JWI Named One of America's Top 50 Innovative Jewish Organizations
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JWI Named One of America's Top 50 Innovative Jewish Organizations
Twelfth Annual Slingshot Guide Highlights the Best of the Jewish Nonprofit World
Washington, D.C. – Jewish Women International (JWI) has been named one of North America’s top 50 innovative Jewish organizations in the twelfth annual Slingshot Guide. The Guide has become a go-to resource for volunteers, activists and donors looking for new opportunities and projects that, through their innovative nature, will ensure the Jewish community remains relevant and thriving. Slingshot 2017 was released today.
Selected from among hundreds of finalists reviewed by nearly 100 professionals with expertise in grant-making and Jewish communal life, JWI’s Boy to Mentsch project tackles the complex issue of domestic violence in the Orthodox community by engaging boys and men as allies. In synagogues, schools, sports leagues, and camps, fathers and sons learn about healthy masculinity and what it really means to be a mentsch. The Guide said, “Boy to Mentsch has created a space for conversation and a language to discuss masculinity where none had previously existed.”
“This is just part of JWI’s work to engage men and boys as allies in ending violence against women and girls,” JWI VP of Programs & New Initiatives Deborah Rosenbloom says. “Unlike our other initiatives, Boy to Mentsch is specifically tailored for the frum community. Men are the leaders in that world, so creating a societal shift starts with them. Teaching boys how to be true mentschen will have a big impact on the future health of this community and the families within it.”
Organizations included in this year’s Guide were evaluated on their innovative approach, the impact they have in their work, the leadership they have in their sector, and their effectiveness at achieving results. JWI is proud to be among the 50 organizations honored for meeting those standards.
Sarah Rueven, Slingshot board chair, adds, "Slingshot is highlighting the work of organizations that strengthen Jewish life by rising to the challenges of the day and making our community more relevant to our generation. We are inspired by projects that help people connect to Jewish life in ways that both feel both fresh and relevant, while honoring our traditions.”
“JWI is proud to have our work selected in this year’s guide, and thrilled to be part of the amazing community of the hundreds of innovative Jewish organizations included in the Guide over the past eleven years who continue to create positive change in the Jewish community,” JWI CEO Lori Weinstein says.
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The Slingshot Guide, now in its twelfth year, was created by a team of young funders as a guidebook to help funders of all ages diversify their giving portfolios to include the most innovative and effective organizations, programs and projects in North America. The Guide contains information about each organization’s origin, mission, strategy, impact and budget, as well as details about its unique character. The Slingshot Guide has proven to be a catalyst for next generation funding and offers a telling snapshot of shifting trends in North America's Jewish community – and how nonprofits are meeting new needs and reaching new audiences. The book, published annually, is available in hard copy and as a free download at www.slingshotfund.org.
Jewish Women International is the leading Jewish organization working to end violence against women and girls domestically and internationally. JWI is a principal leader of the Coalition to End Violence Against Women and Girls Globally and a Steering Committee member of the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women. JWI’s advocacy efforts focus on the passage of legislation that supports women and girls, ensures their economic security and their ability to live life free of violence. For more information, please visit www.jwi.org or call us at 800-323-2823.