Despite the vital role women and girls play in building strong, resilient communities, philanthropic funding continues to fall dramatically short. Organizations serving women and girls received only 2.2%^  of total charitable dollars in 2020.

The Fund for Women and Girls exists to help close that critical gap.

Powered by The Jewish Community Foundation of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, the Fund channels collective giving into multi-year, trust-based partnerships to transform conditions for women and girls here in Greater Washington and in Israel.

The Fund for Women and Girls is more than a force for change—it’s showing how Jewish philanthropy can come together to make a lasting impact.

Over the last 18 months, the Fund has supported Israeli women and girls through three rounds of grants and multiple learning sessions. Now, we’re entering a new phase of growth—with a goal of raising $1 million this summer, and ultimately $3 million, to ensure we can continue driving change where it’s needed most.

We’re proud to share that momentum is already building.  To date, we’ve secured more than $500,000 in multi-year commitments, with $140,000 already transferred to the Fund. We invite you to join us—at any level—as continue to expand the Fund’s reach.

“Now is the moment to invest in women and girls—because when they thrive, whole communities rise,” explains Dr. Jannah Yutkovitz, Senior Director of Philanthropic Impact at the Jewish Community Foundation. “Supporting a fund of this nature helps fuel solutions that are bold and urgently needed. Through developing long-term partnerships with organizations on the ground, we’re not just supporting solutions—we’re investing in resilience and have the opportunity to make a generational impact.”

To help propel this growth, Carol and Gary Berman have made an exceptional three-year, $300,000 commitment to the Fund to honor the extraordinary leadership of their daughter-in-law Emily Berman, a founding member of the Fund’s steering committee.

“Women and girls are in the forefront of being there to provide what’s necessary and critical for those in need. In the case of Israel, they are also holding the families together through war and the tragic losses as a result of war. As a family, we recognize the importance of women’s voices and actions, as well as the remarkable contributions they make to our world. We feel very grateful to be able to support this fund,” Carol and Gary shared.

Carol and Gary are inviting nine additional individuals to match their commitment and join them in a small minyan of major donors who will seed the Fund with $3 million over the next three years. To learn more, please reach out to sara.brenner@shalomdc.org..

The Fund for Women and Girls reflects what’s possible when community comes together with shared purpose and deep commitment. It was created in response to a clear and urgent gap—and it continues to grow as more people recognize the power of long-term, collective investment in women and girls.

As the Fund looks ahead, our focus remains the same: to shift conditions, elevate voices, and invest in meaningful change—locally and in Israel.

^Jewish Funders Network “The Complete Guide to Promote Gender Equity through Strategic Philanthropy” (2025)