Kavod v'Nichum (Honor and Comfort) Named One of America's Top 50 Innovative Jewish Organizations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 24, 2013

Contact:
David Zinner, Executive Director
info@Jewish-funerals.org
www.Jewish-funerals.org 

Kavod v'Nichum (Honor and Comfort)

NAMED ONE OF AMERICA'S
TOP 50 INNOVATIVE JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS

Ninth Annual Slingshot Guide Highlights the Best of the Thriving Jewish Nonprofit World

Columbia, MD - Kavod v'Nichum has been named one of North America's top 50 innovative Jewish organizations in the ninth annual Slingshot Guide. The Guide has become a go-to resource for volunteers, activists and donors looking for new opportunities and projects that, through their innovative nature, ensure that the Jewish community remains relevant and thriving. Slingshot 2013-14 was released today.

Selected from among hundreds of finalists and reviewed by 83 professionals with expertise in grant-making and Jewish communal life, Kavod v'Nichum's work is seen as "timely, given ageing Jewish demographics, and [its] unique and ubiquitous area of concern overlooked by most in our community." Organizations included in this year's Guide were evaluated on their innovative approach, the impact they have in their work, the leadership they have in their sector and their effectiveness at achieving results. Kavod v'Nichum is delighted to be among the 50 causes honored for meeting those standards.

Organizations included in the Guide are driving the future of Jewish life and engagement by motivating new audiences to participate in their work and responding to the needs of individuals and communities - both within and beyond the Jewish community - as never before.

"Kavod v'Nichum is proud to be counted among this year's group of outstanding organizations. It is inspiring to be included among the hallmarks of innovative Jewish entities selected for the Guide over the past nine years, groups that continue to transform our world," said Michael Slater, Board President of Kavod v'Nichum.

Added Will Schneider, Executive Director of Slingshot, which publishes the Guide each year, "The groundbreaking organizations that we highlight in the Slingshot Guide are game-changers in the realms of community engagement, social justice impact, and religious and spiritual life. The Slingshot Guide is not just a book listing organizations doing interesting things; it's a resource relied upon by doers and donors alike. It's the framework for a community that through the collaboration that results from inclusion in the Guide, becomes something significantly more effective than what each of the individual organizations can achieve on their own."

Being listed in the Guide is often a critical step for selected organizations to attain much needed additional funding and to expand the reach of their work. Selected organizations are eligible for grants from the Slingshot Fund, a peer-giving network of young donors with an eye for identifying, highlighting and advancing causes that resonate the most with the next generation of philanthropists. Furthermore, the Guide is a frequently used resource for donors seeking to support organizations transforming the world in novel and interesting ways.

Kavod v'Nichum is a North American organization dedicated to the mitzvoth of Kavod ha-met, honoring the dead, and nichum aveilim, consoling the bereaved. We advocate for an authentic and communal Jewish response toward illness, death, burial and mourning plus strengthen individual and community efforts to organize caring communities and Chevra Kadisha (Jewish burial) groups. We strive for the protection of bereaved families from commercial exploitation around funeral and burial. While Kavod v'Nichum encourages traditional values and practices, we guide and educate individuals and communities to adapt traditions into new and meaningful ways. Our educational activities support established and new Chevra Kadisha and their members, collaborating with other organizations whose interests we share. Over the last thirteen years, our annual conferences and online courses have touched thousands of people.

• Our extensive online resources can be found at www.Jewish-funerals.org.
• Our unique leadership-training program, the Gamliel Institute, has classes running year round. More information on the Gamliel Institute can be found on our website at www.jewish-funerals.org/gamliel-institute.
• Look for regular updates on a range of topics on Facebook-- facebook.com/groups/48743301124/
• Follow us on Twitter--@chevra_kadisha
• Join us for The 12^th Annual North American Chevra Kadisha and Jewish Cemetery Conference in Miami Beach, FL, March 23-25, 2014.

About the Slingshot Guide

The Slingshot Guide, now in its ninth year, was created by a team of young funders as a guidebook to help funders of all ages diversify their giving portfolios to include the most innovative and effective organizations, programs and projects in North America. The Guide contains information about each organization's origin, mission, strategy, impact and budget, as well as details about its unique character. The Slingshot Guide has proven to be a catalyst for next generation funding and offers a telling snapshot of shifting trends in North America's Jewish community - and how nonprofits are meeting new needs and reaching new audiences. The book, published annually, is available in hard copy and as a free download at http://www.slingshotfund.org/overview/

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