URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project Curriculum

Written by Dana Sheanin, MSW/MAJCS

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction: Creating a Congregational Teen Foundation Page 1 Session1: Parents and Teens Page 6 Session 2: Jewish Values and Teen Philanthropy Page 10 Session 3: Understanding Communal Need Page 15 Session 4: Philanthropy Guest Speaker Page 17 Session 5: Building Consensus Page 19 Session 6: Choosing a Funding Priority Page 24 Session 7: Creating a Fundraising Plan Page 27 Session 8: Philanthropy, Activism and the RAC Page 30 Session 9: Understanding Organizational Mission Page 35 Session 10: Request for Proposals Page 40 Session 11: Service Learning Page 44 Session 12: Developing Criteria for Proposal Evaluation Page 46 Session 13: Proposal Reading Page 50 Session 14: Site Visits or Applicant Interviews Page 51 Session 15: Final Allocation Decision Page 56 Session 16: Evaluation Page 67 Session 17: Siyyum Page 68 Appendix I: Frequently Asked Questions For Teens Page 69 Appendix II: Sample Program Budget Page 71 Appendix III: Sample Student Application Page 72 Appendix IV: Sample Student Contract Page 73 Appendix V: Sample Jewish Texts for Study Page 74 Appendix VI: Request for Proposals Samples Page 82 Appendix VII: Five Stages of Service Learning Page 88 URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

INTRODUCTION: CREATING A CONGREGATIONAL TEEN FOUNDATION August 13, 2012

PREFACE The URJ’s Teen Philanthropy pilot project, now entering its second year, is a critical component of our Campaign for Excellence in Youth Engagement. Launched in December 2010, the campaign emerged from our Movement’s acknowledgement that we must create a wide range of innovative ways for teens to participate, if we are to increase the retention of middle and high school students in congregational life beyond b’nai mitzvah.

The URJ is tremendously appreciative of the commitment of the staff and leadership of the six congregations that participated in the year one pilot, as well as those joining us for year two.

We are also indebted to the Jewish Teen Funders Network, and its Director of Youth Philanthropy, Stefanie Zelkind, for providing us with both seed funding and a rich array of materials from which to draw upon. We particularly appreciate JTFN’s awarding of a second year of grant funding.

Finally, we also wish to express our gratitude to the following for sharing their materials and expertise with us:  B’nai Tzedek Youth Philanthropy Program: Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix  Door and Ladder Society Atlanta Jewish Teen Philanthropy Initiative  Jewish Community Teen Foundation: Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties  Jewish Community Youth Foundation: Princeton ,New Jersey  Jewish Youth Philanthropy Program: Jewish Federation of Greater Washington  “Money Matters - Jewish Ethics of Money and Business” URJ Press  Rose Community Foundation: Denver, Colorado  Temple Isaiah: Lafayette, California  Temple Sinai: Atlanta, Georgia

INTRODUCTION What makes teen philanthropy a compelling entry point to Jewish engagement for post b’nai mitzvah students? A decade of research now suggests that experiential education has the most profound impact on Jewish identity development. However, in addition to what they learn Jewishly, participation in a teen foundation gives students the opportunity to build friendships, strengthen their leadership skills and take action on values that we know are important to them

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project during adolescence. When structured well, teen foundations have the opportunity to impact not only the participants, but their parents, adult advisors and other members of the congregation as well.

A teen foundation is distinct from the broad notion of teen philanthropy. The Jewish Teen Funders Network defines a teen foundation as follows: “A group of teenagers sponsored by a Jewish organization, working collaboratively with adult support to build consensus around an area of funding interest, shape a Request for Proposals to solicit grant applicants, and thoughtfully and strategically allocate money to organizations who apply.”

As teen participants will learn in Session 1: Jewish Values and Teen Philanthropy, the creation of a teen foundation is a clear expression of tzedakah. While the giving of money may be part of the work of tikkun olam or g’milut hasadim, honoring the obligation to give financial resources in order to create a more just world is at the core of this effort.

Each of the pilot organizations will wrestle with whether to direct teens to give only to Jewish organizations, or to allocate more broadly. Either decision is appropriate here, and we encourage those making the decision to explore the texts used throughout the sessions and in the appendix that speak to the issue of how we decide where to give.

TEEN FOUNDATION GOALS The Year One pilot cohort articulated the goals for this project: 1. To enable teens to understand and act upon the core Jewish values of Tzedakah, Tikkun Olam and G’milut Hasadim through the creation of a teen foundation 2. To support healthy adolescent development by offering a safe environment, engaging activities, opportunities for leadership and relationships with trusted adults 3. To build a strong sense of community among teens 4. To help teens establish associations with nonprofit organizations in their local community and in Israel 5. To influence and create a new generation of Jewish philanthropists [and activists] STRUCTURE OF THE SESSIONS All sessions are designed to be completed in one hour; however they can be expanded with more discussion to a 90-minute session if more time is available in your setting. The sessions may also be combined for those working with a longer block of time. The important part is to

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project cover the key themes. Please feel free to make choices about how to use the suggested activities, based on your teens and your structure.

Here you will find an outline for each session with session goals, suggested activities, handouts as required, and information about where to find additional resources. Given the skilled nature of those participating in our pilot cohort, you are not receiving scripted lessons. Additional consultation and support are available on any topic that you may need more guidance on in order to make the sessions your own. Please be aware that this year’s material and session order have been revised based on the feedback received from year one participants.

Each congregation will offer 15-20 sessions depending on your calendar. The sessions that are optional are marked accordingly. For those considering beginning the program with a retreat or Shabbaton, sessions may be combined, depending on the amount of time available. Sessions should follow approximately this schedule: 1. Parents and Teens Talk About Philanthropy (OPTIONAL parent session) 2. Jewish Values and Teen Philanthropy 3. Understanding Communal Need 4. Developing a Personal Approach to Philanthropy – Guest Speaker 5. Building Consensus 6. Choosing Our Funding Priority 7. Creating Our Fundraising Plan 8. Philanthropy, Activism and the RAC (OPTIONAL) 9. Understanding Organizational Mission 10. The Request for Proposals 11. Off site service learning activities (OPTIONAL) 12. Off site service learning activities (OPTIONAL) 13. Developing Criteria for Proposal Evaluation 14. Proposal reading 15. Site visit or applicant interviews 16. Site visit or applicant interviews 17. Final Allocation Decisions 18. Evaluation and Next Year’s Program (for new or continuing teens) 19. Siyyum 20. Overflow as needed

Community building among teens is an important component of the teen philanthropy initiative. Each session should begin with an opening ritual to build comfort among

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project participants and link the sessions together. For your opening ritual, please consider one of the following options: 1. A niggun of your choice 2. A text study of your choice (See list in appendix) 3. An opportunity to reflect on a question, either in pairs, or through journal writing (See list in appendix)

If your teens do not already know each other, the first session should also begin with an icebreaker activity, following the opening ritual. For a collection of icebreakers, please visit the NFTY website: www.nfty.org/resources/mc/mixersandicebreakers

It would be ideal to conclude each session with a closing ritual as well. Given the short period of time available, you may consider either a “whip around the room” asking teens to offer one word about their experience in this session, or one word that describes how they are feeling as the session ends. You might also consider asking each to turn to the person on their right and share one thing they heard today that they would like to think more about.

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM YEAR ONE PARTICIPANTS Before you begin, please consider the following important lessons learned by our Year One congregations!  Choose a staff person who will relate well to your teens. The individual running the program is critical in terms of setting high expectations and holding teens accountable.  Encourage consistent attendance. Get parents on board to insure participating teens make a real commitment to participate.  Building community is a key goal of the teen philanthropy initiative: don’t overlook the opening and closing rituals, and think about what else you can do to build friendship among participants.  Consider a service learning activity or trip as another strategy for building community among teens.  Make use of the speakers available in your community. Teens learn a great deal from dialogue with adults.  Be sure to incorporate some element of “active doing” in as many sessions as possible.  Find ways to combine the session hours – two hour sessions are ideal.  Let the teens fail and make their own mistakes!  Consider choosing student leaders to pilot the program. Often times a smaller group of very committed teens is more effective than requiring all teens to participate.  Consider offering the foundation initiative at an alternative time of day, to appeal to teens that might not otherwise participate.

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

SESSION 1: PARENTS AND TEENS TALK ABOUT PHILANTHROPY Revised 2012 Goals: The goal of this session is for participants to further explore the values, and those of their families, as related to philanthropy. It also provides an opportunity for families to get to know each other and build community among parents. While this session is optional, several Year One congregations found it to be very helpful in building support for the program.

Materials: Paper and pens Handout with list of philanthropic activities Handout with prompts and texts, if desired

Session introduction and opening ritual: 15 minutes Begin with your opening ritual. If possible, include parents in the opening ritual as well. Share with parents and teens that today we will be exploring the values of our own family, and how these values influence our acts of tzedakah and gemilut chasadim.

You may wish to incorporate the following Reform blessing into the first session: Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melekh ha’olam, asher kidshanu b’mitvotav b’tizvanu lirdof tzedek. Blessed are you, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the Universe; You hallow us with your mitzvot and command us to pursue justice.

The Philanthropy Survival Game 15 minutes For this game, participants should divide into either a group of parents and a group of teens, or a couple of smaller groups of each. Distribute the list of type of tzedakah below (or you may wish to put each individual type of activity on an index card.) Each group should be asked to identify which top three philanthropic activities the Jewish community could not live without. They might begin by eliminating the first few easy ones, and then by allowing members to “make the case” to the group for others they feel should/could be eliminated. When the activity is complete, the parent group(s) and teen group(s) should share their Top Three list with each other, and then, if time allows, debate each other to make the case for the activities their group felt were irreplaceable.

 A personal household fund  Charity through a Jewish organization  Making end-of-year charitable donations

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

 Sponsoring friends of family in walkathons, school fundraising or other group efforts  Giving of “goods” - canned food, school supply or other  Donating clothes or household goods to a local organization  Giving blood  Volunteering  Contributing time or money to a political cause or effort  Donating money in honor of or in memory of someone

Parent/Teen Conversations 30 minutes Next, ask families to sit in family groupings.

Ask families to make a list of all the activities they have engaged in in their own family over the last year that might be categorized as “giving.” The goal is to think as broadly as possible in terms of categories, and write down specific details of who they have given to. This will include many of the items on the list, but may also include others.

When their list is complete, ask families to look for patterns or themes in their giving. Consider:  Are there particular issues the family seems to care most about?  Do they generally give when asked by friends or family? Or proactively?  Do they give in the Jewish or non Jewish world?  Do they give locally or globally?  Who in the family influences the decisions about where/how to give?  Do what extent do you feel the saying “mitzvah goreret mitzvah – one good deed leads to another” – holds true for your family?

Finally, ask families to explore the following text together, which you may write up on a white board (also included on the handout). You may wish to contextualize the text first by talking about what today’s versions of the communal fund, the burial fund, or the town walls include:

“If a person resides in a town for thirty days, he becomes responsible for contributing to the soup kitchen; three months, to the communal fund; six months, to the clothing fund, nine months, to the burial fund and one year, for contributing to the repair of the town walls.” Talmud Bava Batra 8a

 Do you agree with the suggestions laid out in this text? Why or why not?  How does your family’s pattern of giving match up to this Talmudic wisdom?  Is there any aspect of your families giving that you would like to change?

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

For the final ten minutes, reconvene the group and ask families to report back on what they learned. What was interesting to them to note about their families patterns of giving? What, if anything, would they like to change over the coming year?

End the session by encouraging families to volunteer together over the coming year, or pool their family funds to give to causes that appear to have resonance for the group. Be sure to thank parents for their participation, and invite their questions and feedback throughout the year.

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

URJ Teen Philanthropy Project Session 1 – Parents and Teens Talk About Philanthropy

Types of Philanthropic Giving  A personal household fund  Charity through a Jewish organization  Making end-of-year charitable donations  Sponsoring friends of family in walkathons, school fundraising or other group efforts  Giving of “goods” - canned food, school supply or other  Donating clothes or household goods to a local organization  Giving blood  Volunteering  Contributing time or money to a political cause or effort  Donating money in honor of or in memory of someone

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

URJ Teen Philanthropy Pilot

Session 1 – Parents and Teens Talk About Philanthropy

In what ways does your family give?

