When JYPI founder Barbara Lubran’s two older children became B’nai Mitzvah, they chose to donate all of their gift money to tzedakah. However, it was Barbara that did all of the legwork investigating various charities, and her kids learned very little. During this experience, Barbara realized the need for a program that would teach teens about philanthropy: both how to give and why to give. A few months later, she read an article in the Washington Jewish Week about a foundation in Massachusetts that ran a youth philanthropy endowment program.

Barbara approached the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and the United Jewish Endowment Fund about starting such a program. Two and a half years later, the Jewish Youth Philanthropy Fund (JYPF) was born. Barbara convened with a group of local lay leaders to discuss how the program would run. In the 2000-2001 fiscal year, 20 8th and 9th graders participated in the pilot program, led by Barbara and a staff person from the Federation. In September of 2001, JYPF got its own staff just in time for the second year of the program. In the Spring of 2002, JYPF reached non-profit status and became the Jewish Youth Philanthropy Institute™.

JYPI has not stopped growing since! To date, JYPI teens have given away over $360,000 dollars and completed over 5000 hours of community service. Over 1025 teens have participated or are currently participating in JYPI programs. The timeline below shows how JYPI has grown:

2000-2001: JYPF

• Pilot Program

2001-2002: JYPF gets its own staff.

• Second year of program.
• JYPF attains non-profit status and becomes JYPI.

2002-2003:

• Older Teens program is added.

2003-2004:

• Older Teens program grows into two groups: one in Maryland, one in Virginia.
• Service Learning, a program for 8th-12th graders to do community service projects in the D.C. community is created.

2004-2005:

• First Service Learning trip to El Salvador in August 2004.
• Service Learning program receives Next Generation Grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service.
• 8th - 9th grade program grows into two groups.

2005-2006:

• First Summer Service Learning Day Camp in August 2005.
• A third group is added to the Older Teens program.

2006-2007

• "JYPI 201", the next step for teens who have completed a JYPI youth philanthropy program, is added.
• 8th - 9th grade program expands into Northern Virginia.

2007-2008

• A record number of teens (156) participated in Youth Philanthropy and awarded $114,000 in grants.
• JYPI joined the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning (PJLL).