Admissions Application Request

2019-20 Jewish Teen Foundation of Greater Boston Application

The Jewish Teen Foundation of Greater Boston (JTFGB) is an innovative leadership development program for Jewish high school students who want to learn how philanthropy works by participating in a year-long foundation-like group experience. A project of the Jewish Teen Funders Network, generously funded by Laura Lauder and the Maimonides Fund, JTFGB is a part of the Foundation Board Incubator initiative. As it enters its fifth year, it will include two first-year boards and one second-year board for Jewish high school students (grades 9-12) from all across the greater Boston area.

Over the course of the academic year, the teens on each JTFGB board will work together as a real philanthropic foundation to:

• learn how Jewish values apply to philanthropy and the grant making process

• acquire critical research skills and hone leadership abilities

• explore issues of social justice

• create Request for Proposals and evaluate grant proposals from non-profits

• learn how to solicit and raise funds to support the causes that are important to them

• challenge each other to insightful discussions and make thoughtful grant decisions that address the causes that matter most to them

Teen board members will work together to identify the issue they'd like to address. At the end of the year, the board members will make grants to nonprofit organizations which may be located in Boston, the country, or the world focused on the issue. Teens learn about tzedakah and tikkun olam and make a huge impact on their world today.

Boards will meet monthly on Sundays throughout the year. Teens selected for this program are expected to make JTFGB a priority. Participation in the 9 monthly meetings, as well as an all-day kick-off retreat in the fall, a parent/student orientation, weekday site visits to non-profit organizations in the spring, and an end of the year grant presentation ceremony are mandatory (unless discussed with and approved by the director in advance). Each board member is responsible for raising a minimum of $360 that will go directly to the grant-making pool.

Participants must be ready to listen, think, participate, debate, write, actively engage, and of course enjoy themselves throughout the program. Minimal work, perhaps a couple of hours, may be assigned in between sessions. As the year proceeds, students will have the opportunity to take the lead in organizing and partially running the monthly sessions, helping to shepherd the board through the grant-making process.

Participation in the program costs $360. No applicant will be denied participation based on financial need. The program fee will be requested upon acceptance into the program. Please note that this amount goes directly to program fees and is NOT contributed to the teens' overall grant-making pool. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis through the beginning of September 2019.

is Required

First Name
Middle Name
Last Name
Email Address
Date of Birth

is Required

Home Address
Street 1
Street 2
City
State
Home Phone Ext:
Mobile Phone Ext:

is Required

Guardian Info
Guardian Relationship
Guardian First Name
Guardian Last Name
Guardian Email

is Required

School (AS OF FALL 2019) School Lookup
Grade (AS OF FALL 2019)

is Required

My Preferred Pronouns (OPTIONAL: Hebrew College faculty and staff would like to utilize your preferred pronouns.)
Program Option
Have you participated in any other philanthropy-related programs? * If so, please explain the program and how you were involved.
Do you enjoy working with groups? What strengths and weaknesses do you bring to a group?
Would you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert? Please explain.
List your extracurricular activities. Please include any jobs or leadership roles you hold, and what your anticipated commitments will be during the 2019-20 academic year.
How do you describe your religious affiliation to Judaism?
Do you currently belong to a synagogue? If yes, which one? * Please list the synagogue name and specific city.
Do you belong to a Jewish youth group? If yes, which one? *Do you hold or have you held any leadership positions or formal roles within your youth group? What were/are they?
Do you attend or have you attended Jewish summer camp? If yes, which one(s) and when?
Please list (and explain if relevant) any other Jewish organizations, activities, or educational programs that you (or anyone in your family) is affiliated with?
How did you learn about JTFGB? * If you heard about JTFGB from a past participant, please include their name(s).
Why do you want to participate in JTFGB? What aspect of the program is most appealing to you?
If yes, how has this impacted you? If no, what has inspired you to seek out participation in a philanthropy education program like JTFGB?
Think of an issue that impacts people within your own community and/or across the entire world. If you had $10,000 to donate or use to make a difference in this particular area, how would you do it?
Feel free to be creative with your next answer! This will give us a sense of what causes/issue areas you are passionate about and how you would try to make a difference with them.
Please select one of the following prompts and include a short essay in the space below addressing the subject.
This should be about 500 words; we will take grammar and spelling into account.
Applicant E-Signature: I have read through all of the above information on the Jewish Teen Foundation of Greater Boston and have an understanding of the program expectations
If selected, I will comply with all of the expectations of JTFGB by: being an active participate (both in and out of meetings); having regular attendance and proper communication;
raising the required funds for the grant-making pool; completing the program for the entirety of the year. (Please use full name for e-signature.)
Parent/Guardian permission for participation Parent/Guardian: By (electronically) signing this form, I understand that my teen has applied to participate in
the Jewish Teen Foundations of Greater Boston for the 2019-20 academic year. I have reviewed the information and understand the commitments involved.
If selected, I promise to support their participation in meetings, activities and all aspects of the program. (Please use full name for e-signature.)
B. an experience demonstrating why you believe tikkun olam is important.
A. an experience you had “giving back” to the community and how it impacted your feelings about tzedakah and philanthropy.
- Or -
(Some examples of issue areas may include poverty, education, poverty, mental health, domestic violence, etc.)
IF "Other", Please specify
------------------------------------------------
Has philanthropy or tikkun olam been stressed as a value in your family?
Please send a recent photo of yourself. This does not need to be a professional photo. It should be something that you feel best represents who you are and your personality as an individual.

2019-20 Jewish Teen Foundation of Greater Boston Application

Home Address

Guardian Info