Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston Inc

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $208.7 million (FY2023)
• Assets Under Management: $2.4 billion
• Grant Recipients: 963 organisations (FY2023)
• Decision Time: 2-4 months (varies by programme)
• Grant Range: $1,000 - $100,000
• Geographic Focus: Greater Boston, Israel, and worldwide Jewish communities

Contact Details

Website: https://www.cjp.org/ and https://ma.cjp.org/

Address: Combined Jewish Philanthropies, Kraft Family Building, 126 High Street, Boston, MA 02110-2700

Phone: 617.457.8500

Grant Programme Contact: Visit https://www.cjp.org/community-jobs-grants/apply-for-grants for specific programme information

Overview

Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) of Greater Boston is Massachusetts' largest nonprofit organisation and Greater Boston's Jewish Federation, founded over 125 years ago. With IRS tax-exempt status since 1965 (EIN: 042103559), CJP manages philanthropic assets valued at $2.4 billion and reported annual expenses of $208.7 million in FY2023, making grants to 963 Jewish and secular organisations. CJP's mission is to inspire and mobilise the diverse Greater Boston Jewish community to engage in building communities of learning and action that strengthen Jewish life and improve the world. The organisation employs grant-making as one critical tool for building and fortifying a vibrant Jewish future, collaborating with and supporting more than 200 organisations. Under President & CEO Marc Baker's leadership, CJP has raised more than $200 million in annual support and deployed significant emergency funds, including $41 million for Israel emergency response. CJP holds a 4/4 Star rating on Charity Navigator.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

The Miriam Fund: $7,500 - $25,000 One-year grants supporting programmes for the wellbeing of women and girls in Greater Boston or Israel. Following a first-year grant, organisations may be considered for renewal for up to two additional consecutive years. Awarded $400,000+ to 22 organisations in 2024-2025. Eligible organisations must have operating budgets of $1.5 million or less. Applications open annually in August via online LOI.

Arts & Culture Community Impact Grants: $7,500 - $25,000 Ten grants of $7,500 each for individual artists or collaborative groups whose work explores Jewish identity through various mediums including song, dance, and visual art. One $25,000 grant available for collaborative projects led by at least three artists, including Jewish and BIPOC artists employing multiple artistic mediums. Projects should creatively interpret or reinvent Jewish teachings, ritual, tradition, or Jewish life. Applications open annually in August.

Ally Challenge Grants: Variable amounts CJP's Center for Combating Antisemitism programme seeds and grows grassroots, hyperlocal projects that build cross-community relationships to combat antisemitism across Greater Boston. In 2024, CCA provided $1.7 million in strategic grants to local partners focused on preventing antisemitism in public education institutions, civic spaces, workplaces, and local college campuses.

Young Adults Israel Engagement Grants: Variable amounts Supports programmes engaging young adults with Israel. Applications typically due in October with decisions announced in November.

Religious School Innovation Program (RSIP) Grants: Variable amounts Supports innovation in Jewish education through religious schools. Application process includes LOI stage.

Communal Security Initiative: Variable amounts Distributed upwards of $1.5 million in grants to help protect the community, collaborating with more than 250 Jewish organisations and training thousands of individuals.

Israel Emergency Fund: Variable amounts (major grants) Provides emergency response funding to Israeli organisations. As of September 2024, deployed $41 million through 51 unique partners and 72 grants providing mental health, economic, and emergency social services. Examples include $1 million to Kibbutz Re'im and $1.8 million total to HaGal Sheli.

Community Impact Grants: Variable amounts Projects must address one or more of CJP's three Impact Areas, with funds available for Organisational Capacity Building and Community Enhancement Initiatives.

Priority Areas

CJP has defined three cross-cutting communal impact areas:

1. Caring for Vulnerable Populations: Supporting those most in need within the Jewish community and beyond
2. Broader and Deeper Engagement in Jewish Life: Programmes that strengthen Jewish identity, learning, and community connection
3. Healthy, Thriving, and Sustainable Community: Building organisational capacity and community infrastructure

Specific focus areas include:

• Women and girls' wellbeing (The Miriam Fund focuses on Education, Economic Empowerment, Health, Legal Rights, and Personal Safety)
• Jewish arts and culture
• Combating antisemitism and promoting cross-community relationships
• Israel engagement and emergency response
• Religious school innovation and Jewish education
• Community security
• Economic empowerment and social services

What They Don't Fund

CJP's due diligence ensures all grantees are qualified charitable organisations that don't conflict with CJP's mission to strengthen Jewish life and improve the world. While specific exclusions are not comprehensively listed publicly, grants are focused on organisations serving Jewish communities or aligned with Jewish values and community building.

