The Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF) in Agawam, Massachusetts, has announced a five-year, $25 million matching grant through its JCamp 180 program in support of more than 100 nonprofit Jewish overnight camps.

The Forward Together matching grant will disburse $1 for every $3 the camp raises. Each camp will receive a base allocation of funds; those that raise four times the allocation within the grant period also will receive a $10,000 bonus. In addition to funding, JCamp 180 provides Jewish overnight and day camps with consulting, training, and other resources, as well as professional development programs aimed at helping the groups to develop organizational effectiveness.

“I never was able to go to a Jewish camp, but I know they are crucial ways for young people to plant the roots of lifelong Jewish connections,” said Harold Grinspoon, who has invested more than $55 million in Jewish camps through JCamp 180 over the past 28 years. “I was overjoyed to have visited multiple camps in person this past summer after two summers away due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I saw camps brimming with life, although continuing to struggle with significant mental health, staffing, and infrastructure challenges after the pandemic. The Forward Together grant renews my commitment to helping position Jewish nonprofit overnight camps for long-term sustainability for generations.”

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