Since 2007, Rose Community Foundation has brought together diverse, talented and community-minded Jewish young adults to learn and give together and make a difference in the Greater Denver community.
Roots & Branches Foundation members begin their collaborative philanthropic journey by participating in a seven-month program where they explore Jewish values, learn about community issues, and put the tools of strategic philanthropy to work, ultimately granting up to $50,000 together. Joining Roots & Branches means becoming part of the next generation of funders at Rose Community Foundation and joining a network of alumni who continue to gather to celebrate holidays, volunteer and make new connections.
Becoming a Member: Applications Now Open
Rose Community Foundation is seeking a diverse, talented and motivated group of Jewish people, ages 25 to 40, to work together to make a difference in the Greater Denver community using their Jewish values and the tools of strategic philanthropy.
Roots & Branches members:
- Engage in strategic philanthropy.
- Leverage time, talent and personal philanthropy.
- Connect Jewish values to the good they seek to do.
- Learn about and connect with Greater Denver and Boulder’s Jewish communities.
- Become a part of the next generation of funders at Rose Community Foundation.
Members of Roots & Branches Foundation will meet for seven sessions over seven months, from June 2023 to January 2024. Meetings are held on Tuesday evenings from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. at the Rose Community Foundation office.
Members are required to:
- Attend and participate in all meetings (one pre-approved absence is permitted). If participants are feeling ill they are encouraged to participate via zoom.
- Spend time outside of meetings connecting with fellow members, researching community issues, reading relevant materials and grant proposals, and meeting with nonprofits for site visits.
- Make a personally meaningful donation to the Roots & Branches grantmaking pool. Rose Community Foundation seeds the group’s grantmaking with $30,000 and matches member’s contributions dollar-for- dollar up to $10,000 total.
All applicants should reside within the Greater Denver community of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties, should identify as Jewish, and be between the age of 25 to 40 years old. There are often more interested applicants than we are able to accommodate in the program, and as a result, the Foundation is not able to accept all of the qualified applicants.
To apply, please submit your written application via this Formsite link by Monday, April 24 at 5:00 p.m. You will be prompted to create a login and password if you choose to save and return to your application. All applicants will be notified of selection decisions by May 31, 2023. If you have any questions about applying or the program, please contact Gillian Nyland.
Application copy provided for reference, please apply using the link above.
2022-23 Grantmaking
The 2022-2023 cohort of Roots & Branches Foundation focused its grantmaking on increasing safe and welcoming spaces within the Jewish community. The members awarded grants to the following organizations:
- Judaism Your Way ($20,000) To support Judaism Your Way’s work of creating innovative approaches to including Jews and loved ones in Jewish Community.
- JCC Denver ($11,300) To support comprehensive programming for the LGBTQIA+ community.
- Keshet ($10,000) To support Keshet-Denver Leadership Project, a yearlong cohort-based program for Jewish institutions working toward LGBTQ inclusion.
- Moving Traditions ($10,000) To support Tzelem, a program for LGBTQ+, nonbinary, and gender expansive teens in Colorado to develop healthy relationships, manage stress, feel a sense of belonging and a connection to their Jewish identity.
