Federation Innovation has awarded $182,000 in Propel Innovation Renewal Grants, supporting organizations, ideas, and people reimagining Jewish life in Atlanta. These grant renewals went to seven organizations that were originally awarded innovation funds in June 2019.
“These organizations were selected for grant renewals because they have demonstrated their impact through initiatives that are sparking long-term, systemic change and social good in Jewish Atlanta,” said Jori Mendel, Vice President, Federation Innovation. “Due to the COVID-19 crisis, there are emerging needs such as mobilizing volunteers to serve in and outside of our community (Repair the World), broader access to mental health services (The Blue Dove Foundation), and a different delivery system for aging services (AgeWell Atlanta) to name just a few.”
“Our goal is to support the bold work of these grant recipients in an exponential manner because we must invest in these visionary changemakers like never before.”
Additional Propel grants for new projects will be announced in just a few weeks to align with the evolving needs of the community.
Repair The World — Solidarity Through Service
To build consistent and meaningful volunteer and service experiences. This grant will support an investment in racial justice, educational learning and a technology solution to serve and scale virtual volunteer experiences over MLK weekend.
The Blue Dove Foundation – Mental Health Wellbeing Toolkit
This is a comprehensive project addressing mental health and substance abuse issues through a toolkit and training sessions for organizational leaders, community members and Jewish camps to serve as “mental health first responders.” The Jewish Mental Health Wellbeing Toolkit will address increased mental health needs that have arisen during COVID-19 and will be launched virtually.
Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta – Jewish Education Collaborative
As part of a larger project to reimagine a model for Jewish education in Atlanta, this program leverages teachers as catalysts for change. This grant supports moving three supplemental education programs ready to experiment through a process with the national Jewish Education Project to rapidly innovate their models and provide learnings to greater Atlanta.
AgeWell Atlanta – Information and Referral Concierge
Atlanta is home to one of the fastest growing senior communities in the country. Most older adults prefer to stay in their own homes as they age, which increases the need for a coordinated system of care. This grant will enable AgeWell Atlanta to implement a data management system, which will enable it to track delivery of services, collect outcomes data, determine the impact of its work, and identify service gaps to further enable older adults and caregivers to access a coordinated continuum of services supporting maximum wellness, wherever they reside.
OneTable Atlanta
Atlanta-based OneTable will extend its focus on engaging Jewishly underserved demographic areas and niche populations, such as Jews of Color, LGBTQ, as well as underserved geographic areas in Greater Atlanta. This grant will enable OneTable to recruit more hosts in these populations and focus on converting attendees into repeat hosts.
Your Jewish Bridge – Communal Rabbi
Moving beyond the concept of membership as the sole “access card” to communal engagement and rabbinic support, the community rabbi provides life cycle and other rabbinic services to the larger community. This grant will support Your Jewish Bridge in expanding its business model, strengthening its communal presence and responding to emergent pastoral needs in the community.
Moishe House – Russian-Speaking House
This grant will further enable the expansion of Moishe House’s successful programs by continuing to support the recent addition of a 4th house in Brookhaven to serve the growing Russian-speaking Jewish population in Atlanta.
