SLINGSHOT CONTACT Rebecca Neuwirth BOARD CHAIR Matthew Bronfman PHONE 212-891-1403 A RESOURCE GUIDEBUDGET $520,000 EMAIL [email protected] INCEPTION 2005 SLINGSHOT FOR JEWISH INNOVATION MEET THE INNOVATORS: INNOVATORS: THE MEET the from for video messages www.slingshotfund.org/videos Visit in Jewish and life. projects organizations innovative most the of leaders introduction why do we create Slingshot? This is the ninth annual edition of Slingshot. So, here’s your homework assignment: Creating this guide takes nearly a year of evaluation, due diligence, discussion, and 1. Read this book and find a project that design. Slingshot represents the combined excites you. Then reach out to its leaders! If effort of nearly 100 people across North you are a participant, a volunteer, or a funder, America, and it costs an arm and a leg to you are what they need in order to grow. print. And then, we give it away for free. 2. Share this book with someone who Why? doesn’t find Jewish life personally relevant. Visit www.slingshotfund.org/order, and order Because the following pages include an that person a free copy. important story about the Jewish community, and we want you to read it – and share it. 3. Discuss this book with your family, Slingshot ’13-’14 tells the narrative of how friends, and colleagues. Slingshot is the Jewish community can remain relevant intended to be a conversation starter: Ask and thrive as the world changes around your parent to pick a favorite organization, it. Over the following pages, you will read and talk about why. Ask a friend what area about a vibrant Jewish community – not of Jewish life still needs innovation. With an aspirational community, but one that is your spouse, think about how your family happening out there right now. can contribute to the success of these ideas. Visit www.slingshotfund.org/ASK for This is a Jewish community of projects more discussion question ideas. that promote diverse perspectives and affiliations, meaningful learning, and modern Let us know how your conversations go, interpretations of ancient traditions. This is and how you use the Slingshot guide in a community for adults and kids, students interesting and inspiring ways. To learn more and teachers, environmentalists, artists, about Slingshot or any of the organizations and activists. This book contains the Jewish profiled here, please don’t hesitate to be in project you’ve been looking for. touch. We look forward to hearing from you. We have created this resource, and our Will Schneider funders have paid for it, but its success Executive Director - Slingshot is up to you. Julie Finkelstein Program Director - Slingshot Jaimie Mayer Phinney Program Director - Slingshot methodology our selection process As Slingshot guide evaluators, we, along Seth Cohen with 83 of our colleagues from across The Charles and Lynn Schusterman the country, reviewed applications from Family Foundation organizations and projects seeking to be listed in Slingshot ’13-’14. To increase Adina Dubin Barkinskiy transparency in the selection procedure, we The Morningstar Foundation were requested to undertake the additional responsibility of “auditing” the process. Simone Friedman Rones Emanuel J. Friedman Philanthropies In exercising this responsibility, we reviewed quantitative and qualitative evaluation Lesley Said Matsa materials in order to assess the assertion The Crown Family Philanthropies that Slingshot ’13-’14 was created fairly using the data and stated methodology. Alicia Schuyler Oberman Following this review, it is our unanimous Jack Miller Family Foundation assessment that: Dara Weinerman Steinberg 1. The organizations selected in Slingshot Lippman Kanfer Family Foundation ’13-’14 represent the collective views of the evaluator panel, and do not reflect the opinions or organizational views of any individual evaluator or his/her place of work. 2. Although the independent assessments of all of the evaluators are inherently subjective, Slingshot ’13-’14 organizations were selected through a rigorous process that makes every effort to fairly represent the most innovation projects in North American Jewish life today, given the wide-reaching set of nominations Slingshot received. 3. The process used to create Slingshot ’13-’14 endeavored to assure all readers that there was not bias in the creation of this guide. STEP 1 NOMINATIONS November 2012 January 2013 STEP 2 We encourage everyone to apply or EVALUATION nominate the organizations and February 2013 projects that inspire them, and to share how they best reflect our FOUR CRITERIA: Each application is read by at least 4 evaluators including one who is familiar with the organization, and one INNOVATION evaluator who has no prior knowledge. The mix of the insider’s point of view with a first-timer’s opinion gives a IMPACT well-balanced final picture. STRONG LEADERSHIP ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATORS EXPLORE: + 200Applications Innovation: Is the Impact: Does the organization taking organization affect a creative, inventive, the attitudes and pioneering, or behaviors of the ground-breaking Jewish community? Evaluators approach? 