 Contributing to a family tzedakah box  Contributing to a congregational tzedakah box  Making end-of-year charitable donations  Sponsoring friends of family in walkathons, school fundraising or other group efforts  Giving to a canned food, school supply or other “goods” drive  Donating clothes or household goods to a local organization  Giving blood  Volunteering, including at the school your family attends, or the synagogue  Contributing time or money to a political cause or effort  Donating money in honor of or in memory of someone

What is your family’s pattern of giving?

 Are there particular issues the family seems to care most about?  Do they generally give when asked by friends or family? Or proactively?  Do they give in the Jewish or non Jewish world?  Do they give locally or globally?  Who in the family influences the decisions about where/how to give?  Do what extent do you feel the saying “mitzvah goreret mitzvah – one good deed leads to another” – holds true for your family?

A text to consider:

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

SESSION 2: JEWISH VALUES AND TEEN PHILANTHROPY Revised 2012 Goals: This session will introduce teens to the core Jewish value of tzedakah and the levels of tzedakah defined by Rambam’s ladder. Through discussion and interactive experience, teens will begin to identify which of their personal values will be engaged through their participation in the teen foundation.

Materials: (Italicized items will be included as handouts) Values cards Flip chart and markers Markers and butcher paper Rambam’s Ladder scenarios

Session introduction and opening ritual: 15 Minutes Begin with your opening ritual. For the first session, you may wish to add a text study to help participants unpack the definition of philanthropy from a Jewish perspective. (Suggested texts are included in the appendix)

Tell the group that the purpose of today’s session will be to consider the core Jewish value of tzedakah. Share with students that we know most of them are familiar with this term; however today we will consider it in this specific context as the basis for our teen foundation work. We will also be considering how your personal values will be tapped - and we hope strengthened - through your involvement with this project.

Considering our own values: 15 Minutes Begin with an activity designed to help teens articulate their own core values. Divide participants into groups of two to three to work with motivational values cards.

Ask teens to look at the deck and to pull out the five values that speak most deeply to each of them. The goal is to help them identify what values are most meaningful to them, and to find commonalities among group members. Teens should consider and share with the others in their group:  Why they chose the values they did?  What values they were willing to “sacrifice” to choose others more important?

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

Ideally each group will be able to identify 1-3 values that multiple teens chose. They do not need total agreement, but should be able to share back to the large group a few common choices. You may want to create a list of these shared values, which can be posted in your meeting space each session.

Rambam’s ladder: 30 Minutes Ask the group to define the following terms and to give examples of each. You may post their answers on a flip chart. Tzedakah – a mitzvah, or commandment to give to the needy, from the root tzedek, justice Tikkun Olam - repair of the world G’milut Hasadim - acts of loving kindness

Ask:  How are these ideas different from each other?  Do you feel that the work of giving away money falls into one of these categories more than the others? Why or why not?

Reinforce that while philanthropy in general is seen as voluntary, the concept of tzedakah is an obligation within the Jewish tradition. While the giving of money can also be motivated by a desire to repair the world, or to perform an act of kindness, it is an obligation and therefore falls squarely into the category of tzedakah.

Ask whether teens are familiar with Rambam’s ladder. Share that Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, also known by the acronym Rambam, was a famous rabbi who lived in Spain during the twelfth century (1135-1204.) In addition to his Mishneh Torah code of Jewish law, and many other writings, Rambam is famous for creating a Ladder of Tzedakah.

Rambam taught that Tzedakah is like a ladder; in that it has eight rungs with each step bringing one closer to heaven. The rungs are as follows:

1. The donor gives unwillingly 2. The donor gives cheerfully, but less than what is needed 3. The donor gives after being asked 4. The donor gives before being asked 5. The donor is known, but does not know the receiver 6. The donor is anonymous, but knows who the receiver is 7. Both the donor and the receiver are anonymous 8. The donor helps the receiver to support himself/herself by a gift or a loan or by finding employment for that person, thus helping that person to become self-sufficient

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

Ask students to use the art supplies to order the following scenarios in a visual representation of the ladder (texts are presented in order here for your ease) to be displayed prominently in the congregational space

1. A congregant agrees to make a small contribution to the temple’s capital fund, after being approached multiple times by the campaign chairs, and receiving a personal call from the rabbi 2. A congregant agrees to underwrite the $500 cost of the religious school picnic, but is unable to attend the picnic due to being on a South African safari with 15 members of his extended family 3. A board member makes a large contribution to the rabbi’s discretionary fund, after the rabbi comments at a board meeting that she has been unable to provide camp scholarship this year due to diminished discretionary funds 4. A congregant reads a story in the local newspaper about the local food bank’s annual deficit and makes a first time contribution 5. The religious school conducts a gift card drive for a Russian family that has recently moved to the neighborhood 6. A congregant agrees to underwrite the cost of the congregation’s b’nai mitzvah tutor for three years, but declines to be mentioned or thanked in the bulletin 7. The youth group agrees to contribute half of the money raised by their annual fundraising event to a local elementary school, to be distributed to families in need 8. The congregation undertakes a campaign to raise $5000 for the local Hebrew Free Loan Society

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

URJ Teen Philanthropy Pilot Session 2 – Jewish Values and Teen Philanthropy

Values Cards

TRADITION FAMILY RISK TAKING

COURAGE RESPECT LOVING KINDNESS

PEACE COMMUNITY TRUST

LOYALTY FAITH PATIENCE

HUMILITY FUN HOLINESS

GRATITUDE COMPASSION ORDER

HONOR SIMPLICITY ENTHUSIASM

GENEROSITY RESPONSIBILITY MODERATION

LOVE HONESTY JUSTICE

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

URJ Teen Philanthropy Pilot Session 2 – Jewish Values and Teen Philanthropy

Rambam’s Ladder

 The donor gives unwillingly  The donor gives cheerfully, but less than what is needed  The donor gives after being asked  The donor gives before being asked  The donor is known, but does not know the receiver  The donor is anonymous, but knows who the receiver is  Both the donor and the receiver are anonymous  The donor helps the receiver to support himself/herself by a gift or a loan or by finding employment for that person, thus helping that person to become self-sufficient

Scenarios for Visual Display  The congregation undertakes a campaign to raise $5000 for the local Hebrew Free Loan Society  A congregant agrees to underwrite the $500 cost of the religious school picnic, but is unable to attend the picnic due to being on a South African safari with his extended family  A congregant reads a story in the local newspaper about the local food bank’s annual deficit and makes a first time contribution  The religious school conducts a gift card drive for a Russian family that has recently moved to the neighborhood  A congregant agrees to anonymously underwrite the cost of the congregation’s b’nai mitzvah tutor for three years  A board member makes a large contribution to the rabbi’s discretionary fund, after the rabbi comments at a board meeting that she has been unable to provide camp scholarship this year due to diminished discretionary funds  The youth group agrees to contribute half of the money raised by their annual fundraising event to a local elementary school, to be distributed to families in need

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

SESSION 3: UNDERSTANDING COMMUNAL NEED Revised 2012 Goals: This session will help teens understand the diversity and scope of needs in your local community. Staff should determine ahead of time whether you wish to focus on needs in the Jewish community, or in the community at large. By the end of the session, teens will have a sense of the key issues they might choose to focus on, in anticipation of selecting a funding area.

Materials: None

Session introduction and opening ritual 15 minutes Begin with your opening ritual. Over the next two sessions we will consider how to actualize our vision through the grants we will make. Today we will be learning about the needs in our community. Soon we will be choosing an area to focus our funding on this year. If staff have determined that only Jewish organizations are eligible to receive funding, it is important to share that at this time.

Learning about communal needs 45 minutes There are two choices for this activity. Option A: Invite a speaker from your local United Way or Jewish Federation to talk about the needs in the community. This person may be a member of the organization’s staff, or an active volunteer. S/he might address where their agency is seeing increased need in the past couple of years, or any areas that have been identified as priorities for your geographic region, and why this is the case. Teens can ask questions about how this agency addresses the issues that are of particular interest to them.

Option B: At the prior session, assign teens individually or in pairs, to research an area of need for today’s session. You can ask the teens to brainstorm a list of interest areas, or you might consider assigning them from this (non-exhaustive) list:  Hunger  Homelessness/Poverty  Education/Special needs  Domestic violence/Child welfare  The elderly  The environment  Medical issues: Cancer, HIV/AIDS, or other areas of particular interest in your group  Israel

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

In this scenario, teens should come prepared to make a five minute presentation to the group about how the need they researched is visible in the local community. They are not being asked to “advocate” for choosing this particular issue, simply to learn about it, and share with their peers what they think others need to know to make a good decision.

By the end of today’s session, the group should have a sense of what needs are most pressing in the community and be asked to think about which feel most compelling to them ahead of the next session.

[Process note: if your opening ritual is text study or journaling you may wish to use the following text: “Those who occupy themselves with the needs of the community are as though they are occupied with Torah” Talmud Yerushalmi, B’rachot]

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

SESSION 4: DEVELOPING A PERSONAL APPROACH TO PHILANTHROPY GUEST SPEAKER Revised 2012 Goals: The goal of this session is for participants to hear from a philanthropist in your community about how s/he became a philanthropist, makes decisions about giving and is influenced by Jewish values.

Materials: Nametags or name tents

Session introduction and opening ritual: 15 minutes Begin with your opening ritual. (Please explain to your guest what your ritual is and that you are beginning each session this way.) Following the ritual, ask teen participants to introduce themselves to the guest speaker. They should give their name, where they go to school and their grade. If you wish, they may also share one interesting experience they have had thus far, or an interesting new idea they have considered.

You may wish to consider using the following text to frame the conversation: “This is the generation and those who seek its welfare” (Psalms 24:6). Rabbi Judah the Patriarch and the sages differed in this matter. One opinion was that the character of a generation is determined by its leader. According to the other opinion, the character of the leader is determined by the generation.” (Talmud Arachin 17a)

Speaker Presentation 40 minutes Your guest speaker can be a member of the congregation, someone from a local foundation or someone connected with the Jewish Federation in your area. You should choose someone who is visible in some way in the community, and who you believe would enjoy the opportunity to talk with the teens.

Ideally this session presents an opportunity for participants to dialogue with the speaker. While the suggested questions are primarily directed at him/her, the adult facilitating the session should leave room for conversation and exchange of ideas as much as possible.

You may either send the questions to your speaker ahead of time, asking him/her to prepare a short presentation that responds to them, or you may pose them one at a time “interview style.” Either way, please leave time for students to ask their own questions as well.

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

Consider asking the speaker to address some of the following questions, adapted from those used by Atlanta’s Door and Ladder Society for a similar program: 1. Is “philanthropist” a word you would use to describe yourself? 2. Was there a tradition of giving in your family growing up and if so, what was it? 3. What triggered your first interest in giving? 4. How would you describe your Jewish upbringing? 5. How does Judaism or being Jewish play a role in your philanthropy? 6. Do you have a personal mission statement as a giver, and if so how did you arrive at it? 7. How has your giving changed over the years? 8. How have you been changed as a person through your giving? 9. How have you involved your own family in your giving? 10. What type of mark would you like to leave on our community? 11. What inspires you?

Wrap up and thank you 5 minutes Be sure to thank your speaker for his/her participation. Teens should also write individual or collective notes thanking him/her at the start of the next session.

If appropriate, you may wish to offer him or her a follow up report at the end of the project, sharing information on where you chose to fund. (This is a good public relations opportunity for the teen foundation and may encourage a monetary gift from the philanthropist to the project at a future date.)

[Process note: You may wish to invite parents to participate in this session as well if the timing is appropriate and you feel there would be sufficient interest.]

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

SESSION 5: BUILDING CONSENSUS Revised 2012 Goals: This session will help teens understand the value of shared decision making as a critical element of the process of identifying what they would like to fund.

Materials: Active Listening principles handout Identifying the I in I pad scenarios handout

Session introduction and opening ritual: 15 minutes Begin with your opening ritual. Reinforce for teens that we all have choices about how to donate our individual time or money. Participation in the teen foundation will require us to come to decisions as a group, which may at times prove challenging as we all have different interests and passions. Today we’ll be talking about the process we will use to come to consensus on what type of grants we want to make.

Guiding principles for active listening 15 Minutes Introduce the notion that critical to making shared decisions will be our ability to listen to each other respectfully and with open minds. It is this type of what is called “active listening” that will truly make the difference in our ability to reach agreement we all feel good about.

