We drive innovation in philanthropy education
Honeycomb is the leading resource for all educational content, resources and experiences to allow educators, professionals, parents and organizations to engage youth in strategic grantmaking. Honeycomb’s vision is to create generations of engaged, empowered, and experienced Jewish changemakers and givers.
Honeycomb is building the future of Jewish philanthropy.
We are Honeycomb
Honeycomb is the leading resource for Jewish youth philanthropy. We drive innovation in philanthropy education by creating tools, curricula and trainings for professionals and organizations to deliver high-quality experiences that empower youth to fund real change.
Honeycomb organizes and supports a global network of Jewish youth philanthropy programs, inspiring a rising generation of Jewish philanthropists and changemakers.
Honeycomb is a program of the Jewish Funders NetworkOur vision
Our vision is generations of engaged, empowered, and experienced Jewish changemakers and givers.
Our mission
Honeycomb’s mission is to strengthen Jewish engagement and identity through supporting and elevating the field of Jewish youth philanthropy.
We achieve this transformative impact by:
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Setting field standards and tools for program development & evaluation
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Providing resources, training, and networking for professionals
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Mainstreaming philanthropy into the Jewish youth experience
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Serving as the lead catalyst for new programs
We work with talented people
Honeycomb works with talented educators and professionals running youth philanthropy programs in a variety of settings (Federations, schools, synagogues, community centers, foundations, camps and more) so that they can more effectively guide participants on a journey of Jewish grantmaking, identity-building, and leadership development.
We specialize in:
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Content
First-class, original content and curriculum for Jewish youth philanthropy experiences.
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Trainings
Robust training and program facilitation resources for professionals.
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Opportunities
In-person and online opportunities for professionals to develop collaborative relationships and shared learning.
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Partnership
Partnerships with organizations looking to introduce the power of philanthropy into Jewish youth programming.
Our story
Early Pioneers
Commissioned by the Jewish Teen Funders Network for the JTFN Leadership Conference on Jewish Youth Philanthropy in May 2007, Rabbi Jonathan Spira-Savett wrote a research article about the early pioneers of the Jewish youth philanthropy field. you can read about their groundbreaking work here: https://honeycomb.org/app/uploads/2024/02/jewish_youth_philanthropy_spira-savett.pdf
2001
Recognizing the potential of youth philanthropy to empower and educate teens about effective philanthropy and Jewish values, several visionary leaders came together in 2001 to determine how best to support this emerging field. Over the subsequent years, and with support of the Jewish Funders Network (JFN), they organized a series of workshops, conference calls, and planning meetings to develop a shared vision and strategic plan for the future of Jewish teen philanthropy.
2006
In April 2006, JFN and several other organizations sponsored a Jewish teen philanthropy conference that brought together over 150 teen participants in Denver, Colorado. Building on the success of the conference, Barbara Gervis Lubran, Ricky Shechtel, and the Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation joined together to create the Jewish Teen Funders Network (JTFN) to grow and strengthen the field of Jewish teen philanthropy.
2021
The Jewish Teen Funders Network rebranded as Honeycomb in March 2021 and we are dedicated to continuing our valuable work in the field of Jewish youth philanthropy. Honeycomb is now expanding it works to include young children and teens as the power to engage in philanthropy can start at any age.
What is Jewish youth philanthropy and why does it matter?
Jewish youth philanthropy is a collective grantmaking experience, enabling participants to learn deeply about their communities, examine their relationships to Jewish values, make strategic decisions, and ultimately allocate resources that will enrich people’s lives.
Through this first-hand experience of tzedakah (righteous giving), young people put their values into action, and model a foundational practice of the Jewish people. They become sophisticated philanthropists in their own right, acquiring leadership skills that equip them to be agents of civic and social change.
Honeycomb is uniquely focused on Jewish youth philanthropy because of the incredible impact and promise on which it delivers: strengthening young people’s connections to Jewish life, identity, community and values while cultivating a lasting desire and skillset to change the world.*
Beyond the participants themselves, Jewish youth philanthropy programs extend their impact to communities by granting more than $1 million to nonprofit organizations each year.
* from Give and Grow: Jewish Teen Philanthropy's Unique, Powerful and Lasting Impact, supported by the Laura & Gary Lauder Family Venture Philanthropy Fund and Maimonides Fund, published in April 2019
Staff:
Advisory Board:
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Board Member
David Connerty Marin
Morris J. & Betty Kaplun Foundation
Board Member
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Board Member
Staci Eichelbaum Levine
Slingshot
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Board Member
Lisa Farber Miller
Philanthropy Partners Consulting
Founder and Principal
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Board Member
Doron Kenter
Maimonides Fund
Director of North American Grantmaking
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Board Member
Sara Myers Allen
The Jewish Teen Education & Engagement Funder Collaborative, powered by Jewish Federations of North America
Executive Director and Associate Vice President, Community & Jewish Life at JFNA
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Board Member
Irv Robinson
The Mussar Institute
Co-President.
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Interim Board Chair
Hallie Shapiro Devir
Helen Diller Family Foundation Programs
Chief of Staff
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Board Member
Andres Spokoiny
Jewish Funders Network
President and CEO
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Board Member
Doug Stewart
Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation
Executive Director
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Board Member Emerita
Ricky Shechtel
Honeycomb
Co-Founder
Join the team
Honeycomb is the leading network supporting and inspiring Jewish teen philanthropy programs across North America and internationally. Honeycomb's role is to strengthen Jewish engagement and identity through supporting and elevating the field of Jewish teen philanthropy, by setting field standards, providing training and resources to professionals, mainstreaming philanthropy into the Jewish teen experience, and serving as a lead catalyst for new programs.