We train young leaders.
The JewishColumbus Youth Foundation (JCYF) is an annual program that engages local high school leaders and empowers them to grant funds to the Columbus Jewish community. Throughout the year, JCYF participants gain skills in leadership development, board governance and professional collaboration all through the lens of Jewish philanthropy.
The current structure is a two-tiered model, a Learning Cohort and a Voting Cohort. The JCYF Learning Cohort engages in a year-long process of learning about youth philanthropy and community needs and organizations. The JCYF Voting Cohort works together to develop a competitive grants program, which invites Jewish community organizations and programs to apply for funding. Collectively, the cohort decides their philanthropic focus and grants $5,000 to the organizations or programs of their choice. This is made possible thanks to the Legacy Foundation Board of JewishColumbus who invest in our teens and help populate the leadership pipeline.
JCYF grants have supported programs as diverse as the Love & Hugs Bears Program at Zusman Hospice to Environmental Education programs at the Columbus Jewish Day School. Topics addressed by this committee include Jewish Education, Hunger, Summer Camp, Senior Programming, Jewish teen outreach and others. JCYF is made up of B’nai Tzedek Fund holders. For more information contact Alyssa Russell at alyssa@jewishcolumbus.org.