Governance and Leadership

President & CEO: Marc Baker leads CJP in its mission to inspire Jewish life and ignite positive change. He has served in this role for several years and collaborates with leaders, volunteers, and community partners to advance CJP's strategic priorities. Baker emphasises partnership over transactional relationships, stating: "We have moved beyond the days when federations simply collect and distribute tzedakah" and that CJP's grantees are in "genuine strategic partnership together, building the community that we want." He focuses on creating "a culture of learning and growth, where people can take risks and be vulnerable" and believes in the need to "educate people about the value of communal giving, and show them that they can make a bigger difference when they choose to be part of the whole."

Senior Vice President of Philanthropy: Jennifer Weinstock

Women's Philanthropy Leadership:

• President: Pamela Norden
• VP of Giving: Erica Abate Recht
• VP of Connection: Jennifer Drucker
• VP of Leadership Development: Abigail Fierman

CJP operates with a comprehensive governance structure including a Board of Trustees, various committees (including Budget and Administration), and extensive volunteer leadership who shape strategy and community initiatives.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

CJP operates multiple grant programmes, each with specific application methods:

Two-Stage Process (Most Programmes):

1. Letter of Intent (LOI): Initial brief application submitted online through CJP's grants portal
2. Full Application: Invited applicants receive complete instructions and submit detailed proposals

Required Documentation:

• IRS Letter of Determination for public charities
• If using fiscal sponsor: letter providing full legal name, contact information, and copy of their IRS Letter of Determination
• Financial information and organisational details
• Programme-specific requirements vary

Application Submission: Most programmes use online application portals. Only LOIs submitted through the official online forms are considered. Organisations may only submit one application per programme per year.

Site Visits: For some programmes (like The Miriam Fund), a site visit or telephone interview by fund members is a component of the final application process.

Decision Timeline

The Miriam Fund:

• LOI Opens: Annually in August
• LOI Decision Notification: November (approximately 3 months after submission)
• Final Decisions: Mid-April (approximately 8 months from LOI submission)

Arts & Culture Community Impact Grants:

• Applications Open: Annually in August
• Timeline: Similar multi-month process

Young Adults Israel Engagement Grants:

• Application Deadline: October
• Decision Announcement: November
• Total Timeline: ~1-2 months

General Timeline: Most programmes operate on 2-4 month decision cycles from LOI submission to grant announcement. Notification typically occurs via email with formal award letters following.

Success Rates

While CJP does not publish specific success rate percentages, the organisation made 963 grants to organisations in FY2023 (965 awards in FY2023, 966 in FY2022, 964 in FY2021, 942 in FY2020). The substantial number of recipients indicates a relatively robust grantmaking portfolio, though specific programmes like The Miriam Fund (22 organisations funded in 2024-2025) and Arts & Culture grants (10 individual grants of $7,500 each plus one $25,000 collaborative grant) are more competitive due to limited availability.

Reapplication Policy

The Miriam Fund:

• Current third-year grantees must take one full year off before reapplying
• All other past grantees (including unsuccessful applicants) are eligible to apply at the LOI stage with no waiting period
• Following a first-year grant, organisations may be considered for renewal for up to two additional consecutive years

Arts & Culture Community Impact Grants:

• Applicants who received funding in the previous funding year are not eligible to apply for the current funding cycle

Policies vary by programme; unsuccessful applicants generally face no restrictions on reapplying in subsequent cycles.

Application Success Factors

CJP's Stated Priorities for Strong Applications

CJP seeks to incentivise and embolden grantees that strive to meet several ideals:

• Collaboration between multiple institutions working toward shared outcomes
• Stability, responsiveness, and continually seeking improvement
• Intrepid and entrepreneurial approaches with agility
• Prioritising people and future-forward ideas aimed at a thriving and engaged Jewish community

Programme-Specific Success Factors

The Miriam Fund:

• Results-oriented projects: CJP welcomes applications that can demonstrate measurable and sustainable impact
• Gender lens approach: Programmes must clearly support the wellbeing of women and girls
• Focus areas alignment: Projects should address Education, Economic Empowerment, Health, Legal Rights, or Personal Safety

