Social Change Grantmaking
All Women of Vision members have the opportunity to cast a vote on programs they believe deserve funding to create and inspire social change and justice for self-identifying Jewish women and girls. Women of Vision was founded in 1994 and its first grant was allocated in 2001.
From its inception, WOV has collectively decided and distributed through its endowment fund more than $1.7 million to nonprofit organizations in Greater Philadelphia and Israel. WOV annually rotates its grant distribution to either Greater Philadelphia or Israel, a new system which began in 2018.
Grant Recipients
Special Israel Grants 2024
Civil Commission on October 7 Crimes by Hamas Against Women and Children
(Special one-time grant of $30,000 in Fiscal Year 2024)
Women of Vision continues to be a voice for our sisters in Israel and stand firmly in solidarity with the Jewish homeland during the ongoing war against terrorism. In February 2024, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, separate from the Women of Vision Endowment Fund, Women of Vision made a special one-time grant of $30,000 to the Civil Commission on October 7 Crimes by Hamas Against Women and Children to support their work documenting the systematic and deliberate gender and sexual-based violence that Hamas committed and advocating for necessary changes on the international stage.
Jewish Women’s Collective Response Fund Collaborative Grant
The Jewish Women’s Collective Response Fund, which includes the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s Women of Vision group, recently announced five grants to support Israeli nonprofits actively and effectively working to give voice to women and advance equality in government and civil society as Israelis reprioritize and rebuild during and after wartime.
The five Israeli organizations receiving grants, each for $25,000, are:
- The Adva Center, based in Tel Aviv, advances equality, social justice and gender-responsive policies in Israel, including giving voice in the Israeli government to women at a time when they are often excluded from decision-making.
- Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, based in Jerusalem, raises awareness within Israeli communities and government of gender-based sexual violence and harassment; provides support, resources and advocacy for survivors; and leads calls internationally for accountability for the sexual terrorism committed against Israeli women on Oct. 7.
- Itach Ma’aki – Women Lawyers for Social Justice, based in Tel Aviv, empowers and gives voice to Israeli women facing social, geographic, national, ethnic and economic discrimination by providing legal aid, engaging with activist groups and other allies, and identifying and promoting changes in national policy and legislation.
- The Ruth and Emanuel Rackman Center, based at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, promotes the status and rights of women in matters of family law and works to end gender discrimination and inequality in Israel through advocacy and legislative change.
- WePower, based in Azor, works to elevate women to influential and decision-making positions in Israel, focusing on erasing the gender gap in public and political arenas by identifying potential female leaders and training them for leadership positions, promoting gender-aware legislation to remove barriers, and advancing gender equality as a societal foundation.
Greater Philadelphia & National Grants 2024-2026 ($226,429)
Jewish Women International ($30,000/year for two years)
“Financial Fitness for Young Women”
Financial Fitness gathers women in their 20s and 30s for workshops, designed to unpack emotional barriers that often make women hesitant to address money issues and consider financial fitness as a component of physical and emotional well-being. This helps prepare women to prioritize their goals, organize finances, create a realistic budget, and learn how to negotiate and invest strategically. With the WOV grant, the program will expand its services to offer more classes and create additional tracks for new partnerships and participants to empower financial literacy among young women as a way to combat financial inequality and insecurity.
jGirls+ Magazine ($36,000/year for two years)
“Jewish Feminist Leadership Strategy & Vocal Point”
jGirls+ Magazine is a global community for Jewish women and nonbinary teens throughout North America to voice their realities, engage with new ideas, and lift each other up as they help cultivate the next generation of empowered, confident Jewish feminist leaders. The teen staff members are trained in an experiential educational curriculum within a Jewish context and learn how to set the editorial agenda for publication content. With the WOV grant, the organization will expand its services to reach more teens and readership and launch a new public speaking program to increase and empower feminist teen leaders to become ambassadors of its programs.
Dinah & The Hebrew Free Loan Society ($36,000/year for two years)
“Shalom Bayit Fund”
Dinah is a comprehensive legal services center providing low-cost and pro bono legal representation to survivors of domestic abuse in the Jewish community of Greater Philadelphia. In partnership with the Hebrew Free Loan Society, Dinah is seeking a WOV grant to establish the first interest-free loan program for women leaving domestic violence or unsafe relationships as well as to create new collaborative programming. This initiative will be a restricted loan fund through Hebrew Free Loan Society that will benefit individuals in physical or financial abusive relationships, who do not qualify for public benefits or are unable to access legal aid.
Moving Traditions ($22,429 for one year)
“CultureShift”
Moving Traditions emboldens Jewish youth through programs to thrive through the pursuit of personal wellbeing (shleimut), caring relationships (hesed), and a Jewish and feminist vision of equity and justice (tzedek). Moving Traditions is seeking a grant to address the issues of appropriate sexual behavior in a camp setting. With the WOV grant, the organization will expand its services and more than double its camp partners to provide direct, in-person training to overnight and day camp staff to implement direct programs for teen campers to help reinforce positive behaviors.
Israel Grants 2023-2025 ($137,328)
Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel (ARCCI) ($60,000 over two years)
Improving Law Enforcement Systems for Victims
Giving a voice to over 50,000 victims each year, the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel advocates for women of all ages who are victims of sexual violence across Israel.
Yozmot Atid ($60,000 over two years)
Micro-Business Entrepreneurship Program
Yozmot Atid brings Arab and Jewish women entrepreneurs together through business training courses, workshops and mentorship programs to assist in the promotion and expansion of small businesses.
ELI ($17,328 in Fiscal Year 2024)
Protecting Haredi Young Women and Girls
ELI aims to reduce abuse through partnering with influential rabbis and mikveh attendants, providing training for bridal teachers, creating abuse awareness and prevention programs in schools, and supporting at-risk mothers and women identified as being abused.
Greater Philadelphia & National Grants 2022-2024 ($185,000)
Einstein Healthcare Network ($72,000 over two years)
Empowering Orthodox Women Through Sexual Health Education
Empowering Orthodox women to take charge of their health and well-being with informed, culturally sensitive education.
Jewish Women International ($45,000 over two years)
Financial Fitness for Young Women
Financial Fitness gathers women in their 20s and 30s for 4-5 workshops, designed to unpack emotional barriers that often make women hesitant to address money issues and consider financial fitness as a component of physical and emotional well-being.
jGirls+ Magazine ($68,000 over two years)
Feminist Teen Leadership Training Program
Each year, jGirls Magazine invites teens entering 10th, 11th, and 12th grades throughout North America to join their staff as editors and photographers and to participate in their robust feminist leadership development program.