Community Grants
At the Jewish Community Foundation, we are committed to serving as a resource to individuals, families, and organizations throughout our community in an effort to sustain our local Jewish heritage and vital institutions into the next generation. Among our various resources are the community grants disbursed to Jewish students and Jewish organizations in our Greater Mercer region.
Since the inception of the LIFE & LEGACY program, the Foundation has provided training, materials and individualized guidance to 17 Partner organizations, including synagogues, agencies and educational centers. When Partners achieve mutually agreed-upon goals each year, they are presented with an annual incentive grant by the Foundation. This grant serves as a reward for their commitment to legacy giving and assists each Partner in growing an endowment fund, administered by the Foundation.
Each year, the Foundation provides scholarships for local Jewish college students to receive financial assistance when purchasing academic books required for their studies. This endeavor is known as the Book Award Program. The Foundation partners with Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Mercer County (JFCS) to identify applicants and award scholarships based on need, merit and community involvement.
The Foundation oversees the Nathan and Ruth Feldstein Israel Travel Fund, established specifically to offer financial assistance to local teens in high school wishing to study and work in Israel. Each year grants are disbursed from the Foundation to nonprofit programs for which students are enrolled. After their time in Israel, students reflect on their experiences with peers and community members back at home.
The Foundation oversees The Henry and Geralyn Glazer Greenwood House Scholarship Fund, which provides annual funding to a select member of the Greenwood House staff to pursue continued professional training. Both Geralyn and Henry Glazer resided at Greenwood House at the end of their lives, and their family was impressed with the care they received. The Glazer Scholarship Fund is a meaningful example of how charitable dollars can have a lasting impact.