The Miriam Fund (TMF) has a powerful mission: to create an equitable world that expands opportunities for women and girls. This year, TMF celebrates its 25th anniversary. It marked the milestone with $405,000 in grants to assist organizations in Massachusetts and Israel that are positively shaping lives across sectors and needs.
Change-making inspiration across sectors
Current grant recipients span cultural, human rights, professional development, and safety initiatives. They protect women in many ways: through human-trafficking prevention; Ukrainian refugee integration; secure emergency housing; legal assistance for domestic abuse survivors; and so much more.
Amid these pressing concerns, other grantees focus on hope for the future through grants that support entrepreneurship opportunities and employment training and readiness programs.
Importantly, TMF maintains a broad reach by supporting both Jewish community pillars and secular institutions that affect meaningful change for women or girls. For instance, this is TMF’s second year supporting Boston’s Vilna Shul, a historic former synagogue and thriving community hub that will use funds to stage an arts and cultural series about extraordinary Jewish women.
Funds will also support Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast, which provides equitable access to safe, pasteurized human donor milk for premature and medically fragile babies.
“I feel a deep sense of gratitude and kinship with The Miriam Fund. Just as they bring together generous women to create meaningful change, our milk bank relies on the selflessness of women who donate the life-affirming gift of milk to provide medically necessary nourishment to fragile babies,” says Deborah C. Youngblood, CEO of Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast. “The Miriam Fund is helping us shine a light on this critical need—and the incredible opportunity to make a difference. Together, we demonstrate what it means to lead with compassion and commitment, ensuring that even our smallest community members have the chance to grow and thrive.”
In Israel, funds will support the Gila Project for Trans Empowerment, expanding access to wraparound holistic gender-affirming care for trans women in Israel, while building a growing network of trans women who accompany and empower one another through some of life’s most vulnerable transitions.
“At a time when trans people, especially trans women, are facing escalating political attacks, violence and erasure, this partnership is a powerful affirmation of the values that matter most: human rights and dignity,” says Gila Project CEO Omer Elad.
Learn about all of this year’s grantees here.
A legacy that continues to grow
Since 2000, TMF has invested more than $7 million in over 100 nonprofit organizations. These grantees create opportunities for personal and professional growth for generations of women and girls. TMF is well-positioned to sustain these change-making initiatives thanks to a successful 25th anniversary campaign, increasing TMF endowment by more than 25%.
TMF co-chairs Rachel Goldstein, Nancy Levitan Poorvu and Debby Posin issued a statement commemorating the milestone, underscoring their commitment to The Miriam Fund’s continued growth.
“Celebrating 25 years of The Miriam Fund is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when women come together with purpose. We are so grateful to our founders—Beth Klarman, Rosalind Gorin, and Carol Goldberg z”l—for imagining what was possible, and to CJP for their steadfast support. Through the dedication and generosity of our members, we’ve awarded over $7 million in grants to organizations improving the lives of women and girls,” they say.
A bright future ahead
TMF marked this year’s anniversary with internal expansion, too. This year, TMF hosted a first-ever volunteer day with initiatives that reflect a breadth of service. Among other efforts, volunteers assembled close to 500 personal care and winter warmer kits, prepared menopause information booklets for mailers and delivered food through Family Table.
This year, TMF also welcomed five members with an eye to the future. The organization is 130 members strong, and growing. To attract a new generation of philanthropists, TMF launched a Future Funders Cohort Program to help young women learn more about TMF’s strategic grant-making and philanthropy.
“We’re excited to keep growing—launching new initiatives, refining our practices, and with the support of the 25th Anniversary Capital Campaign, deepening our impact for women and girls for generations to come,” Goldstein, Poorvu, and Posin say.
Learn more about The Miriam Fund here. Feel inspired by their mission? Donate now.