to $1.9 million.
This is a 14% annual request increase, quickly outpacing Community Impact Fund growth.
In 2014, the Foundation housed 1,053 Community Impact Funds, totalling over $11 million. A decade later, this number had increased to 1,197 funds, reaching a combined value of $20.2 million—an average annual growth of $650,000—an annual increase of 6%, or under half of the 14% growth in grant requests.
To fully meet community needs and ensure we can fund as many requests as possible, we estimate that a growing endowment of $23 million is needed. An endowment of this size will generate $1.3 million in grants annually.
In recent years, many factors have caused costs to increase, forcing Jewish charities to operate with a hand tied behind their backs.
The government is tightening budgets and freezing granting opportunities, forcing them to lean more heavily on private funding.
Our Jewish community's infrastructure is aging. For example, the synagogues and Jewish Summer Camps we have attended for years are in need of costly maintenance. Combined with membership challenges, the costs of these essential upgrades become more daunting.
The war in Israel continues to bring new families to Manitoba, increasing the need for Jewish services to welcome and get them settled. With this heightened demand for social services, rising cost of living and global instability comes an ever-growing need for resources to care for our new community members.
Why Community Impact Funds?
Community Impact Grants have long been our most effective and flexible resource for supporting our organizations. The grant applications we receive cover a tremendous scope, and these funds allow our granting committee to directly address the needs of charities to deliver their programming.
In 2024, grants were approved to fund programs such as:
- A sensory room at Gray Academy for student support
- Bursaries for students participating in March of the Living
- Updated equipment and security features at numerous synagogues
- Upgrades to the in-house kosher kitchen at Gwen Secter Creative Living Centre
- Multi-year grants to the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg’s PJ Library, a program utilized by so many families every day
As you reflect on your philanthropic goals for 2025, we hope you will consider opening a Community Impact Fund or donating to an existing one. Starting a named fund requires an initial gift of just $100 and is a terrific entry point to meaningful endowment building.
If you have an existing donor-advised fund on which you direct the distribution, you can allocate a portion of those dollars to the Community Impact Grants pool.
For those considering a bequest, designating it for Community Impact Funds is also a great option to ensure that your gift will adapt and evolve to help those who come after us.
Together, we can ensure our community flourishes and provides unmatched support to those in need.
To learn more or to let us know that you would like to help grow the Community Impact Fund, please contact the JFM office at 204.477.7520 or email [email protected]