Jewish Nevada announced today that its Allocations Committee has approved approximately $1.6 million in funding for 2026, supporting educational opportunities, community organizations and critical programs that strengthen Jewish life throughout Nevada, Israel and communities around the world.
Made possible through contributions to Jewish Nevada’s Annual Campaign, the funding will support a broad range of initiatives focused on caring for vulnerable populations, promoting Jewish vibrancy and continuity and advancing global Jewish engagement. Through a transparent review process, volunteer committee members evaluated applications and community priorities to determine funding allocations that will create the greatest impact.
“Jewish Nevada’s annual allocations process reflects our community’s commitment to thoughtful philanthropy and responsible stewardship of donor dollars,” said Julia Franks, chief strategy officer of Jewish Nevada. “Under the leadership of Allocations Committee Chair Samantha Berkule Johnson, committee members dedicated countless hours to evaluating applications and community needs. Their work helps ensure these investments strengthen Jewish life across Nevada and support the programs that matter most to our community.”
As part of the 2026 allocations process, Jewish Nevada approved more than $335,000 in scholarship funding to help families access Jewish day schools, early childhood education programs and summer camp experiences. The organization also awarded more than $108,000 in community grants to support local and international organizations providing educational programming, social services, senior support, Holocaust survivor assistance, food security initiatives and opportunities for Jewish engagement. Organizations receiving funding include Friendship Circle of Las Vegas, Jewish Family Service Agency, Chabad Southwest Las Vegas, Yeshiva Day School of Las Vegas, The Jewish Agency for Israel, the Israeli-American Council (IAC), Tahoe Jewish Community and several other organizations whose programs align with Jewish Nevada’s strategic priorities.
Education funding and the community grant round represent only a portion of Jewish Nevada’s annual allocations. The remaining funding supports a wide range of programs and services that strengthen Jewish life across Nevada, including day and overnight Jewish camps, local human service organizations, Israel and overseas partners, emergency humanitarian assistance, opportunity grants and strategic community initiatives like enhancing the safety and security of our agencies and partners.
The breadth of the funding reflects Jewish Nevada’s approach to strategic philanthropy, balancing today’s priorities with the long-term health of the community.
“Our role isn’t simply to fund good programs. It’s to look across the entire Jewish community, identify where the greatest needs exist today, anticipate where they’ll emerge tomorrow, and invest accordingly. That means balancing immediate needs with long-term community vitality, from security and human services to Jewish education, Israel engagement, and leadership development,” Franks said.
Jewish Nevada’s allocations process begins with funds raised through its Annual Campaign. Community needs are assessed by volunteer leaders and professionals before organizations submit funding applications for review. The Allocations Committee then carefully evaluates each request to ensure donor dollars are invested in programs that deliver meaningful outcomes and address evolving community needs.
