Please refer to the Whom We Do Not Fund page before you go on. So many people in persist in wasting time when they clearly don't fit our guidelines.
Who is Eligible
Right now we are not accepting inquiries until further notice.
Please refer to the Whom We Do Not Fund page before you go on. So many people in persist in wasting time when they clearly don't fit our guidelines.
Now, if you did not go to that page, here's what's on that page: we do not fund any direct service outlets such as soup kitchens, shelters, or mental health providers. No after-school tutoring programs are funded. No funds to buy computers or vans, and no funds for building anything. And no church-related groups or religious groups will be considered, not matter how distant the relation.
Now that we got that out of the way, every group we funded these past two years does some sort of social change through face-to-face interaction. That means we look for grantees who work on what could be called the interpersonal level. Examples are where young folks talk deeply and honestly about who they are by sharing their experiences in face-to-face human interaction. Maybe they're helping each to make gardens in Colorado, or cleaning up neighborhoods in Tel Aviv, or learning music when they're in pre-school, or learning to meditate in while they're in juvenile hall. Or they're sitting in talking circles using the compassionate listening technique, an evolutionary step beyond Rosenberg's non-violent communication.
Through such processes we have seen emotional shifts engender behavioral changes in people who then go out and help others. When this kind of face-to-face interaction takes place across color or class lines, it can be that much more effective. We won't fund anything digital, nor the digital divide--we're looking to bridge the human divide. By definition, computers cannot be involved in "deep" communication.
But lots of efforts do fall within are guidelines. We welcome intriguing ideas and innovative efforts. Diversity training for kids 12 years old and younger is a good one.
One compelling story was a group that facilitates discussion groups amongst teen girls about how society affects them. During one meeting a number of them shared that since society demands that they be prettier than they think they are, they had stolen jewelry to augment their looks. After that meeting they returned the jewelry to the stores with letters of apology explaining why they had stolen the jewelry.
Imagine the change that experience engendered in those young women. Imagine how much better they will now be able to fare in life. A ripple effect like that cannot be measured, only felt. Having met some of the young women and men in that group, I can attest to the success of that program.
Our focusing note reiterated: in the foreseeable future we at JoMiJo will focus on the demographics of teens, kids and kidlets relating in person on a deep level, no matter the color of their skin or sexual orientation, and only in programs where face-to-face interaction occurs. Please keep in mind it's the relationships we're supporting.
We also pay attention to how accessible to funding your organization is, but that's not a "hard" criteria--it's what we call an unconscious one that we sometimes bring into our considerations for funding. And lastly, we may take risks, like if you're just starting up or have an outrageously innovative idea which meets our criteria.
If you have questions, please phone or email us and we can have a dialogue about your efforts and see if we're a good match. If you are rejected when you send an LOI online you may not receive a reject response--we just don't have the time or resources to respond to all, so please don't take it personally.
Here are some examples to help you think how you might word your LOI.
• City at Peace - this is based in LA, and they gather together teen kids of all stripes who talk about their experiences and then write skits and songs about them and learn to sing and dance and act and then perform those songs and skits at the end of the school year which means they have to commit to show up every Saturday for a whole school year.
• Early Childhood Music - This isn't exactly the right name, but it's run by a former woman attorney with a big heart who's incredible with pre-school kids. See, the evidence shows that kids that age who are exposed to music develop emotionally and spiritually in a way that's, shall we say, way different than kids whose main source of information is a box that emits light forms that we watch passively.
• CLAIM in Chicago helps mothers in prison and so helps keeps families together.
• BAMM - Oakland; teaches rape prevention which boosts self-esteem immeasurably
• MBA Project - SF; teaches meditation to incarcerated youth
General Specifics
We fund small- to medium-sized non-profit tax-exempt organizations. Our grants are small, between $3000 to $5000. For now that means budgets cannot be over $300,000 per annum.
Also, it is only the rare international group that we are funding.
Collaboration with Other Foundations
We've collaborated with foundations and individual donors on compelling projects that fall within our mission statement and guidelines. Please do call if you are interested.
HOME PAGE - ABOUT JoMiJo FOUNDATION - WHO IS ELIGIBLE - LINKS
WHOM WE DO NOT FUND - FUNDED ORGANIZATIONS - LETTER OF INQUIRY