Distribute the handout with principles of active listening listed below. Divide teens into pairs, and give them a challenging question to discuss. Appropriate questions might include: What is the most difficult part of school for you? Or what has been your most challenging experience with a friend?

Each participant gets a turn to be the speaker, while the other listens. Be sure to have an adult call time at five minutes. Ask teens to use these principles of active listening when it is their turn to listen. At the end of 10 minutes, bring the teens back to together for a quick “whip around” exploring what was challenging or surprising about this exercise for them.

Active Listening Principles 1. Shema: Listening - Mutual listening and curiosity 2. Kavod: Dignity - Fundamental dignity of all humans, respect for the physical, emotional, spiritual and well being of our peers 3. Hochma: Wisdom – Persistent seeking of knowledge, especially from those whose views differ from our own

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

4. Rachamim: Compassion – Finding softness in ourselves to extend mercy to others 5. Petichat Lebi: Openness – Receptivity to being transformed by new encounters and ideas

Identifying the I in I Pad 30 minutes This role playing activity is designed to help teens explore their ability to advocate for themselves while also valuing what is best for the whole community.

Teens should be divided into small groups of six to seven students each (the observer role is optional.) Give each participant a role and each group 15 minutes to read the scenario and brainstorm a solution to the problem. Be sure they know they will be asked to share back their group’s solution. Also be sure they understand there is no correct answer – the goal is to reach consensus on the solution. See handouts for scenarios and roles.

Depending on the length of time available, choose among the following suggested questions for debriefing:

About the process itself - (If you have an observer, pose the questions to him/her first, and then ask others to respond.) 1. Who got the I Pad in your group and why? 2. How did you arrive at your decision? What factors did you consider? 3. When tentative solutions were suggested was there consensus? If not, how did it evolve? 4. What conflicts emerged? 5. Which group members compromised and if so, how did they do it? 6. Did you come up with a general principle for distribution of new opportunities that could be used in a different situation?

About the experience of the role play – 1. What did you learn about decision making in general from this activity? 2. What insight did you gain about the role you tend to play in groups? 3. What might you change about the way you interact with others based on this? 4. How do you suggest we apply the lessons we learned today to our grant making process this year?

[Process note: If your opening ritual is a journaling or reflection activity, you might consider using the following question – Do you usually say what you really believe, or what you think people want to hear? Why? Is this different at home, in school or at temple?]

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

URJ Teen Philanthropy Pilot Session 5 – Building Consensus

Principles of Active Listening

“Who is wise? The one who learns from everyone, as it is said: ‘From all who would teach me, have I gained understanding.” Pirke Avot 4:1

1. Shema: Listening - Mutual listening and curiosity

2. Kavod: Dignity - Fundamental dignity of all humans, respect for the physical, emotional, spiritual and well being of our peers

3. Hochma: Wisdom – Persistent seeking of knowledge, especially from those whose views differ from our own

4. Rachamim: Compassion – Finding softness in ourselves to extend mercy to others

5. Petichat Lebi: Openness – Receptivity to being transformed by new encounters and ideas

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

URJ Teen Philanthropy Pilot Session 5 – Building Consensus

Who Put the I in I Pad: The Mainstreet Utility Company

The scenario: The Mainstreet Utility Company just purchased a new I Pad 2 to give to one of its departmental managers as a way of testing whether having an I Pad would help managers do their jobs more productively. Sam Rosenberg, the head of human resources, has been charged with deciding which department manager will receive the I Pad.

The facts and roles: Here are the facts about the department managers that work for Sam.

Allison: 17 years with the company and has a 5 year old laptop that is usually on the fritz Leslie: 11 years with the company and has a 8 year old laptop Adam: 10 years with the company and has a 4 year old laptop Joanna: 3 years with the company and has a 3 year old laptop Eric: 1 year with the company and has a brand new laptop

Your role: Sam Rosenberg, head of Human Resources As the head of HR, you have the responsibility of deciding who will test the new I Pad 2. You expect to encounter hurt feelings as all the staff would like to have the opportunity and all feel entitled to it for different reasons. As a general matter, there is competition among your department heads for most “new” opportunities. In order to handle the problem, you have decided to let the department mangers themselves wrestle with the problem and make a decision. You will ask them to come up with the fairest solution.

Your role: Allison You feel you deserve this chance because you have been at Mainstreet Utility longest, and have gotten on board with all the new technology over the past ten years. You keep your laptop in perfect condition and believe seniority and responsible behavior are the best ways to make this decision.

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Your role: Leslie You would like to try out the I Pad and feel it is your turn. You have been with the team the second longest of all department managers, and know that Allison’s laptop is newer than yours by several years – an eternity in tech time! You also take excellent care of your laptop and were the one who suggested to HR that Mainstreet try out the new I Pads for managers.

Your role: Adam You use your laptop more than any of the others managers because you travel for your work nearly a week of each month. Given this, you feel being able to have the convenience of the I Pad would make a huge difference in the quality of your work. Also, you wife is Sam’s sister, so he clearly knows how committed you are to Mainstreet and its productivity.

Your role: Joanna You have a three year old laptop that was purchased “retooled” for you when you started and has never quite worked right. You’ve asked for a new one again recently and have been told that the IT budget for department heads this year has already been spent. You don’t care that much that it’s an I Pad, the newest gadgets don’t matter that much to you, but you think it’s unreasonable for you to have a poor quality laptop to work on.

Your role: Eric You have a brand new laptop, but you also have a degree in Social Media. You were hired last year to help bring the team up to speed with the newest technology, so it seems obvious that you should be the manager to try out the new I Pad before others have that opportunity.

Your role: Observer Your task is to observe the group members and keep notes about how they make their decision. Questions to consider are: 1. Do you agree or disagree with the decision the group made about who gets the I Pad? 2. What steps did they take in deciding? 3. How did the individuals react to each other in the process? 4. Was there a step-by-step method used to solve the problem? 5. Did Sam Rosenberg demonstrate leadership in his role? How?

(This exercise is adapted from the ArizonaGIVES/Arizona Community Foundation project, via the Temple Isaiah Tzedakah in Action project)

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SESSION 6: CHOOSING A FUNDING PRIORITY Revised 2012 Goals: The goal of this session is for the teens to choose an area in which grants will be made this year. If the grant making pool is large enough, you may consider choosing two areas, perhaps including one Jewish and one non-Jewish agency. Knowing what need they will be funding will enable teens to do more targeted fundraising.

Materials: Flip charts and markers Colored sticky dots Personal laptops, if desired

Session introduction and opening ritual 15 minutes Begin with your opening ritual. Remind teens about the principles of active listening we discussed in Session 5: Building Consensus, or post them in the room. If you have time, you may wish to review those principles with them. Today they will have an opportunity to use these skills as they work with their peers to choose the area we will focus our grant making on.

Choosing the final contenders 15 Minutes Write each issue area under consideration on a single piece of flip chart paper and post these around the room. The issues should be the same ones you considered during Session 3: Understanding Communal Need. Each teen should receive three sticky dots. They should place the dots on the flip charts, identifying their top three preferences for grant making. If they feel particularly strongly that one area should be chosen, they are free to place all their dots on that area.

Once this has been completed, identify the four issue areas that have received the highest number of dots. You will use these four areas for the next exercise.

Four corners 30 minutes Designate each of the four corners of the room to represent one of your top four choices for example: Hunger, the Environment, Domestic Violence and Israel. Direct the teens to go to the corner that they are most passionate about funding this year. In each corner, give the small groups 10 minutes to develop an argument as to why the foundation should fund in their chosen area. Students may use their laptops to do additional research if desired.

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Finally, ask each group to present to the larger group, allow for questions, and finalize the process with a vote on which issue to select.

BONUS MATERIAL During Year One, Julie Katz, educator at Chadash Community Hebrew High in Canton, Ohio created the following material to help teens explore giving to Jewish versus non-Jewish organizations. Please feel free to include elements of this material in your session as time allows.

Background: Your rich, great uncle dies before he is able to give away any money from his $6 million private foundation. One thing he was able to do was to name you as the director of the foundation. He had not yet sent any requests for proposals, but he did leave a hand-written sheet in his file with this quote from Deuteronomy (15:11) “You shall surely open your hand to your brother, your poor, and your destitute of your land.”

While this is helpful, you feel you need more clarification. You wonder:

1. Who are”your brother, your poor and your destitute?” 2. Does “your brother” mean other Jews or other people in your town who are not Jewish? 3. Should you give to Jews in need in other parts of the country or world before those who are in need in your community who are not Jewish?

Your uncle was active in both Jewish and community organizations, so this is of no help. You search the internet for help and come up with the following from the Talmud:

“We sustain the non-Jewish poor with the poor, visit the non-Jewish sick with the Jewish sick… for the sake of peace.” Talmud Gittin 61a

When it comes to giving you also found this in the Talmud: “a Jew and a non-Jew, the Jew has preference; the poor or the rich the poor takes precedence; your poor [i.e. your relatives] and the [general] poor of your town, your poor come first; the poor of your city and the poor of another town the poor of your own town have prior rights.” Talmud Bava Metzia 71A

Questions to consider: These sayings seem to contradict themselves. Take a closer look and see if you can find a way to make sense of these sayings without contradiction.

1. What do you think the texts would say about giving to a poor non-Jews in your town versus a poor Jew in another community? 2. Are you obligated to give to non-Jews in the same way you are obligated to give to Jews?

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Dig a Little Deeper: You decide to investigate what modern Jewish philanthropists are doing with THEIR money. Through research you find the following from a recent study about modern giving by major Jewish donors in America:

“Many Jewish donors believe they must contribute to societal institutions outside the Jewish community because the donor desires to ‘put something back into the community’”

“Some Jewish donors do not want non-Jews to assume that Jews support only Jewish causes, that Jews are too insulated or self-concerned.” [From Tobin, Gary PhD, “Transition of Communal Values and Behavior in Jewish Philanthropy, 2001.]

 Do the reasons that major Jewish philanthropists give to large community organizations make sense to you?

 Do you agree with the perspective they are taking?

 How can you reconcile this perspective with the wisdom of the Talmudic passages?

Writing Assignment Given this information, please articulate the funding guidelines for your uncle’s foundation, stating clearly which types of organizations (Jewish based or locally based) will be given priority any why.

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SESSION 7: CREATING A FUNDRAISING PLAN Revised 2012 Goals: This session will help teens explore the power of giving away money. Teens will determine how much money to raise for their grant making (if this has not already been determined by staff) and will create a plan for how the funds will be raised. The suggested minimum grant pool is $3600.

Materials: Flip chart and markers Handout with two texts and discussion questions, if desired

Session introduction and opening ritual: 15 minutes Begin with your opening ritual. Tell the group that today’s session will be very practical in nature. We will be deciding how much money we need to raise in support of our grant making and before we leave we will have a plan for how to do it.

Share with the teens the dictionary definition of philanthropy: “Philanthropy is an altruistic concern for human welfare and advancement, usually manifested by donations of money, property, or work to needy persons, by endowment of institutions of learning and hospitals, and by generosity to other socially useful purposes.” We all understand the importance of donating our time to causes we care about. Our teen foundation is specifically focused on the good we can do with our money.

Tzedakah text study 15 minutes Share the words of Rabbi Hillel with the teens: “The more tzedakah, the more shalom” – you may wish to write these words on a flip chart or white board as well.

Remind teens that tzedakah is a mitzvah, or commandment to give to the needy, rooted in the word justice. Tzedakah goes beyond the English word charity, because Jews are obligated to give whether or not we are motivated by altruistic feelings to do so.

Ask teens what they imagine Hillel meant by “the more tzedakah, the more shalom.”

Explain that we will now look briefly at textual sources for the mitzvah of giving. Divide teens into two groups and ask each to consider one of the following:

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“If…there is a needy person among you…do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kin…For there will never cease to be needy ones in your land, which is why I command you: Open your hand to the poor and needy kin in your land” Deuteronomy 15:7-11

“Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah teaches…without flour there is no Torah; without Torah there is no flour” Pirke Avot 3:21

Note for teens that in the second text, flour is often interpreted as referring also to money.

Ask teens to consider the following questions in their groups: 1. Why do you think God cares so much about the hungry and the needy? 2. Why do you think the first text commands us to open our hearts to the needy and poor, rather than just suggesting it? 3. What do you think the second text suggests about the relationship between learning and giving? 4. Does one of these texts resonate more for you and if so why? How do these two texts compare to each other in terms of their message? (Time permitting)

Creating our fundraising plan: 30 minutes Now that participants have an understanding of the Jewish values underlying the contributing of money, this activity should entail a simple discussion of how much money teens need to raise, and a detailed plan for doing it.

