Details

Description

Created in 2002, The Jewish Venture Philanthropy Fund of Los Angeles is a group of committed community leaders who have pooled their money and expertise to create a vehicle for high-impact philanthropic work in the Jewish Community. The Fund seeks to support the Jewish community by searching out and supporting those unique ideas that are backed with a passion and leadership with a plan to strengthen and positively impact our Jewish community. The Fund works in coordination with, and is staffed by, The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles.

Goals

Unlike many philanthropic organizations that focus their investments by “interest” (like the elderly, or education, or the arts, etc.), the Fund focuses on different dimensions: impact, scalability and sustainability. In a geographically dispersed area like LA, let alone in Israel and the broader world, impact requires scale. Small ideas are not overlooked, but they need the capacity to mature into big endeavors with a potentially large reach. The Fund prides itself on taking calculated risks on new ideas with the capacity to change the Jewish world. We look for organizations in which our investment can leverage significant growth.

Operational Details

Each Fund member contributes $10,000 annually to the fund. Fund members bring real world business experience and invest both their money and their respective expertise in projects. The Fund receives nearly 100 requests for funding every cycle which the fund members carefully consider for funding. Each cycle Fund teams work with a few finalists in an intensive due diligence process in which Fund members assist nonprofit leaders in shaping their ideas and business plans. Once funding is given, Fund members continue to provide strategic advice and often serve on the boards of funded organizations.

For more information on JVPF-LA, contact Scott Minkow at 323-761-8326 or SMinkow@JewishLA.org.