The mission of the Jewish Youth Philanthropy Institute™ (JYPI), a program of the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning, is to advance the development of youth philanthropy and civic engagement in the Jewish community. 

Our program's goals are to:

• Teach youth the Jewish principle of tzedakah (charitable acts) and tikkun olam (repairing the world) and how these principles relate to philanthropic decision-making.
• Enable youth to tangibly connect the principles of philanthropy with the impact of their charitable giving decisions.
• Develop participants’ analytical skills and commitment to community with a focus on long-term leadership development.
• Ensure that the Jewish community actively engages post b’nai mitzvah youth in tikkun olam.

Organizational Structure:  JYPI operates youth programs for high school age teens in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.  JYPI also serves as a national resource and a model by providing workshops, technical assistance and curricula materials to other communities seeking to implement youth philanthropy initiatives and to the local synagogue community.  Supported by individual contributions and foundation grants, JYPI distributes grants each year to a variety of overseas and local agencies; youth funds are matched dollar-for-dollar by JYPI.  Since JYPI’s inception, hundreds of teens have distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to local, national and international nonprofit organizations. Each year an additional 400 hundred teens have participated in service learning, synagogue education and alumni programming.

JYPI’s Impact on Teens and on the Community:  JYPI initiatives have a direct effect on the quality of Jewish life by empowering high school youth with the ability to make a difference in the world.  JYPI initiatives challenge teens to act -- whether through philanthropic giving, active service, social action or civic engagement -- and channels youthful exuberance into practical long-term skills.  JYPI engages youth in research, analysis, budgeting, evaluation and group decision-making.  Involvement enhances pride in teens’ Jewish identity as they learn about traditional values, community organizations and available resources.  Locally, JYPI partners with youth groups, congregational schools, day schools and Jewish Community Centers to ensure that service projects remain a central focus in engaging Jewish teens.