Photo: Suzanne Kreiter, The Boston Globe
The JFS Board of Directors has established the JFS Innovation Fund to honor the retirement of Marc Jacobs and his impact upon JFS and our community.
Two decades ago, Marc was the sole recipient of the CARLISLE Foundation’s 2000 Creative Entrepreneur Award for demonstrated leadership, creativity, vision and selflessness. As Marc said back then, “that this award represents the collective body of my and JFS work and contribution to the community adds special value”.
Encouraging and cultivating new ideas, incubating new approaches, collecting and analyzing data and demonstrating impacts, creating deep and vibrant partnerships, experimenting with different solutions to accelerate social, academic, and health equity are deeply embedded in the JFS culture.
To date, numerous initiatives have emerged, some successful, sustained long term or brought to larger scale, while others did not work but provided valuable lessons. Marc and JFS have received prestigious social justice leadership awards as a byproduct of taking courageous paths where others stepped back.
Dreaming and imagining, with solid research and design will be at its forefront. JFS will have “test kitchens” encouraging a next generation of young leadership (both from within and from outside JFS) to bring their own creative and entrepreneurial spark to help build a kinder, stronger community and they will be encouraged and supported by seasoned mentors.
The JFS Innovation Fund will be a catalyst to ensuring continued experimentation and developing new solutions as needs change in our community, and in our society.
Projects currently being seeded:
- Mobile Office Van to go into the community and maximize pathways to citizenship and permanent residency.
- Community Market to increase access to fresh produce in one of Massachusetts’ largest food deserts.
- Training for Active Bystanders to empower a bystander who is witnessing a harmful situation to ACT.
To learn more, please call 508-875-3100 x430 or email development@jfsmw.org.
To make a donation to the JFS Innovation Fund, please click “donate now”!
Jewish Family Service (JFS) of Metrowest
JFS is a registered 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, community-based organization that serves over 5,000 people in the Boston Metrowest region each year, including extended day academic support for low income children, nutrition and basic family assistance for struggling families, citizenship and immigrant programs for new Americans and geriatric care management and other services that enable frail older adults to live independently.
JFS’ sound fiscal management practices have earned it a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator.
475 Franklin Street, Suite 101, Framingham, MA 01702 // 508-875-3100 JFSMW.org