We're excited to share a new impact report that Jewish Teen Funders Network (JTFN) released in eJewish Philanthropy, based on studies from JTFN’s Foundation Board Incubator, generously funded by Laura Lauder and the Maimonides Fund.

Give and Grow: Jewish Teen Philanthropy’s Unique, Powerful and Lasting Impact, recaps multiple studies of participants in community-based teen philanthropy programs and shows that alumni of these programs demonstrate stronger Jewish identities, a deeper connection to Jewish community, and the inspiration, skills, and confidence to become leaders and changemakers in their own communities.

JTFN, which is a project of JFN, helps communities throughout North America and internationally to develop effective Jewish teen philanthropy programs, ones that are infused with Jewish learning and values, in which participants fulfill all the roles of a funder board, from designing and reviewing grant applications, to distributing funds and reviewing grantee achievements. In these programs, Jewish teens come together to learn, to celebrate Jewish culture, and to change the lives of others both locally and globally.

I encourage you not only to read the impact report, but to share it with those in your community. If no Jewish teen philanthropy program exists yet in your local community, please contact Wayne Green at JTFN to find out how you can help start one. You can download the longer report, on which the impact report is based, here.

As funders, it is critical that we nurture the next generation of Jewish givers and leaders. Critical to this is to ensure that they understand the importance not just of giving philanthropically, but of doing so with a strong Jewish identity, Jewish values and connection to their community.