Arts & Culture Grants:

• Projects should "creatively interpret or reinvent Jewish teachings, ritual, tradition, or Jewish life"
• Work should "spark questions, foster curiosity, or invite communal dialogue"
• Can be individual artists or collaborative groups

All Programmes:

• Accessibility: All grantees must demonstrate consideration of accessibility and participation for individuals of all abilities
• Alignment with CJP's three impact areas: Caring for Vulnerable Populations, Broader and Deeper Engagement in Jewish Life, or Healthy, Thriving, and Sustainable Community
• Mission alignment: Projects must align with strengthening Jewish life and improving the world

Recent Funded Projects as Examples

Israel Emergency Fund: $1 million to Kibbutz Re'im to house 430 displaced individuals; $1.8 million total to HaGal Sheli for emergency response project providing mental health and social services

Ally Challenge Grants: Grassroots, hyperlocal projects building cross-community relationships to combat antisemitism across Greater Boston

The Miriam Fund: 22 organisations funded in 2024-2025 with $400,000+ in grants for women's and girls' wellbeing programmes

Leadership Guidance

Marc Baker emphasises that CJP views its relationship with grantees as "genuine strategic partnership together, building the community that we want" rather than transactional. He encourages organisations to understand that every contribution matters, whether large or small, and to see themselves as part of communal giving that creates bigger collective impact.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Partnership mindset: CJP views grants as strategic partnerships, not transactions. Frame your application to show how you'll collaborate with CJP to build community, not just receive funding.

• Measurable impact is essential: Particularly for programmes like The Miriam Fund, demonstrate concrete, measurable, and sustainable outcomes. Include clear metrics and evaluation plans.

• Embrace the three impact areas: Explicitly connect your project to one or more of CJP's three core areas: Caring for Vulnerable Populations, Broader and Deeper Engagement in Jewish Life, or Healthy, Thriving, and Sustainable Community.

• Show collaboration and innovation: CJP prioritises projects that involve collaboration between institutions and demonstrate intrepid, entrepreneurial approaches with agility. Highlight partnerships and innovative elements.

• Start with the LOI: Most programmes require a Letter of Intent first. This is your chance to make a compelling initial case. Organisations notified in early stages whether they'll be invited to submit full proposals.

• Accessibility matters: All applications must demonstrate consideration of accessibility and participation for individuals of all abilities. Build this into your programme design, not as an afterthought.

• Multi-year potential: For The Miriam Fund, successful first-year grantees can receive up to two additional consecutive years of funding. Show sustainability and potential for growth in your initial application.

• Geographic and mission alignment: Ensure your project serves Greater Boston, Israel, or global Jewish communities and clearly aligns with strengthening Jewish life and improving the world.

References

• Combined Jewish Philanthropies Official Website: https://www.cjp.org/ (Accessed December 2025)
• CJP Grants and Proposals Page: https://www.cjp.org/community-jobs-grants/apply-for-grants (Accessed December 2025)
• The Miriam Fund Grant Information: https://www.cjp.org/community-jobs-grants/apply-for-grants/the-miriam-fund-grant (Accessed December 2025)
• Arts & Culture Community Impact Grants: https://www.cjp.org/arts-culture-community-impact-grant (Accessed December 2025)
• Ally Challenge Grant Recipients: https://www.cjp.org/cjp-news/ally-challenge-grant-recipients (Accessed December 2025)
• CJP Leadership - Marc Baker: https://www.cjp.org/about-us/our-leadership/marc-baker (Accessed December 2025)
• Q&A with Rabbi Marc Baker: https://www.cjp.org/cjp-news/our-first-qa-with-rabbi-marc-baker (Accessed December 2025)
• eJewishPhilanthropy - Rabbi Marc Baker Profile: https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/rabbi-marc-baker/ (Accessed December 2025)
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/042103559 (Accessed December 2025)
• Charity Navigator Profile: https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/042103559 (Accessed December 2025)
• Candid Foundation Directory: https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile?key=COMB012 (Accessed December 2025)
• CJP News & Announcements: https://www.cjp.org/cjp-news (Accessed December 2025)
• CJP Grants Overview: https://ma.cjp.org/grants-overview (Accessed December 2025)
• 2021-2022 CJP Grants News: https://www.cjp.org/cjp-news/2021-2022-cjp-grants-empower-projects-throughout-the-community (Accessed December 2025)