Voices: The Chicago Jewish Teen Foundation

Each year, approximately 25 outstanding Jewish teens are selected to participate in Voices: The Chicago Jewish Teen Foundation based upon their outstanding academic achievements, exceptional extracurricular activities, and proven leadership abilities. Now in its eighth year, Voices provides a forum to Chicago area Jewish teens from diverse religious and social backgrounds to meet one another in a fun and challenging atmosphere. Over the course of the academic year, the teens work together as a real philanthropic foundation. Kicking of the year with a full-day retreat and continuing with regular monthly meetings, they :

• learn the ins and outs of both the grant making and grant writing process
• apply Jewish values to philanthropy
• acquire critical research skills
• hone leadership abilities
• debate social justice issues
• participate in intensive training on how to solicit and evaluate grant proposals from non-profits
• conduct site visits, utilizing professional interviewing techniques
• challenge each other to make thoughtful, insightful grants that address the causes that matter most to them

At the end of the year, teen board members work together to grant over $25,000 to both Jewish and secular charities in Chicago, across the country, and all around the world. Voices is a very real, very substantial demonstration not only of tzedakah and tikkun olam, but of the tremendous social and financial impact that tomorrow's grant makers can have upon the world TODAY.

Take a look at the projects and organizations Voices has funded in the past!

Now's Your Chance

You've always dreamed of a world where every child has enough to eat and a roof overhead, where diseases are conquered and the environment is protected, where all peoples live in harmony and all nations are at peace.

Now you can do more than dream.

Think about what you could do with $25,000. That could buy a lot of hot meals. It could provide a lot of medicine, shelter or job training. It could fund a lot of literacy or tolerance workshops. Or all of the above. It's up to you.

You can Make a Difference

We think of tzedakah as the act of giving charity and tikkun olam as the commitment to repair the world, one good deed at a time. Voices: The Chicago Jewish Teen Foundation invites you to combine tzedakah and tikkun olam in an exciting new way. We'll provide the money. You provide the ideas, the passion, the voice.

  Related Video:

Voices - Robbie's Story Like many teens, Robbie yearned to make a difference for people in need. Here's the story of how his involvement in JUF helped him do just that. 0:48 (6.5 MB) | 10/10/2007

For Grant Seekers

Voices: The Chicago Jewish Teen Foundation 2011-2012 grant making cycle is now open to receive grant proposals! This year, Voices members are divided into five areas of interest, each with their own Request for Proposal (RFP). They are:

• Children
• The Environment
• Health & Medicine
• Aid to Israel
• Special Needs

Approximately $30,000 in grants (divided by 5 different areas of interest) will be awarded this year. Proposals will be considered up to $6,000 for funding. Annually, the giving circle receives over 50 proposals and on average funds 20% of projects in small amounts. High priority will be given to organizations in the Chicago-metropolitan area and in Israel. Seventy-five percent of the dollars allocated from Voices must go toward Jewish organizations that serve either the Jewish or non-Jewish communities. Twenty-five percent of the dollars may be allocated to secular organizations.

If you are interested in applying, please review the RFPs and ensure that your organization/program meets the grant guidelines. Please direct your questions to Stephanie Goldfarb at 312-444-2802 or voices@juf.org.

Voices: The Chicago Jewish Teen Foundation
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
30 South Wells Rm 5035
Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: 312-444-2802
Fax: 312-444-2086
E-mail: voices@juf.org