Staff should have already made some basic decisions about whether any funds will be committed by the organization itself. Depending on your chosen structure, be sure participants are clear if the congregation has: A) set aside money from an existing fund (or donor) to seed their grant making B) asked each participant to contribute a percentage of b’nai mitzvah money to the endeavor C) asked each participant to commit to raising a certain sum individually D) identified a congregant or local foundation to match any funds raised E) allocated the $500 contributed by the URJ/JTFN mini-grant as part of the grant making pool

Facilitate a discussion with teens about which of the following methods they would like to employ to raise the needed funds. Remember, these are simply ideas based on what others have done and you may choose among them or combine them in any way.

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

 Set up an online fundraising page to which teens can invite friends and others to make donations  Ask the board of directors to designate some portion of congregational tzedakah to the project  Ask your local Jewish community Federation to match the money teens raise on their own  Host a series of fundraising events: bake sale, car wash, coffee/bagels sold at Sunday school etc. Be sure some of these are targeted at their peers.  Ask teens to create a public service announcement (PSA) for the religious school, sharing what they are doing and asking for contributions  Ask family and friends to pledge dollars for every hour of joint or individual community service  Other ideas they may come up with

Be sure teens leave with a clear sense of what you have decided. If you will be sponsoring fundraising events, please be sure you have scheduled any necessary follow up conversations to begin planning these as needed. You may also want to review your calendar and set a deadline by which the money needs to be in hand.

[Bonus Resource: For those of you looking for additional material on talking with middle and high school students about money, please consider the URJ’s “Money Matters: Jewish Ethics of Money and Business” curriculum, available through the URJ Press.]

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

SESSION 8: PHILANTHROPY, ACTIVISM AND THE RAC Revised 2012 Goals: The goal of this session is for participants to understand the difference between philanthropy and activism, and to begin to consider how they can be activists. For those participating in the Religious Action Center (RAC) L’Taken trip, this session also introduces the role and resources of the RAC.

Materials: Case study handout Elie Wiesel reading

Session introduction and opening ritual: 15 minutes Begin with your opening ritual. Remind participants that our work with the teen foundation is very much about tikkun olam, repair of the world, which requires a variety of strategies. Share with teens that today we will be talking about activism (or advocacy) as distinct from philanthropy. While philanthropy entails the giving of financial resources to those in need, activism involves taking a concrete action to bring about social, political, environmental or economic change. Activism can involve giving away money, but it more commonly involves letter writing, political lobbying or campaigning, or public demonstrations in support or opposition to a policy or cause. Today we will be looking at two case studies of organizations that support Israel – one a philanthropy, one an organization focused on activism. We will be considering how their goals and strategies overlap and diverge.

The case of the Religious Action Center and Bronfman Philanthropies 35 minutes Distribute the two case studies. Divide participants into small groups and ask them to read the case studies and explore the following questions: 1. How are the goals of these two organizations similar or different? 2. What strategies is each organization pursuing to meet its goals? 3. Which approach is more appealing to you? By whose work are you more inspired and why?

If time allows, ask teens to share back with the group, specifically about which organization they found themselves more inspired by.

Wrap up 10 minutes Distribute the reading below by Elie Wiesel. Ask one teen to read it aloud. Ask teens to share:

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 In light of what we have talked about today, how does Wiesel’s charge to be an activist speak to you personally?  How will it affect the way you think about our work going forward with the teen foundation?

“True, we are often too weak to stop injustices; but the least we can do is protest against them. True, we are too poor to eliminate hunger; but in feeding one child we protest against hunger. True, we are too timid and powerless to take on all the guards of political prisons in the world; but in offering our solidarity to one prisoner, we denounce all the tormentors. True, we are powerless against death; but as long as we help one man, one woman, one child live one hour longer in safety and dignity, we affirm a human’s right to live.” Elie Wiesel, Sages and Dreamers

[Bonus Resource: For those looking for a wealth of resources on social action, please visit the RAC’s website at www.rac.org. Here you will find information on seventy diverse issue areas, as well as letter writing tools, social action prayers and readings, a program bank and up-to-the- minute information on actions needed today.]

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

URJ Teen Philanthropy Pilot Session 8 – Philanthropy, Activism and the RAC Case Studies

The Religious Action Center For 50 years, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism ("the RAC") has been the hub of Jewish social justice and legislative activity in Washington, D.C. As the DC office of the Union for Reform Judaism, the RAC educates and mobilizes the Reform Jewish community on legislative and social concerns, advocating on more than 70 different issues, including economic justice, civil rights, religious liberty, Israel and more.

Today the RAC demonstrates its support for Israel by advocating in the following four key areas. The RAC’s website carefully articulates its positions on all of these issues,

1. The RAC issues policy resolutions on Israel in collaboration with the Union for Reform Judaism and the Central Conference of American Rabbis (the body of Reform rabbis in North America) 2. The RAC publicly states that: “The Reform Movement believes peace is indispensable to Israel’s security and well being and that a two-state solution (one Jewish, one Palestinian) is necessary to achieve a viable and lasting peace. 3. The RAC supports religious pluralism and advocates for the rights of progressive Jews in Israel 4. The RAC encourages foreign aid to Israel, believing that “Robust foreign assistance to Israel is an important anchor for the peach process, providing Israel with the confidence and assurance needed to move forward with peace negotiations.

Ultimately it is the members of Reform congregations who set the policy for the Movement. During the Union for Reform Judaism’s Biennial General Assembly, delegates from the over 900 member congregations consider and vote on resolutions that reflect the consensus positions of our membership. This democratic process and the commitment of the Reform Movement to speak out on issues of concern are as old as the Movement itself, and are evidenced by the hundreds of resolutions adopted since its inception.

The RAC monitors scores of legislative issues and encourages Reform Jews to take action by writing letters to President Obama and members of Congress, and by spearheading awareness campaigns in their home congregations. The RAC’s website offers a collection of high quality programs for adults and students to use to influence others. Finally, through programs like the four-day L’Taken Social Justice Seminar for high school students, the RAC teaches activists the skills they need to successfully understand issues of importance, and argue on their behalf to policy makers. (All information from Religious Action Center: www.rac.org)

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The Charles and Andrea Bronfman Philanthropies Founded in 1986, the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies (ACBP) are guided by two principles. One focuses on the enhancement of Canadianism, the other on “the unity of the Jewish people whose soul is in Jerusalem.”

The foundation’s founder, Charles Bronfman has been awarded six honorary doctorate degrees from universities in Canada, the United States, and Israel. In 2002, he and his late wife, Andrea, were awarded Honorary Citizenship of Jerusalem, only the second and third North Americans ever to receive this honor.

Mr. Bronfman's life-long commitment to Jewish affairs led him to serve as the first Chairman of the United Jewish Communities, the merged North American entity comprised of United Jewish Appeal, the Council of Jewish Federations and United Israel Appeal. However, Charles Bronfman is probably best known for his role as Co-Chairman of Birthright Israel, which is funded by ACBP.

Birthright Israel believes that it is every Jewish person's birthright to visit Israel and provides a gift of a first time, peer group, educational 10-day trip to Israel trip for Jewish young adults between the ages of 18 and 26. The goal of the experience for participants is to diminish the growing division between Israel and Jewish communities around the world; to strengthen the sense of solidarity among world Jewry; and to strengthen participants' personal Jewish identity and connection to the Jewish people.

Since the first trips in late 1999, 164,000 participants from 52 countries have traveled to Israel. In addition to trip participants, Birthright Israel has had an impact on tens of thousands of Israelis who also participate, help implement the trips, as well as the Israeli economy in general.

In addition to providing significant funding for Birthright Israel, ACBP funds programs in Israel which include:  Sunday Culture in the Army, which sponsors music, films and other performance oriented events designed to enrich the lives of Israeli Defense Force soldiers  The Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University  The Israel Museum, to renovate the Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Archaeological Wing with the latest technological advances  Meytarim Network for Jewish Democratic Education, which strives to reduce the religious/secular division in schools  Hebrew University, to transform the methods of Hebrew language ulpan classes and to link Israelis with international students to develop relationships (All information from the ACBP website: www.acbp.net)

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

URJ Teen Philanthropy Pilot

Session 8 – Philanthropy, Activism and the RAC

“True, we are often too weak to stop injustices; but the least we can do is protest against them.

True, we are too poor to eliminate hunger; but in feeding one child we protest against hunger.

True, we are too timid and powerless to take on all the guards of political prisons in the world; but in offering our solidarity to one prisoner, we denounce all the tormentors.

True, we are powerless against death; but as long as we help one man, one woman, one child live one hour longer in safety and dignity, we affirm a human’s right to live.”

Elie Wiesel, Sages and Dreamers

(For more inspiring readings and thoughts on social justice, please visit the Religious Action Center website: www.rac.org/social/worship)

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

SESSION 9: UNDERSTANDING ORGANIZATIONAL MISSION Revised 2012 Goals: This session will enable teens to explore the ideas of mission and vision, and to understand how a mission statement helps a nonprofit organization create the change it is working toward.

Materials: Flip chart and markers Sample mission/vision statements handout

Session introduction and opening ritual 15 minutes Begin with your opening ritual. Explain to the group that a mission statement is a precise statement about the purpose and function of an organization, such as those who will be applying to our foundation. While sometimes used interchangeably with mission statement, a vision statement speaks to shared values, and describes the desired change resulting from a nonprofit’s work.

Personal Mission Statements 15 minutes Ask participants to consider the idea of a personal mission statement, which is essentially a motto that states who you are and what is important to you.

Post the following three personal mission statements throughout the room on white paper. Ask students to circulate through the room, with pens, and to write on the posters how this statement affects the way they live their own lives, and how each addresses the idea of living a Jewish life.

If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself what am I? If not now when? (Rabbi Hillel)

In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart. (Anne Frank)

Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. (President John F. Kennedy)

Ask teens to write their own personal mission statements, using the values they identified as most important to them in Session 2: Jewish Values and Teen Philanthropy. (If you have time, you may wish to ask several students to share back their mission statements with the group.)

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Exploring Organizational Mission 30 minutes Reinforce that to be effective, an organization must have a mission statement.

Divide teens into groups of 3-5. Ask each group to choose three mission statements from the attached samples. Each group should read the mission statements, and answer the following questions about each:  What is the mission of this organization?  What type of language do they use to describe it and why do you think they chose this language?  Can you tell from the mission statement what types of programs they might need funding for?  What values seem to be important to their leadership?

Each group should decide which of their statements is most compelling, and then share with the large group why they think that mission statement speaks to them the loudest. (You may also wish to have a few samples of organizations that serve the issue area you have chosen to share with teens at the end of the session. This will help make a linkage between mission, and the organizations that might submit proposals to your teen foundation.)

[Process note: If your opening ritual is a journaling or reflection activity, you might consider using the following quotation – “Be the change you want to see in the world” Mahatma Gandhi]

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

URJ Teen Philanthropy Pilot

Session 9 – Understanding Organizational Mission

A mission statement is a brief statement of the purpose of a company, organization, or group. Companies sometimes use their mission statement as an advertising slogan, but the intention of a mission statement is to keep members and users aware of the organization's purpose.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta helps support a network of social and humanitarian agencies in Atlanta, Israel and communities around the world. We strive to provide a voice for Atlanta's 100,000-member Jewish community.

The Jewish Educational Loan Fund grants interest-free loans to Jewish students from Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia for post-secondary study at accredited institutions. JELF’s loans are “last dollar” -- they supply the final funds that a student needs to attend school. These loans can be used for study at a college or university, graduate school or professional/vocational school that leads to a degree or certificate.

The New Colony strives to contribute original material to the American artistic canon, and develop a new theater going audience. Through active collaboration with emerging artists of all disciplines, The New Colony continually develops fresh perspectives and aesthetics. With the goal of exploring enticing subject matter and the common language of emotional experience, The New Colony will help cultivate the next generation of arts supporters.

The Door and Ladder Society instills in teens the responsibility and importance of collective philanthropy through active participation in Jewish educational and hands-on experiences.

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Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.

As the Door and Ladder Society, [spring 2008] we strive to financially empower organizations that are working towards supporting the less fortunate and the environment, to give them the ability to make a lasting positive change in the Atlanta Jewish Community.

