Since 2007, Roots & Branches Foundation has brought together community-minded Jewish young adults to learn and give together and make a difference in the Greater Denver community.
Roots & Branches, an initiative of Rose Community Foundation, engages members in a collaborative eight-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. After the conclusion of the program, many Roots & Branches alumni continue to gather to celebrate holidays, volunteer and make new connections.
“Learning about Jewish philanthropy as an adult was illuminating,” says Alana Goldberg, a member of the 2018 Roots & Branches cohort. “The process taught me that all levels of giving are valuable. Being intentional about our grantmaking dollars helped the group to feel focused about the difference we could make the in the community.”
Rose Community Foundation is excited to announce the members of the 2022-23 Roots & Branches cohort:
- Rachel Abrams, program manager at Vertafore
- Allison Convissar, care manager at Jewish Family Service of Colorado
- David DeBoskey, planner for Adams County
- Galen Donoviel, development manager at Project PAVE
- Scott Heymann, commercial insurance advisor at CCIG
- Amy Krivel, director of youth education and engagement at Temple Micah
- Amy Leszman, senior grants and development manager at Judaism Your Way
- Bohne Leah Lipsey, self-employed
- Zoe Osherow, product manager at Formative
- Joel Pachefsky, program facilitator at ServiceTitan
- Amy Rosenfeld, M&A underwriter at AIG
- Andrew Rothberg, associate at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
- Josh Shapiro, associate consultant at Slalom
- Blake Sidon, senior consultant at Guidehouse Inc.
- Samantha Sitterley, attorney at Saltrese Law Firm
- Jon Wood, senior customer adoption manager at Alchemer
Each Roots & Branches Foundation cohort represents a diverse range of Jewish denominations and professional and personal backgrounds. Past groups have chosen to focus their grantmaking in a variety of issue areas such as racial justice, early childhood education and care, immigration and criminal justice reform.
“We are fortunate to have a group of passionate and inspiring individuals in the 2022-23 Roots & Branches cohort,” says Emily Kornhauser, Rose Community Foundation’s director of collaborative philanthropy. “Each cohort is unique because of the individual lived experiences and backgrounds of the members, and I am excited to see how this group works together to make a collective impact on the Greater Denver community.”
If you are interested in applying for the 2023-24 cohort or would like to learn more about the program, please contact Gillian Breuer, philanthropic initiatives associate.
