The Birmingham Jewish Federation''s Israel-World Jewry Bureau (IWJB) is accepting applications for its 2010 allocations process and would like to hear from you, our community members.
Perhaps there is a prominent overseas organization which you think the BJF should fund or a smaller project which might otherwise get overlooked? Through our Israel-World Jewry Bureau''s allocations process, community members can submit requests, advocate for organizations and help them get funding.
Through this unique allocations process, developed in 2004, the BJF has been able to help fund smaller, yet important agencies, doing vital work for people in need in Israel and around the world.
Through the years, significant people-to-people relationships have developed between representatives of these agencies and those in our community who serve as their local advocates. In 2008, a BJF delegation to Israel visited two of our recipient agencies, Table to Table and Selah, the Israel Crisis Management Center. At both places, our group met the staff of these organizations and gained a better understanding of their work. At Selah, BJF representatives also met clients helped by the agency.
In 2009, the IWJB allocations group was able to fund 14 agencies and programs, serving a wide variety of needs; hunger relief in the former Soviet Union, providing school supplies for underprivileged Israeli school children, aiding Israeli food rescue operations and supporting soldiers in the Israeli army to name a few. In 2009 three new agencies were added to the IWJB portfolio; The Israel Project, Yemin Orde and World ORT.
Through the IWJB Allocations process, dollars raised by our annual campaign as well as dollars contributed by the Birmingham Jewish Foundation are not only making an important difference in the lives of those we help, but enable members of our Birmingham community to work in direct partnership with our brothers and sisters in Israel and elsewhere in the world.
Federal legislation requires that all recipient agencies be affiliated with a US charitable organization or receive approval from the Federations of North America through its oversight process. Agencies applying for funding also must have a local community advocate.
Deadline for submitting requests is Thursday, April 1st.
The Israel-World Jewry Bureau, chaired by volunteer Steven Brickman, will meet in April to review applications. Recommendations for funding will be presented to the BJF Board of Directors for formal approval. BJF Associate Executive Director Joyce Spielberger is staff person for the Israel-World Jewry Bureau and can help with questions or information. Joyce can be reached at 879-0416 or joyces@bjf.org.