Quackwatch, Inc., which was a member of Consumer Federation of America from 1973 through 2003, is a nonprofit corporation whose purpose is to combat health-related frauds, myths, fads, fallacies, and misconduct. Its primary focus is on quackery-related information that is difficult or impossible to get elsewhere.

The mission of One Laptop per Child (OLPC) is to empower the children of developing countries to learn by providing one connected laptop to every school-age child.

The Tony Blair Faith Foundation aims to promote respect and understanding about the world's major religions and show how faith is a powerful force for good in the modern world.

The mission of the American Legion Auxiliary is to serve veterans, their families and their communities.

The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.

The Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International (TASSC) is the only organization founded by and for torture survivors. The mission of TASSC is to end

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the practice of torture wherever it occurs and to empower survivors, their families and communities wherever they are.

Alive in Baghdad is empowering Iraqis to share their stories with the world, and provides a place of education and interaction for global citizens interested in the real life political, military, economic and social situation in Iraq.

The Los Tigres Del Norte Foundation is a California 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation that supports worthy non-profit charitable and community based organizations in an effort to further the appreciation and understanding of Latino music, culture and history through education and community outreach programs.

PROTECT is a national pro-child, anti-crime membership association. We are founded on the belief that our first and most sacred obligation as parents, citizens, and members of the human species is the protection of children from harm. We are committed to building a powerful, nonpartisan force for the protection of children from abuse, exploitation and neglect. We believe that this must be done through a determined single-issue focus, a meaningful mainstream agenda and the use of proven modern political strategies.

Habitat for Humanity works in partnership with God and people everywhere, from all walks of life, to develop communities with people in need by building and renovating houses so that there are decent houses in decent communities in which every person can experience God's love and can live and grow into all that God intends.

(This handout generously shared by the Door and Ladder Society, Atlanta Georgia)

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

SESSION 10: THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) Revised 2012 Goals: The goal of this session is to have a completed RFP format, as well as a list of organizations addressing your chosen funding area that should receive it.

[Process note: Many existing teen foundations have elected to have staff write the RFP as it is a fairly complex task for a group of teens. If you would like to use, or adapt, a pre written RFP, you will find a sample in the appendix. If you choose to go this route, you may eliminate this session and substitute one of the optional sessions instead. If you choose to have the teens write the RFP, proceed with the material below.]

Materials: Sample RFPs included in appendix RFP Evaluation Sheet Note paper Personal laptops, if desired

Session introduction and opening ritual 15 minutes Begin with your opening ritual. Explain that in the nonprofit world, RFPs (Request for Proposals) are the standard way in which funders gain information about potential grantees and make funding decisions. Every funder has its own version of an RFP, and we will be creating one today, designed to help us learn what we think we need to know about our potential grantees. At a minimum an RFP should ask for a concise description of the project to be funded, information about the organization’s overall mission, and a budget. It should also include information about our teen foundation and the area we are interested in funding, as well as the size of the grants we are going to be awarding.

Learning from other teen foundations 30 Minutes Distribute the sample RFPs from other teen foundations:  Rose Youth Foundation  Temple Isaiah Lafayette 7th Grade Fund  South Peninsula Jewish Community Teen Foundation

In small groups, ask students to consider what they like, and dislike about these three RFP styles and formats. They should consider which questions seem most important for making good grant decisions, and which seem less so. If you feel it will be helpful, please distribute the handout created by Julie Katz at Temple Israel, which asks teens to evaluate key elements of

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project each sample RFP. Each group should also appoint a note taker for this exercise. When this is completed, re-divide the students into different small groups. Ask each group to use the sample RFPs and the notes they just assembled to draft their own RFP questions on the topics of:  Organizational mission  Description of project and goals  How this project addresses the foundation’s mission/vision  Explanation of need  Method of evaluation  Budget  Any other topics they view as important

Before the end of the session, collect the names of any organizations the teens are already familiar with that they want to be sure receive the RFP. You will also want to have staff make a list of other qualified organizations in the community that should receive the RFP.

Be sure RFPs are mailed as quickly as possible in order to allow sufficient time to receive proposals for students to read by Session 14: Proposal Reading.

BONUS MATERIAL During Year One, Sharon Friedman, educator at Temple Har Shalom in Warren, New Jersey created the following material to help teens identify potential grant applicants. Please feel free to include elements of this material in your session as time allows.

Materials: Personal laptops

Session introduction: Our session today will focus on researching and compiling a list of potential organizations to invite to apply for our grant. We will want to identify organizations that fall within our chosen funding priority.

Researching organizations: Using computers, teens should begin to research and draw up a list of possible organizations that seem potentially worthy grant recipients. Each teen should be tasked with identifying 5 organizations.

Excellent web-sites include: www.charitynavigator.org www.idealist.org www.just-tzedakah.org www.newjersey.bbb.org

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After organizations have been identified, draft a list of the organizations and their websites. Task teens to do preliminary research on them, searching them & reading their mission statements to determine the purpose of the organization, to insure that they fall within your chosen funding priority.

It may also be valuable to discuss the pros and cons of working with non-local applicants. Keep in mind that distant organizations are less likely to be able to present directly to the group and form a close relationship with your community.

At the close of the session, you should have a compiled list of which organizations you will invite to apply for our grant.

[Process note: Session 10 is the approximate halfway point in the program, depending on how you have ordered your sessions. You may want to build in time for a mini evaluation, to gain a sense of how the program is meeting the participant’s needs so far. You may also want to be sure you have fundraised the necessary dollars by this point.]

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

URJ Teen Philanthropy Pilot Session 10 – The Request for Proposals

Sample RFPs are included separately in PDF form. Please evaluate each sample RFP on a scale of 0-5 in the areas listed below:

5 = Excellent 4 = Very Good 3 = Good 2 = Adequate 1 = Inadequate 0 = Not addressed

1. Does the RFP clearly state the goals of the teen foundation? 2. Does the RFP note that this is a student-led group with adult supervision? 3. Does the RFP state whether applicant organizations must have 501(c) (3) status? 4. Does the eligibility section explain geographic restrictions? 5. Does the eligibility section identify types of projects that will not be funded? 6. How easily understandable is the description of desired projects? 7. How clear is the dollar amount available to applicants? 8. How clear are rules about whether an organization may submit multiple proposals? 9. How clear is the deadline for submission? 10. How clear is the funding organization’s criterion for success? 11. Does the RFP clearly state whether site visits or in person interviews will be required? 12. How clear is the decision timeframe? 13. Does the RFP clearly state when money will be awarded to successful grantees?

In any areas that receive less than a 4, teens should identify what information is missing or would have been more helpful.

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SESSION 11: SERVICE LEARNING Revised 2012 Goals: The goal of these two sessions is for teens to have an opportunity to engage in hands-on service in your local community. An ancillary benefit of including these two sessions is that it increases the length of time between the development of your RFP and the teens’ review of completed proposals.

Today’s teens have many opportunities to engage in community service, however the goals of serving learning go beyond altruism and are intended to teach critical thinking and problem solving skills. There is no single “right way” to design the service learning sessions. The field of service learning is vast and theories on best practices abound. This session material is designed to offer only general suggestions as each of your sessions will function differently.

An effective service learning activity includes the following: 1. Clearly identified learning objectives (What is it students will be able to do as a result of this activity?) 2. Student involvement in selecting the service activity 3. A theoretical base 4. Integration of service with the existing curriculum (in this case the foundation project) 5. Student reflection

Additional information about the key stages of service learning is included in the appendix as a separate handout, “The Five Stages of Service Learning” taken from Cathryn Berger Kaye’s Complete Guide To Service Learning.

If possible, you will want to choose a service opportunity that relates to your chosen funding priority. You may choose to have students visit an organization that has applied for a grant from the teen foundation, or to maintain objectivity, you may choose one that is not an applicant – perhaps outside your immediate geographic area, or in the non-Jewish community if you are funding only Jewish organizations. Students should be involved in brainstorming the type of activity they will participate in, if at all possible. Adult leadership should be in touch with professionals at local organizations to determine what opportunities are available, and present these to the teens for exploration.

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Text Study: You might spend time during the first session looking at a text that is relevant to your chosen activity, and discussing what students may experience on site. You should spend time at the end of the final session engaging in reflection, either by talking with students about what they have learned, or through journaling or some type of group presentation. The goal is for them to explore how they believe their participation in this service project will influence the decisions they will now make about funding.

Suggested Framing Activity: Depending on how your time is structured, you may wish to have teens explore the terms below as related to either their chosen service learning project, or the teen foundation work in general. Teens can consider how these terms are similar and different, which of them we will be engaging in through our efforts and whether one or more in particular has resonance for our group as a guiding principle.

Glossary of Terms Related to Service: Developed by Repair the World Service: Service is the giving of one’s time and effort to bring about positive community, societal or global change.

Advocacy: Advocacy is a form of service that involves identifying an issue and those with the power to bring about effective change, then working to spur them to action.

Social Justice: Social justice is the ideal grounded in human rights and equality that underlies the movement toward a socially just world.

Volunteerism: Freely giving time and services on behalf of others or a particular cause.

Additional Service Learning Resources: Doing Good Well: www.doinggoodwell.org (A curricular resource for those with more time) Jewish Funds for Justice: www.jewishjustice.org (Speakers bureau) J Serve: www.jserve.org (National Jewish day of youth service, usually in April) National Youth Leadership Council: www.nylc.org American Jewish World Service: www.on1foot.org (Exhaustive list of texts arranged by topic) Repair the World: www.werepair.org (Great information organized by issues of interest)

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SESSION 12: DEVELOPING CRITERIA FOR PROPOSAL EVALUATION Revised 2012 Goals: The goal of today’s session is to articulate the factors we need to consider as we review completed grant proposals. By the end of the session, we will reach agreement on how we will evaluate proposals to make thoughtful funding decisions.

Materials: Copies of your RFP, if desired Art supplies, if needed Three texts on allocations handout Grant review criteria handout

Session introduction and opening ritual 15 minutes Begin with your opening ritual. Share with the group that receiving and reading proposals is one of the most exciting parts of the process. Today we will be coming to agreement about how to evaluate the proposals we receive in order to make grant awards. You may wish to have teens take a moment to look at your completed RFP, and provide an update on who it has been sent to. If you have received any completed applications (it may be too early for this) share this information to generate more enthusiasm for this stage of the process.

Allocating justly 20 minutes To set the stage for thinking about our funding criteria, we will be looking at three Jewish sources that speak to the challenge of allocating money justly. Teens will have an opportunity to teach these texts to each other.

Divide the participants into three small groups. Each group will be assigned a text. They will have 10 minutes to read it, consider its meaning and decide how to share the wisdom of the text with their peers in a meaningful way. They may choose to make a poster, perform a brief skit, or think of another creative way to get the essential message of the text across.

The three texts are as follows:

On giving to family first: “If a person has enough food in his house and wishes to use if for charitable purposes to support others, he should first support his father and mother; if there is anything left he should support his brothers and sisters; if there is anything left he should support his other relatives; if there is anything left he should support his neighbors; if there is anything left he should

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project support those who live on the same street. Thereafter he should distribute charity liberally to the rest of Israel.” Midrash Tana Devei Eliyahu, Chapter 27

On giving to non-Jews: “In a city where Jews and non-Jews live, the Tzedakah collectors collect from Jews and non- Jews and support Jewish and non-Jewish poor; we visit Jewish and non-Jewish sick and bury Jewish and non-Jewish dead, and comfort Jewish and non-Jewish mourners, and return lost goods of non-Jews and Jews, to promote the ways of peace.” Jerusalem Talmud Demai 4:1

On giving locally versus globally: “Greater needs precedes lesser need…the poor of a person’s own city have precedence over the poor of another city, and the poor among a person’s relatives have precedence over non- relatives. On this my teacher writes: the poor of a person’s own city have priority over those of another city only if both are in need of basic food and clothing. But if the poor of a person’s own city have enough for their basic needs but for no more, while the poor of another city do not have enough for their basic needs, the latter have precedence.” Chatam Sofer Responsum 231

Following each of the three “presentations” ask teens who watched the presentation to summarize the key message, to be certain that the theme was clear. Time permitting; ask teens to consider the meaning of each of the texts for our grant making.

