Agawam, Mass. – The Harold Grinspoon Foundation today announced $10 million in new emergency grant funding to support the non-profit Jewish summer overnight camps that participate in the foundation’s JCamp 180® program.
“The timing of the COVID-19 pandemic is hitting camps especially hard. We don’t yet know the full extent of the resources the camps will need to weather this storm, but we know they need extra cash flow now and their needs will be significant if the camps can’t open this summer,” said founder Harold Grinspoon. “Jewish summer camp is a transformative experience for more than 90,000 children and young adult counselors each summer and is vital to our Jewish community. We hope that this new $10 million commitment will inspire others to help with needed funds to protect and sustain Jewish camp at this critical moment.”
The details of the grant structure for the $10 million are in development and will be released soon.
JCamp 180 works with professional and lay leaders of Jewish camps across six key areas: board development, governance, strategic planning, fundraising, enrollment and the effective use of technology to further the mission of the organization.
An important aspect of the JCamp 180 program is its use of mentors, who work closely with all of the camps to support fundraising activities, board work and planning. “In addition to the grant funding, our mentors will continue to assist camp leadership with contingency planning, strategic communications, and navigating financial resource opportunities as they become available,” said Sarah Eisinger, director of the JCamp 180 program. “Our team is committed to helping camp leadership access resources from both the public and private sector.”
“At this time of escalating need, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation can be most impactful in the areas where we have expertise,” said Winnie Sandler Grinspoon, foundation president. “We know Jewish summer camp well and we have deep and longstanding relationships with camp professionals and lay leaders. And, as one camp director told us: ‘if we have ever needed [HGF’s] help, it’s now.’”
“We applaud all who are working tirelessly on plans to help camps and the many other communal institutions we hold dear,” said Sandler Grinspoon. “We are in this together.”
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The Harold Grinspoon Foundation operates programs that strive to strengthen the Jewish community by nurturing new generations, cultivating legacy giving, and investing in experiences that impact Jewish continuity.