Supporting Jewish Camps

Matching Grants

Explore current grant opportunities, access application support, and find records from previous JCamp 180 programs.

JCamp 180 grantmaking

Matching funds for stronger Jewish camps

The Harold Grinspoon Foundation has committed more than $37 million in matching funds for qualifying gifts to camps in its various matching challenge grant programs.

Open Grants portal

View Past Grants

Our Grant Programs

Forward Together

Forward Together

Support and invest in camp success.

Interested in this program?


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Past Years

The Forward Together matching grant will invest $25 million over the next five years (2023 – 2027) to more than 100 nonprofit Jewish overnight camps affiliated with JCamp 180. 

Forward Together will provide unrestricted support to the camps along with capital investments for the physical improvements that are necessary for camp success. 

Harold Grinspoon, benefactor and co-founder of the HGF, believes camps are among the most important assets of the Jewish community, providing impactful experiences for Jewish young people to become enculturated in Jewish traditions, values and identity. Grinspoon has invested more than $55 million dollars in Jewish camps through JCamp 180 over the past 28 years.

Forward Together is a 1:3 matching grant where the HGF disburses $1 for every $3 the camp raises.

Each camp will receive a base allocation of funds.

 Key Dates

Grant Agreement Renewal Letter Available in Grants Portal
(after 2025 donation tracking and narrative reports are submitted)		 January 2026
Grant Agreement Letter Due March 2, 2026
Final Narrative Report Available in Grants Portal January 4, 2027
Payment Processing Deadline February 1, 2027
Final Narrative Report Due February 1, 2027
Grant Period January 1 – December 31, 2026

 Guidelines

The Harold Grinspoon Foundation has committed $25 Million, $5 million per year (2023-2027) in matching funds to nonprofit Jewish overnight camps to support camps as they move beyond the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and build on their fundraising success during the pandemic period.

Grant period

January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026

February 1, 2027

The final reporting deadline, including submission of the donation tracking report, and the final narrative report, which will include questions regarding the actual use of the funds, both for unrestricted and physical or capital improvements.

 Eligibility

Forward Together 2026 is offered to Jewish overnight camps affiliated with JCamp 180. A full list of eligible overnight camps can be found here. This campaign is by invitation only and applications will be approved by JCamp 180.

Have additional questions about Forward Together?

Learn More

For questions about accessing the grant portal and submitting the application:
Contact our Grants team

For other questions about the grant, email your Relationship Manager or
Email Us

Day Camp Matching Grant

Day Camp Match

Cultivate major donors for Day Camp programs.

Interested in this program?


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Past Years

JCamp 180 is proud to support Jewish Day Camps.

This competitive challenge grant program is limited to non-profit Jewish Day Camps in the United States interested in fundraising for physical improvements to better serve Jewish campers for years to come.

JCamp 180, a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, announces the 2027 matching grant available to Jewish Day Camps to support physical improvements.

We invite applicants to share how they will use this grant to raise new or increased gifts for the purpose of fostering a culture of philanthropy. This may include using the grant to inspire new or more generous philanthropic support, inspire greater lay leader engagement in fundraising, or develop a compelling case for support for the Jewish day camp.

Applications for the 2027 Day Camp Matching Grant are open until October 16, 2026.

 Grant Timeline

Grant Applications Open

September 8, 2026

Grant Applications Due

October 16, 2026 by 5 PM EST

Grant period starts

January 1, 2027

only gifts received after this date will be eligible to be matched for this grant

Last day to collect gifts

December 31, 2027

Last day to submit gifts to be matched

February 1, 2028

Last day to submit final narrative report

February 1, 2028

 Guidelines

The 2027 JCamp 180 Day Camp matching grant will give one dollar for every two dollars raised (1:2) for gifts restricted for physical improvements (defined below), up to a maximum grant allocation of up to $25,000. (For example, a camp that raises $50,000 will be eligible for a grant of $25,000 for a total project cost of at least $75,000). Projects must cost at least $30,000 – with $10,000 being the minimum grant amount matched 1:2.

JCamp 180 programs are most successful when grantee camps participate in the wider camping community through sharing best practices, learning from each other, and collaborating to make Jewish camping impactful to more Jews.

It is the expectation that the camp will form and utilize a fundraising team to execute its development plans, including the Day Camp Grant, and that this team of professionals and lay leaders will actively participate in JCamp 180 offerings including webinars, trainings, and attend the annual JCamp 180 Conference (Time and Location 2027 TBA).

See Full Guidelines

 Eligibility

  • Nonprofit Jewish day camps in the US and Canada.

    A Jewish day camp must include Jewish ideals and values in their mission statement and articulate their Jewish practices at camp, whether it is observance of Shabbat, Israel programming, Jewish education, Hebrew at camp, living their Jewish values or other such practices. We welcome camps to define what it means for them to be Jewish and we work with camps across the religious spectrum.