How will we decide 25 minutes Explore the following with the group: 1. What are some ways we are formally evaluated in life? 2. What do you imagine will be the challenges of evaluating the proposals we receive? 3. Brainstorm the criteria we think will be important in evaluating proposals

Based on this discussion, review the sample grant review criteria form, used by the Jewish Youth Philanthropy Institute of Greater Washington DC. Discuss with the teens what changes or adaptations they feel are needed to this form for it to be useful. Remind teens that our next session will be a working session where we will all be reading our completed proposals.

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

URJ Teen Philanthropy Pilot Session 12 – Developing Criteria for Proposal Evaluation

On giving locally versus globally: “Greater needs precedes lesser need…the poor of a person’s own city have precedence over the poor of another city, and the poor among a person’s relatives have precedence over non- relatives. On this my teacher writes:…the poor of a person’s own city have priority over those of another city only if both are in need of basic food and clothing. But if the poor of a person’s own city have enough for their basic needs but for no more, while the poor of another city do not have enough for their basic needs, the latter have precedence.” Chatam Sofer Responsum 231

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URJ Teen Philanthropy Pilot

Session 12 – Developing Criteria for Proposal Evaluation

Grant Criteria Review Form Please score each answer with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest. Rank each project on its own merit. DO NOT RANK BASED ON COMPARISONS TO PROJECTS SPONSORED BY OTHER AGENCIES.

Name of Project ______Agency ______

1._____ I understand and support the mission of this organization. Comments:

2. _____ This project is needed in the community. Comments:

3. _____ I understand this proposal and I think it will work. Comments:

4. _____ This program will change the lives of those it serves. Comments:

5. _____The amount of funds requested in the budget seems reasonable and the organization is using the money wisely to accomplish its goals. Comments:

6. _____The program presented is creative. Comments:

7. _____The staff has a good plan and seems knowledgeable about this new project. Comments:

8. _____This project could be successful without full JCYF funding. Comments:

9. _____This project is consistent with Jewish values because... Comments: My Total Score Total After Group Discussion

(This handout generously shared by the Jewish Youth Philanthropy Institute of Greater Washington DC)

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SESSION 13: PROPOSAL READING Revised 2012 Goals: The goal of today’s session is to read the proposals we have received. We will each be reading the proposals individually, circulating them around the room.

Materials: Copies of all proposals received Comments sheets stapled to back of each proposal Pens and paper

Session introduction and opening ritual 15 minutes Begin with your opening ritual. You may wish to have your guiding statement posted in the room for inspiration.

Proposal reading 45 minutes Explain that this proposal reading session will be very informal.

There are two options for proposal reading.

Option 1 is to circulate the proposals throughout the room, giving each teen a chance to read and comment on each proposal individually.

Option 2 is to place teens into groups of 2-3 to read proposals as a group and discuss what they read with the others.

Attach a comments sheet to the back of each proposal, so that teens can write their own comments, and read those of the teens who reviewed the proposal prior to them as well. The comments sheet should ask teens to identify:  Exciting elements of the proposal  Challenging elements of the proposal  Things we need clarification about

[Process note: Several teen foundations have found that this process is more efficient if it takes place in a teen’s home, or another informal setting. Be sure to provide lots of snacks, and either have music available, or encourage students to bring their own. If you have received a large number of proposals, you may need to consider allocating two sessions for the reading process.]

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SESSION 14: SITE VISITS OR APPLICANT INTERVIEWS Revised 2012 Goals: The general goal for these sessions is for teens to have in-person experience with non profits in your local community Please consider whether these sessions will require more than one hour to effectively visit an organization, or conduct applicant interviews.

Materials: Ranking sheets Note taking form

Specifically, teens may seek to learn more about applicant organizations (Option A), or to gain a better sense of how non-profits work (Option B), depending on which of the two options you choose.

You may choose to arrange site visits to 2-3 local organizations.

Alternatively, you may choose to bring applicant organizations to the congregation for final interviews. Either option should provide the following:  An opportunity to interact with staff and board members  An opportunity to learn more about the organization’s work  An opportunity to ask any unanswered questions  Information beyond what was contained in the proposal (if an applicant)  The ability to gain a sense of place (if a site visit)

You may choose to give teens the choice between site visits and applicant interviews, or staff may make a decision at the outset of the program about which direction to pursue.

Option A: Use the prior session to determine which three to five organizations teens would like to visit, and proceed as described below. Note than in this case, you must be prepared to schedule the visits quickly, which may present some logistical challenge.

Option B: Choose an organization serving your chosen funding area, which has NOT applied for a teen foundation grant, and arrange a visit. This option may be appealing if you are unable to narrow down your candidate pool to a small enough number to visit. It may also be useful in helping teens maintain objectivity, and not become emotionally attached to the organization they visit. Note that in this case, you will be able to make arrangements for the site visit immediately after Session 6: Choosing Our Funding Priority.

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Option A: Site Visit 60 minutes If teens will be participating in site visits, they may do this as a unified group (although it may require meeting outside your regular session hours.) You may also divide teens into small groups, and empower them to schedule and visit with organizations on their own time. If you choose to break them into small groups, please be sure you have adequate time for groups to exchange information about what they heard and saw at a future point.

In order to decide which organizations to visit: Give each teen a handout with the names of all grant applications on it. Ask them to choose their top four choices for visiting and rank them one through four. The four agencies receiving the most votes are those that get visited. If you have more than four that “tie” for the top four spots, you may need to repeat this for a second round.

If visiting applicant agencies, teens should consider whether they have important questions to ask that were not covered in a proposal, and should consider whether the proposal is so off base or topic that the organization is not worth making a visit to.

Before visits take place, be sure to review the “choreography of a site visit” created by the Rose Youth Foundation with the group.

The Choreography of the Site Visit Note that some of these steps are relevant only if visiting applicant organizations.

1. Prepare in advance. Read the proposal carefully. Write down questions in a logical order. Learn a little about the field. Bring your copy of the proposal and list of questions together with a pad of paper and pencil or pen with you on the site visit. 2. Create an agenda with goals. 3. Dress appropriately out of respect. 4. Know where you are going and be on time. 5. Introduce yourself. Look people in the eye, shake their hand, and thank them for their time. Tell them your name, what grade you are in, where you go to school. 6. Review the agenda, how much time you have together and your goals for the site visit. 7. Tour the facilities. Keep your eyes open. Notice how staff interacts with clients. Take notice of the site itself. If no facility, proceed to the next step. 8. Brief presentation of the proposal by the grantee: let them tell you about why they applied and why their program is important. 9. Ask your questions and discuss the project together. 10. Tell them about the review and approval process and when they will be notified. 11. All-important last questions: What should I know that I have not asked you?

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12. Thank them for their time. 13. Debrief with your peers for a few minutes after you leave.

You may also wish to supply students with a version of the note taking form developed by the Jewish Community Youth Foundation of Princeton, New Jersey.

Option B: Applicant Interviews 60 minutes You may choose to bring a limited number of applicants to your organization for interviews, or you may wish to borrow space at a local Jewish Community Center or Federation. Be sure that agency staff is aware they are presenting to teenagers, and tailor their (short) presentation accordingly.

The teens should decide upon a series of three to five questions they would like the agency representatives to answer in their presentation. These may well be the same as those listed on the note taking sheet, or may address areas the group is particularly interested in. Applicant presentations should be tailored to the preferences of your group.

Note that depending on the size of the grants you are offering, it may or may not be realistic for organizations to spend the time to come in for an interview. Be thoughtful in considering how much can be asked of them in both the RFP and the interview process.

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URJ Teen Philanthropy Pilot

Session 14 – Site Visits Note taking Form

Your name:

Name(s) of organizational representatives:

Agency Questions: What is your organization’s mission?

What is the goal of your organization?

What urgent need does your organization address?

How long has your organization been serving the community?

How does the work of your organization better the world?

How many people do you serve each year?

What geographic area(s) do you serve?

Do you serve Jews or non-Jews or both?

What is your annual budget and how is it raised?

What is unique about your organization’s approach to its work?

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Proposed project questions: Describe the project you are requesting funding for.

What are the costs of the proposed program?

How will the dollars be used?

Who are some past beneficiaries if this program is not new?

How do you evaluate your programs?

Please share a client success story.

How would the agency be affected if this program did not exist?

(This form was adapted from one created by the Jewish Community Youth Foundation of Princeton, New Jersey.)

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SESSION 15: FINAL ALLOCATION DECISIONS Revised 2012 Goals: The goal of this session is straightforward. Today we will be deciding who to award grants to. Teens will have an opportunity think about and discuss what organizations they think should be funded, and to think about what “best” means.

Materials: Vote sheets Art supplies and butcher paper

Session introduction and opening ritual 15 minutes Begin with your opening ritual. You may wish to have your guiding statement posted in the room for inspiration.

Discussion 20 minutes This discussion time is the opportunity for teens to share with their peers which proposals they really want to see funded, and to advocate for those they feel passionate about. If it feels helpful, you may wish to again review the Principles of Active Listening from Session 5: Building Consensus. It is also important to remind participants how many grants you will be making, which is dependent on your available funds (see Process Note below.)

Depending on your group size, you might give each teen two minutes to stand up and make a pitch for the organization they favor.

Alternatively, you might simply ask what teens are feeling about having to make these decisions, and encourage dialogue about the process we are about to engage in.

Proposal ranking 25 minutes Each teen should receive five slips of paper, one with 5 points written on it, one with 4 points and so on. (Tabulating will be easier if the slips are different colors for different numbers, but it is not necessary.) Each teen is asked to vote for five different organizations by writing the name of the organization they want to award points to on the corresponding slip of paper. They may not vote for the same organization more than once.

Five bags should be set up at the front of the room, into which students can drop their slips when they have finished. Staff then tabulates the total number of points awarded to each

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project organization to determine the winner(s.) If more than one grant is being made, these would be awarded to the top two vote getters.

While staff is tabulating the votes, teens can focus on creating a poster to hang in the institution congratulating the grantees on receiving the grant awards. They will need to leave the name of the recipient organization(s) blank until the tabulation is complete, but can decorate the poster with photos of the year, inspiring quotations or anything else that is reflective of their experience. This will be an important tool for generating ongoing support from the congregation.

[Process note: For most of you, the number of grants you are able to award will be dependent on your total grant pool. JTFN recommends not making grants smaller than $1000, which for some will mean settling on only one grant award. This is not a disadvantage, but rather forces the teens to be very clear on their priorities.]

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Organization Name 5 POINTS

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Organization Name 5 POINTS

Organization Name 4 POINTS

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Organization Name 4 POINTS

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Organization Name 4 POINTS

Organization Name 3 POINTS

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Organization Name 3 POINTS

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Organization Name 3 POINTS

Organization Name 2 POINTS

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Organization Name 2 POINTS

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Organization Name 1 POINT

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Organization Name 1 POINT

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SESSION 16: EVALUATION AND NEXT YEAR’S PROGRAM Revised 2012 In addition to the collection of written feedback, this session should be used to explore with teens what worked and what didn’t for them in this year’s program. If you plan to continue next year, with this group, or a younger group you should also explore the group’s willingness to stay on as participants, or members of a leadership council. If this group will stay on as participants, consider what they’d like to do differently, or add next year. If they will stay on as a leadership council, consider how they can be resources to the new participants.

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SESSION 17: SIYYUM The final session allows the teens an opportunity to plan their own celebration of their accomplishments. Any of the following elements might be considered:  Inviting grant award agencies to a check presentation ceremony  A slideshow  Student presentations on the impact of this experience  An installation ceremony for teens joining a leadership council  Music, dancing and food

The final session is another opportunity to incorporate the following Reform blessing into your activities: Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melekh ha’olam, asher kidshanu b’mitvotav b’tizvanu lirdof tzedek. Blessed are you, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the Universe; You hallow us with your mitzvot and command us to pursue justice.

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APPENDIX I: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR TEENS

IMPORTANT NOTE: THESE ANSWERS WILL VARY BY INSTITUTION. THIS HANDOUT SHOULD BE CUSTOMIZED TO REFLECT YOUR PROGRAM.

CONGREGATION (XYZ) IS LAUCHING A TEEN FOUNDATION - BE A PART OF IT!

What is a teen foundation?

A teen foundation is an opportunity to join your friends in raising and strategically distributing grant dollars to local organizations, according to your shared values and interests. Our teen foundation will be guided by the Jewish principle of tzedakah, the obligation to give to those in need.

What will we be doing?

