Jewish charitable giving has increased exponentially amid coronavirus
The study, conducted between March-August 2020, found that 76% of benefactors increased spending in order to provide emergency grants.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFAn emergency grant by The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews enables soup kitchen meal delivery to help those who can no longer come to them for aid(photo credit: IFCJ)
Jewish charitable giving has increased exponentially amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a recent survey conducted by the Jewish Funders Network (JFN). The study notes that Jewish philanthropists and foundations "significantly" increased charitable donations during the ongoing health crisis - awarding more grants in areas previously ignored, while loosening reporting and application requirements to receive said grants.The study, conducted between March-August 2020, found that 76% of benefactors increased spending in order to provide emergency grants.Some 53% expanded their overall grantmaking, including funding causes who support those down on hard financial times or experiencing food insecurity - and 43% of them intend to maintain this type of spending on emergency funding over the next year.Around 77% of Jewish donators adapted their application processes to be more forgiving, in the hopes to award more grants to those in need. Some 94% will continue to donate the same amount of funding or higher over the next year to support those less fortunate.Additionally, 72% of benefactors are encouraging partnerships, joint ventures and merger opportunities to those they partner with on grants."I am so proud of the way JFN’s members have stepped up during this extremely challenging period, and I hope this report inspires you to continue giving generously," said President and CEO of the Jewish Funders Network Andres Spokoiny. "The next phase – in which we will need to deal with the long-term consequences of Covid – will be as critical as the previous one, and JFN intends to keep providing the resources, information, and networking opportunities that will enable you to better serve the Jewish community and the larger world.