  • A Jewish day camp must be a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as amended (the "Code") and be classified under sections 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) of the Code.

    Day camps located in Canada must have a U.S. 501(c)(3) tax status to receive HGF's grant funds. Camps without a U.S. 501(c)(3) tax status will need to work with a fiscal sponsor that has a U.S. 501(c)(3) tax status to participate in the JCamp 180 Day Camp matching grant program.

  • Eligible Day camps

    must operate a minimum of 5 days/week for 4 weeks during the summer.

  • Eligible camps

    must have a minimum of 50 campers participating in each camp session.

  • Eligible camps

    must either demonstrate operations for at least 3 years or be a part of an existing camp with a 10-year history of operation.

  • JCamp 180

    will consider applications from a broad base of Jewish movements and independent camps.

  • Prior grantees of the Jewish Day Camp match are eligible to apply.

    To receive funds, camps must have completed the previous match and all reporting requirements. These grantees may apply for continued funds for the same project or for a new project if the prior project was completed.

  • All nonprofit Jewish day camps will be eligible to apply

    so long as they meet the above criteria regardless if they are affiliated with an overnight camp or officially affiliated with JCamp 180.

Have additional questions about the Day Camp Matching Grant?

Learn More

For questions about accessing the grant portal and submitting the application:
Contact our Grants team

For other questions about the grant, email your Relationship Manager or
Email Us

Endowment Accelerator

Endowment Accelerator

Support permanent endowment-building for Jewish overnight summer camps.

Interested in this program?


Learn More

Download the Endowment Accelerator Toolkit

Past Years

The Harold Grinspoon Foundation has announced a new grant to support permanent endowment-building for Jewish overnight summer camps affiliated with JCamp 180.

The Endowment Accelerator matching grant is a $4M, four-year commitment will leverage at least an additional $12M in total for the field, seeding cash endowment funds. 

JCamp 180, a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, announces the 2026 matching grant available to Jewish Day Camps to support physical improvements.

We invite applicants to share how they will use this grant to raise new or increased gifts for the purpose of fostering a culture of philanthropy. This may include using the grant to inspire new or more generous philanthropic support, inspire greater lay leader engagement in fundraising, or develop a compelling case for support for the Jewish day camp.

 Key Dates

The grant period for the Endowment Accelerator Matching Grant is January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2027. Camps participating in the Endowment Accelerator Matching Grant program are expected to complete the program requirements outlined below.

Due Dates Requirement & Description
Early December, 2023

Applications open
December 14, 2023

Optional Informational Webinar

View here
December 29, 2023

Applications due

Applicants will submit through the online grants portal.
January 31, 2024

Grant Agreement Letter Sent out

Grantee camps will receive notification via email to sign a Grant Agreement Letter.
February 29, 2024

Grant Agreement Letter due

Grantees will submit Signed Letters through the online grants portal.
Year 1
October 31, 2024

Endowment Policies due

All policies outlined below must be in place and approved by the governing Board.
February 3, 2025*

Donation Report due for Payment Processing and Narrative Report due

All gifts to be matched must be submitted by this date for payment processing.

To stay eligible, camps must complete an annual narrative report which will outline plans and activities completed in the year regarding the endowment.
Year 2
February 2, 2026*

Donation Reports due for payment processing and Narrative Report due

To stay eligible, camps must complete an annual narrative report which will outline plans and activities completed in the year regarding the endowment.
Year 3
February 1, 2027

Donation Reports due for payment processing and Narrative Report due

To stay eligible, camps must complete an annual narrative report which will outline plans and activities completed in the year regarding the endowment.
Year 4
February 1, 2028

Donation Reports due for payment processing and Narrative Report due

Camps must complete an annual narrative report which will outline plans and activities completed in the year regarding the endowment.

 Guidelines

The Harold Grinspoon Foundation has committed $25 Million, $5 million per year (2023-2027) in matching funds to nonprofit Jewish overnight camps to support camps as they move beyond the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and build on their fundraising success during the pandemic period.

All overnight camps affiliated with the JCamp 180 program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation as of January 1, 2024, are eligible to participate in the Endowment Accelerator Matching Grant program.  Participating Jewish overnight camps will be eligible to receive $1 from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF) for every $3 they raise from other donors into a qualifying permanent endowment fund.  To qualify for matching funds, gifts must be received after January 1, 2024, and before December 31, 2027.  The maximum matching amount for each camp is $40,000.

See Full Guidelines

 Eligibility

The Endowment Accelerator grant is available to each Jewish overnight camp affiliated with JCamp 180 as of January 1, 2024.

A full list of eligible camps can be found here.

Have additional questions about the Endowment Accelerator Grant?

Learn More

For questions about accessing the grant portal and submitting the application:
Contact our Grants team

For other questions about the grant, email your Relationship Manager or
Email Us