We will be meeting as a group, to learn about Jewish principles of giving, explore the pressing needs in our community, decide what types of grants we want to make and allocate the money. Along the way, we (will or may) visit local organizations, engage in hands-on service projects, host fundraising events and learn more about ourselves and our values. At the end of the year, we will be making grants to XX organizations, totaling $XX.

Be sure to mention it here if you will be making grants only to Jewish organizations.

Also, if you believe students will be eligible to receive community service credit at school, make sure it is clear here that this program meets that requirement.

How often will we meet?

To be filled in by sponsoring institution. Be sure to state that participants are commuting to participate in all sessions.

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When and where will we meet?

To be filled in by sponsoring institution.

Is there a fee for my participation?

To be filled in by sponsoring institution. Be sure to mention any requirements you have set for individuals to raise money for the grant making pool.

How do I apply?

To be filled in by sponsoring institution. This is only relevant if you are going to ask students to complete a form asking for more information about them prior to participation. A sample application in included in the appendix.

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APPENDIX II: SAMPLE PROGRAM BUDGET

Below is a sample budget. Please note that not all costs below are required components of a teen foundation program, however you may wish to anticipate incurring some of these costs.

EXPENSE ITEM COST Program Director Salary $37,000 Retreat cost $1000 Matching contribution to grant pool $5000 Administrative contribution $4000 Office space $3000 Programming expenses (see below) $6000 TOTAL $56,000

Detailed program expenses Teen Board meeting food $1500 Siyyum $1300 Leadership council $400 Recruitment/marketing $800 Office supplies $600 Postage $500 Mileage/transportation $300 Security $600 TOTAL $6,000

Adapted from the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties.

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APPENDIX III: SAMPLE STUDENT APPLICATION QUESTIONS

1. Name 2. Birth date 3. Gender 4. Parent/Guardian Name(s) 5. Address 6. Home phone 7. Cell phone 8. Alternative phone 9. Email 10. What school do you attend? 11. How would you describe your Jewish identity? 12. Please share how you heard about the Teen Foundation. 13. Please list the name and number of a non family member who can serve as a positive reference. 14. What interests you about the program? 15. What unique perspective, skills and qualities would you bring to the group? 16. List all extracurricular/volunteer activities, hobbies, jobs or leadership roles you have had this year or in the recent years. 17. What issue or cause are you interested in or passionate about?

Questions adapted from online application form for The Door and Ladder Society, Atlanta Teen Jewish Philanthropy Initiative, Marcus Jewish Community Center.

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APPENDIX IV: SAMPLE STUDENT CONTRACT

Derech Eretz (Code of Ethics) Contract Concept Translation In the Jewish Community Youth Foundation Sim lev Pay attention Arevut Responsibility Derech eretz Respect Lehakshiv To listen Savlanut Patience Lehitchashev To be thoughtful Bitzelem In the image of God Likabel de’ot shel aherim To accept the opinions of others Sakranut Curiosity Dugma e’sheet Personal example

I will uphold the values listed above throughout my participation in the Jewish Community Youth Foundation program.

Signed: Date:

Derech Eretz adapted from the Iris Teen Tzedakah Program of the Partnership for Jewish Learning and Life, an agency of UJC, Metro West, Whippany, NJ.

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APPENDIX V: SAMPLE JEWISH TEXTS FOR STUDY

The following are a variety of texts organized by theme, which you may wish to use in study with teen foundation participants. This sampling is not exhaustive, and we encourage you to add your own favorite texts to the sessions.

Please also consider visiting www.on1foot.org, sponsored by American Jewish World Service. This incredibly rich site lists hundreds of texts arranged by social justice themes and has a variety of other wonderful resources.

Suggested ways to use text include:  In chevruta study  To frame a session agenda  To develop your funding statement  To wrestle with a challenge issue during allocation  To create a journaling activity  To reinforce a site visit or service learning project  To engage in dialogue with communal professionals or philanthropists  To speak about the teen foundation to the congregation

TZEDAKAH IN GENERAL *Baba Batra 9a Charity is equal in importance to all the other commandments combined.

*Baba Batra 9a One who gives charity in secret is greater than Moses.

*Baba Batra 9a Whoever gives even a small coin to a poor man receives six blessings, but whoever speaks reassuringly to him receives eleven blessings.

*Chagiga 12b The world rests on a single pillar – righteousness.

*Gittin 7b Even a poor man who himself survives on charity should give charity.

*Ketuvot 5a

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A person shouldn’t give more than a fifth of his income [to Tzedakah] les he himself come to be in need of charity.

*Ketuvot 68a If a person closes his eyes to avoid giving charity, it is as if he committed idolatry.

*Kiddushin 40b Happy is he who performs a good deed. It may tip the scale for him and the world.

Micah 6:8 You have been told what is good and what the Lord requires of you; to act justly, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.

Ethics of the Fathers/Pirke Avot 1:2 The world stands on three things: On the Torah, on the service of God and on acts of loving kindness.

Ethics of the Fathers/Pirke Avot 1:5 Let your house be open wide, and let the needy be members of your household.

Ethics of the Fathers/Pirke Avot 2:4 Hillel said, do not separate yourself from the community…and do not judge your fellow until you arrive at the same situation.

Ethics of the Fathers/Pirke Avot 2:8 He [Hillel] used to say, the more Tzedakah the more shalom.

Ethics of the Fathers/Pirke Avot 2:16 It is not your obligation to finish the work; Nor are you free to desist from it.

Ethics of the Fathers/Pirke Avot 3:7 Rabbi Elazar of Barota said: Give unto Him of what is His, seeing that you and all you have is his.

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*Sanhedrin 99b He who causes his friend to do a mitzvah is regarded by Scripture as though he had done it himself.

*Sanhedrin 99b Whoever saves a single life, it is as though he has saved an entire world.

*Yevamot 79a Three signs identify this [the Jewish] people: they are merciful, they are bashful, they perform deeds of loving kindness.

Avot d’Rabbi Natan 2:2 Run to do a light mitzvah, because it will lead you to do a weighty mitzvah.

Tosefta Peah 4:17 If someone says he will give charity and he does so, he gets a reward for speech and a reward for action.

*Berachot 17b The entire world is sustained by Divine grace but [the righteous] are sustained by their own force.

HUNGER AND POVERTY Leviticus/Vayikra 19:9-10 And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall them for the poor and the stranger, I am the Lord your God.

Leviticus/Vayikra 19:18 Do not take revenge nor bear a grudge against the children of your people. You must love your neighbor as [you love] yourself. I am God.

Deuteronomy/Devarim 10:17-19 For your God is the God of all and the master of all, the great, mighty and awesome God, who shows no favor and takes no bribe, but upholds the cause of the orphan and the widow and befriends the stranger, providing the stranger with food and clothing. You too must befriend the stranger for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

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Deuteronomy/Devarim 15:7-8 If however, there is a needy person among you…do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kinsman. Rather you must open your hand and lend him sufficient for whatever he needs.

Isaiah/Yeshaya 58:7-8 Share your bread with the hungry, take the homeless into your home…If you put yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the soul for the poor, then shall your light shine in the darkness and your gloom shall be as noonday. God will guide you continually.

Ethics of the Fathers/Pirke Avot 3:17 Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah said…If there is no understanding, there is no knowledge. If there is no knowledge there is no understanding. If there is no sustenance there is no Torah. If there is no Torah, there is no sustenance.

*Baba Batra 9a When a [poor] man says “Provide me with clothes,” he should be investigated [lest he be found to be a cheat]; when he says “Feed me,” he should not be investigated [but fed immediately, lest he starve to death during the investigation.]

*Brachot 58b Rabbi Chana ben Chanila would keep his hand in his pocket, so that when a poor person would ask for money, he would not feel humiliated.

Mishlei 17:5 One who mocks the poor insults his maker.

Mishlei 22:2 The rich and the poor meet together; God is the maker of them all.

Vayikra Rabbah 34:9 Rav Avin said: the poor man stands at your door and the Holy One stands at the right of the poor man. If you have given to him, know that He who stands to his right will give you your reward; but if you have not given him, know that He who stands on his right will exact punishment…This world is a like a wheel for drawing water a well; the full pail empties and the empty pail fills.

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

Mishneh Torah It is a mitzvah to give a poor person what is needed. If one has no clothing, clothing should be provided. If one has no furniture, it should be obtained…Even if an impoverished person was used to riding on a horse with a servant running ahead, you should provide a horse and servant. it is a a mitzvah to meet a poor person’s needs, but you are not required to make that person rich.

THE ENVIRONMENT Genesis/B’reshit 1:28 God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful and become many. Fill the land and conquer it. Dominate the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky and every beast that walks the land.”

Genesis/B’reshit 9:12 God said, “This is the sign that I am providing for the covenant between Me, you an every living creature that is with you, for everlasting generations.”

Deuteronomy/Devarim 20:19 When you lay siege to a city and wage war against it a long time to capture it, you must not destroy its trees, wielding an ax against any food producing tree. Do not cut down a tree in a field, unless it is being by the men who confront you in the siege.

Psalms/T’hilim 24:1 Of David, a psalm. the earth and all it contains is God’s; the world and its inhabitants.

Psalms/T’hilim 115:16 The heavens are God’s but the earth He has given to man.

Ecclesiastes/Kohelet 1:4 One generation goes, another comes, but the earth endures forever.

Ecclesiastes/Kohelet 3:2 A time to give birth and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot the planted.

Shemot Rabbah 31:15 All God’s creation borrow from each other: Day from night, night from day, the moon from stars and the stars from the moon…the sky from the earth and earth from the sky.

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

Exodus/Shemot 23:10-11 Six years you shall sow your land and gather its yield, but in the seventh you shall let It rest and lie fallow. Let the needy among your people eat of it, and what they leave behind the wild beasts eat. You shall do the same with your vineyards and your olive groves.”

HOW WE GIVE *Chagigah 5a Rabbi Yannai once saw a person giving money to a poor man in public. He said: “It would have been better for you to give him nothing, than giving as you did. You caused him embarrassment.”

*Gittin 61a Our rabbis have taught: We support the non-Jewish poor along with the poor of Israel, and visit the sick of the non-Jews, along with the sick of Israel, and bury the poor of the non-Jews, along with the dead of Israel, in the interests of peace.

*Peah 8:7 A public fund needs to be collected by no less than two people, and distributed by no less than three people.

*Sanhedrin 27b All Israel is responsible for one another.

*Shabbat 63a One who lends money is greater than one who performs charity, and one who forms a partnership is greater than all.

Mishneh Torah 10:1-2 No one has ever become impoverished by giving Tzedakah, as it is said, “and the result of tzedakah is peace (Isaiah 32:17).”

Mishneh Torah Hilkhot Dei-ot 5, 2:4-14 He [the Torah scholar] provides for his family according to his means, yet without excessive devotion to this. His clothing should be neither that of kings nor that of poor men, but rather of pleasant, ordinary clothing.

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

Rabbi Yaakov, in name of R. Sadya Gaon Tur 251 A man is obligated to give his own sustenance priority over that of any other person. He is not obligated to give charity until his own sustenance is met, since Scripture states that your brother should live together with you – your own life takes precedence over your brother.

Commentary by M. Isserles to Ketubot 67b In an emergency, the responsibility to sustain the poor rests on the individual. Over time the responsibility shifts to rest on the community.

Midrash Tana Devei Eliyahu Chapter 27 If a person has enough food in his house and wishes to use it for charitable purposes to support others, he should first support his father and mother; if there is anything left he should support his brothers and sisters; if there is anything left he should support his other relatives; if there is anything left he should support his neighbors; if there is anything left he should support those who live on the same street. Thereafter he should distribute charity liberally to the rest of Israel.

Chatam Sofer Responsum 231 Greater need precedes lesser need…the poor of a person’s own city have precedence over the poor of another city, and the poor among a person’s relatives have precedence over non relatives. On this [my teacher] writes: the reference to relative need comes first to teach us that the poor of a person’s own city have priority of those of another city only if both are in need of basic food and clothing. But if the poor of a person’s own city have enough for their basic needs but no more, while the poor of another city do not have enough for their basic needs, than the latter have precedence.”

Shulchan Arukh/Yoreh Deah 249:1 The amount of giving – if one has means – is in accordance with the need of the poor. If one does not have quite those means, one should up to one fifth of one’s wealth, which is the preferred mitzvah. Ten percent is the average amount. Less than that is stinginess.