83 Grant-making professionals, Federation executives, and Jewish Strong Leadership: Organizational community consultants Is it a model for the Effectiveness: field? Is it collabo- Is the organization STEP 3 rating or partnering strategic in the DUE DILIGENCE strategically with way it does March 2013 others? business? Evaluation data for each organiza- tion is condensed into a one page summary—which is reviewed for accuracy—and approximately 90 semi-finalists are then chosen. After carefully reviewing budgets, calling references, and re-reading STEP 4 applications, we arrive at the final PROFILES 50 organizations and the list of April 2013 July 2013 Standard Bearers. Each profile summarizes the mission, impact and innovations that are new this year. We try to capture the unique character of each organization by including unattributed comments from our evaluators. Questions about the process? Visit www.slingshotfund.org/methodology slingshot organizations broken down by region NEW ENGLAND With one organization in MIDWEST NEWAll 4 of ENGLAND our New England organizations are based Seattle and one in Denver, The Midwest includes With one organization in MIDWEST Allin Massachusetts.4 of our New England the Northwest and Southwest 1 organization each in Chicago, organizations are based Seattle and one in Denver, The Midwest includes are our smallest regions. Minneapolis and Pittsburgh. in Massachusetts. the Northwest and Southwest 1 organization each in Chicago, are our smallest regions.SOUTHWEST Minneapolis and Pittsburgh. SOUTHWEST NORTHWEST 1 % NORTHWEST 1 % 6 % 6 % NORTHEAST NORTHEASTThe Northeast includes 4 % 2 organizations in % The Northeast includes 34 Philadelphia, 1 in 4 % 2 organizations in % Toronto, and 20 in 34 Philadelphia, 1 in New York. 1 % Toronto, and 20 in 1 % New York. WEST COAST 18 % 6 % WESTThe 12 West COAST Coast 18 % 6 % organizations are based Thethroughout 12 West California.Coast organizations are based throughout California. % MID-ATLANTIC 3 MID-ATLANTIC2 organizations in 3 % Mid-Atlantic are in 2Washington, organizations D.C. in and 2 Mid-Atlanticare based in areMaryland. in Washington, D.C. and 2 are based in Maryland. 17 SOUTHEAST ORGANIZATIONS OPERATING 17 SOUTHEASTThe Southeast includes both ON A NATIONAL LEVEL Mississippi and Florida. ORGANIZATIONS OPERATING The Southeast includes both ON A NATIONAL LEVEL Mississippi and Florida. NEW ENGLAND With one organization in MIDWEST All 4 of our New England organizations are based Seattle and one in Denver, The Midwest includes in Massachusetts. the Northwest and Southwest 1 organization each in Chicago, are our smallest regions. Minneapolis and Pittsburgh. SOUTHWEST NORTHWEST 1 % 6 % NORTHEAST The Northeast includes 4 % % 2 organizations in 34 Philadelphia, 1 in Toronto, and 20 in 1 % New York. WEST COAST 18 % 6 % The 12 West Coast organizations are based throughout California. MID-ATLANTIC 3 % 2 organizations in Mid-Atlantic are in Washington, D.C. and 2 are based in Maryland. 17 SOUTHEAST ORGANIZATIONS OPERATING The Southeast includes both ON A NATIONAL LEVEL Mississippi and Florida. trends emerging themes Each year, as we finalize the list of Social Services: Traditionally seen as organizations selected for the Slingshot providing vital services, but not always on guide, interesting themes and trends the cutting edge of programmatic innovation, emerge. As in prior editions, Slingshot the social services field has demonstrated its ’13-’14 highlights a diverse collection of ability to remodel in ways that provide better organizations and projects, exciting initiatives or newer resources to Jews in need. reaching broader sections of the Jewish community. This year, the guide also shows • Organizations like Footsteps, which evidence of innovation happening in new provides services to individuals transitioning ways and new places. out of ultra-Orthodox communities, City Harvest’s Kosher Initiative, which focuses Innovation Promotes Innovation: on feeding New York City’s impoverished As pioneering organizations continue to Jewish communities, or Kavod v’Nichum’s innovate, lessons from their beginnings are resources that support end-of-life Jewish adapted and built upon in new locations with rituals, provide just a few examples of different audiences. projects that support today’s Jewish community in caring and creative ways. • Alternative spiritual communities like IKAR, Mechon Hadar, and