*All sources prefaced by an asterisk are tractates of the Talmud, see below

GLOSSARY OF SOURCES D’varim Rabbah: an aggadic (non-legal) commentary on the Book of Deuteronomy Kohelet Rabbah: an aggadic commentary on the Book of Ecclesiastes Shemot Rabbah: an aggadic commentary on the Book of Exodus M’chilta: a halakhic (legal) commentary on the Book of Exodus Midrash: rabbinic interpretations of biblical text

URJ-JTFN Teen Philanthropy Project

Mishlei: a book of proverbs Mishneh Torah: a code of Jewish law compiled by Maimonides Pirke Avot: a tractate of the Mishnah that contains moral advice Responsa: rabbinic answers to questions posed about Jewish law or practice Shulchan Arukh: the most widely accepted code of Jewish law Tosefta Peah: a supplement to the Mishnah Talmud: the comprehensive body of Jewish law, including the Mishnah and the Gemara

GENERAL DISCUSSION QUESTIONS What value is this text describing? How is the value communicated by this text incorporated into our teen foundation? How do you incorporate this value into your daily life? How does the meaning of this text change in today’s day and age? Do you agree with this text? Why or why not? How does this text change your understanding of this issue? How might this text impact our giving this year?

Or, consider taking two texts that appear to have conflicting messages (there are quite a few here!) and compare them.

Many of these texts were drawn from material collected by Daniel Rothner of Areyvut. Please visit www.areyvut.org for additional material. Additional texts were drawn from the resources of the Jewish Teen Funders Network at www.jtfn.org. The glossary definitions were adapted from “Money Matters: Jewish Ethics of Money and Business” available through URJ Press.

January 30, 2006 Dear Potential Grantee:

Five years ago, Rose Community Foundation created a program called Rose Youth Foundation that brings together diverse Jewish teens to learn about philanthropic concepts and grantmaking. This year our goal is to give away $50,000 to nonprofit organizations in the greater Denver area to help improve our community. Rose Youth Foundation has decided to grant up to $38,000 to organizations with programs and services focusing on three different priorities: 1) providing support for adult Jewish alcoholics and their families 2) strengthening, maintaining and increasing Jewish identity in young Jews ages 13 to 25 3) promoting tolerance between Jews of different denominations, and between Jews and persons of other faiths in the 13 to 25 age group

The remaining $12,000 will support Denvers Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness. We believe that homelessness is one of the largest current issues confronting the Denver community. Furthermore, we feel that the Ten Year Plan is the best approach to deal with this issue both because of its broad scope in aligning many Denver foundations and because of its thoroughly-researched methods based on similar successful models in other U.S. cities. Support for the homeless is consistent with our goal of primarily Jewish giving because it follows the Jewish ideal of tikkun olam (to heal the world).

We strongly encourage you take advantage of this opportunity in order to further your own efforts in strengthening our community. With your assistance, we hope to make our 2006 experience as successful as past years.

Thank you for your time. We look forward to receiving your proposals by March 8.

Sincerely, Rose Youth Foundation Members

Youth Funders Invite You to Apply for up to $38,000

Request for Proposals Rose Youth Foundation Grant Guidelines and Application Deadline: March 8, 2006 at 5:00 p.m. Who We Are: We are 23 Jewish teens from the Denver/Boulder area. We go to 14 different schools, and come from eight different cities. We encompass the entire spectrum of Jewish faith from Reconstructionist to Orthodox to unaffiliated. We were brought together by Rose Community Foundation to learn about philanthropy and to fund programs and projects that better our Jewish community. We believe that we have a responsibility to our community and to practice tikkun olam, repairing the world. We are:

Liz Walker, Chair Danny Townsend, Vice Chair Brandon Kaufmann, Secretary Cara Lippitt Dana Rommerdahl, Marketing Director Shane Morris Stephanie Zepelin, Historian Tory Reiss Zoë Aqua Adrienne Russman Sahra Bulow Jesse Spafford Melinda Dewald Samuel Stone Roecker Ashley Felber Josh Sylman Sammy Forshner Irwin M. Vinnik Dillon Jess Sophie Wolman Hannah Leventhal Joseph Wood Dayna Zolle

Rose Youth Foundation Request for Proposals

Eligibility Requirements Rose Youth Foundation accepts proposals for programs or from organizations that serve the seven-county greater Denver area of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties. Programs with a broader geographic focus may apply; however, the proposal must address its relevance to people living within these seven counties.

Applicants must be charitable, nonprofit organizations with a tax-exempt classification from the Internal Revenue Service, a tax-supported institution such as a school or government agency, or they must be sponsored by an adult-run charitable organization.

Rose Youth Foundation is a separately organized grantmaking program within Rose Community Foundation. Grant applicants to Rose Youth Foundation are not subject to Rose Community Foundations Grant Guidelines.

Funds Available to Grant Rose Youth Foundation has up to $38,000 to grant for this Request for Proposals. Applicants should be realistic and sensible in the amount they request and consider the total amount available when submitting their grant requests.

What We Fund Rose Youth Foundation has the following funding priorities in 2006:

1. Support for adult Jewish alcoholics and their families We believe the Jewish community can provide more compassion and support for Jews struggling with alcoholism. Many people turn to faith to help overcome addictions.

We will consider requests for: x support for Jewish alcoholics and their families who are served by Jewish organizations and/or secular (not religious) organizations x start-up or existing programs for Jewish adults and their families that provide additional support beyond treatment for alcoholics

We will give higher priority to: x helping new support programs to be launched x long-term programs x programs from Jewish agencies and synagogues for Jewish people x high-quality programs x ongoing multiple-session programs for families or individuals

Rose Community Foundation/Rose Youth Foundation 13 We will not fund: x school-based preventive programs x treatment (in-patient or out-patient) x any other substance abuse support programs (only alcoholism)

2. Promoting Jewish identity for Jews ages 13 to 25 We want to strengthen, maintain and increase Jewish identity for Jews ages 13 to 25. We believe Jewish identity means both an institutional and personal connection to Judaism. We see that there is a significant absence of institutional and personal connections to Judaism within this age group in our Greater Denver Jewish community.

We will consider requests for: x programs for Jews that do not have an institutional or a personal connection to their Judaism An example of an institutional connection would be youth group membership. An example of a personal connection would include a regular observance of Shabbat in ones home. x scholarship programs pertaining to Jewish schools, Jewish camps, and other Jewish programs

We will give higher priority to: x ongoing multiple-session programs x programs that benefit completely unaffiliated Jews.

We will not fund: x capital grants x general operating funding x endowments x one-time Jewish events

3. Promoting tolerance between Jews ages 13 to 25 (as individuals and as members of different denominations) and between Jews ages 13 to 25 and persons of other faiths to foster understanding and mutual respect throughout the community

We will consider requests for: x programs cultivating tolerance between participants via interactive learning experiencesi.e. through media and the arts, camps, retreats, exhibits, etc. x programs pertaining to tolerance between various denominations of Jews as well as between Jews and non-Jews. x youth-involved programs, however not those utilizing youth-developed curricula.

Rose Community Foundation/Rose Youth Foundation 14 Preliminary Grant Application ʹ Invitation to Apply

Grants of $5,000 to $10,000.

Overview

The South Peninsula Jewish Community Teen Foundation (SPJCTF) is a group of 22 high school students who are passionate about helping those in need. We raise funds to make grants in order to explore philanthropy and fulfill our obligation to tikkun olam, the Jewish concept of helping the world.

The SPJCTF provides local youth with the opportunity to put Jewish values into practice in a group setting, and instills within its participants the skills that may set a life-long pattern of activism and philanthropy. SPCTF participants engage in an in-depth examination of social justice issues, profound discussions of tikkun olam, tzedakah and other Jewish values and gain practical skills in fundraising, grant-making, and group process.

Mission

The SPJCTF will fund education programs in three communities; a local community (East Palo Alto or serving students from East Palo Alto), a Jewish community, and an international community in need. Board members are most interested in funding sustainable early intervention programs that help people help themselves.

Selection Criteria

Feasibility. Potential program impact. Reasonable budget. Services provided must correspond with the Jewish teaching of treating recipients with dignity and respect. The project should be instituted and funds expended by June 30, 2012, but project time delays will be considered. Must be a non-profit organization with a 501(c)(3) status. Multiple project applications will be considered from one organization. Review Process

SPJCTF board members will review each preliminary grant application in February and request 10-12 agencies to submit full proposals. Board members may ask to meet with representatives of the applicant organization. Funding decisions will be made by the 22 teen board members of the South Peninsula Jewish Community Teen Foundation during the month of June. All applicants will be notified of our decision no later than June 30, 2011.

Applications due February 11th. Apply at: https://www.GrantRequest.com/SID_364?SA=SNA&FID=35046

TEMPLE ISAIAH SEVENTH GRADE FUND 2000-2001

Request for Proposals [sample page]

The Temple Isaiah Seventh Grade Fund is seeking proposals for projects that address the purposes described in this RFP.

GOALS: The Seventh Grade Fund is a private foundation created by the Seventh Grade class at Temple Isaiah in November 1998. Each academic year, our Board chooses an issue area upon which to focus our work. This year, our goal is to identify and support organizations that protect animals and the environment, while educating ourselves about the value of directed philanthropy. The primary focus of our giving will be local, but may include national and international projects.

ELIGIBILITY AND CRITERIA: Eligible organizations must have 501(c)(3) or other accept- able not-for-proﬁt corporate status and must address the goals outlined above. Grant requests will be accepted up to $5,000.00.

FUNDING DECISIONS: Funding decisions will be made by the Board of Directors of the Seventh Grade Fund. The Board is comprised of all ninety members of the Temple Isaiah’s Seventh Grade Class of 2000-2001. Grants will be awarded during the beginning of May 2001.

PRESENTATIONS: Organizations making grant requests are invited and encouraged to make presentations to the Board of Directors at our meetings on Sunday, April 15th, Sunday, April 22nd, and Sunday April 29th, 2001. Please call Aaron Dorfman, Seventh Grade Fund Advisor, at (555) 555-5555, if you are interested in scheduling a presentation.

SUPPORT: The Seventh Grade Fund’s grants are supported by donations from Temple Isaiah’s Seventh Grade families, modest fundraising efforts, and additional gifts from individual donors.

DEADLINE: Grant proposals are due at Temple Isaiah by 4:00 pm on Monday, March 26th, 2001.

QUESTIONS: If you have any questions regarding this RFP or the Grant Proposal Format, please contact Aaron Dorfman, Seventh Grade Fund Advisor, at (555) 555-5555.

88.

The Five Stages of Service Learning

Inventory and Investigation Reflection Using interviewing and other means of social analysis, During systematic reflection, the teacher or students students: guide the process using various modalities, such as % catalog the interests, skills, and talents of their role play, discussion, and journal writing. Participating peers and partners. students: % identify a need. % describe what happened. % analyze the underlying problem. % examine the difference made. % establish a baseline of the need. % discuss thoughts and feelings. % begin to accumulate partners. % place experience in a larger context. % consider project improvements. Preparation and Planning % generate ideas. With guidance from their teacher, students: % identify questions. % draw upon previously acquired skills and % encourage comments from partners and knowledge. recipients. % acquire new information through varied, engaging % receive feedback. means and methods. % collaborate with community partners. Demonstration % develop a plan that encourages responsibility. Students showcase what and how they have learned, % recognize the integration of service and learning. along with demonstrating skills, insights, and outcomes of service provided to an outside group. Students may: % become ready to provide meaningful service. % report to peers, faculty, parents, and/or % articulate roles and responsibilities of all involved. community members. define realistic parameters for implementation. % % write articles or letters to local newspapers regarding issues of public concern. Action % create a publication or Web site that helps others Through direct service, indirect service, research, learn from students’ experiences. advocacy, or a combination of these approaches, students take action that: % make presentations and performances. create displays of public art with murals % has value, purpose, and meaning. % or photography. % uses previously learned and newly acquired academic skills and knowledge. % offers unique learning experiences. % has real consequences. % offers a safe environment to learn, to make mistakes, and to succeed.

From The Complete Guide to Service Learning: Proven, Practical Ways to Engage Students in Civic Responsibility, Academic Curriculum, & Social Action (Revised & Updated Second Edition) by Cathryn Berger Kaye, M.A., copyright © 2010. Free Spirit Publishing Inc., Minneapolis, MN; 800-735-7323; www.freespirit.com. This page may be reproduced for use within an individual school or district. For all other uses, contact www.freespirit.com/company/permissions.cfm.