Programs

Aaron Dorfman, A More Perfect Union
Joe Goldman, Democracy Fund
Ginna Green, Horizon Philanthropy
Melissa Spatz, Trusted Elections Fund 

The American Jewish community has historically played a multifaceted and outsized role in the pursuit of progress in the United States. For more than a century, through activism, journalism, advocacy and philanthropy, in the United States we have applied our Jewish values in service of a more just nation where everyone–no matter where they come from or how they worship–can thrive. 

However, the philanthropic anchor of this multifaceted role is no longer holding its weight. Trends in both Jewish philanthropy and the progressive movement have distanced them from each other at precisely the very moment that our democracy is under unprecedented threat. Jewish funders are retreating from funding the justice-oriented organizing and advocacy that they have historically supported for decades–both within the Jewish social justice sector and outside of it–and that has also been some of the most important pro-democracy work in the United States in recent years. This trend puts our nation, our democracy, and our Jewish community at risk.  

Join Horizon Philanthropy for an urgent conversation with Jewish democracy funders and strategists on what’s at stake, what’s necessary, and what’s possible for Jewish philanthropy and our role fighting authoritarianism in the now, and creating the American democracy where we are all safe and thriving for the future.

Join Ginna Green, Abby Levine, Bryan Perlmutter, and Rabbi Becky Silverstein to learn more about Horizon Philanthropy and how we are joining the fight to build an inclusive, multiracial democracy.

Throughout this hour, we will share Horizon’s origin story and theory of change, as well as more details on our different areas of work.  You will also have the opportunity to hear two advisory council members share why this work is so critical in this moment.

Recent activities of the current regime--ranging from the abduction of Mahmoud Kahlil and the unprecedented firings of employees at federal agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to attacks on nonprofits and their attorneys--have significantly escalated the possibility of fascism in the U.S. This development represents an increasingly urgent and existential threat to the safety of the American Jewish community, including trans people, immigrants, people of color, and women. 

Join Horizon Philanthropy along with Dahlia Lithwick of Slate and the Amicus podcast, Robert Weissman of Public Citizen, and Phylisa Wisdom of New York Jewish Agenda for an urgent briefing on the up-to-the-minute state of our democracy, impacts of the administration’s multi-pronged authoritarian attacks, and opportunities for action for the Jewish philanthropic sector.

It’s never good for the Jews when we are divided, yet it is both discourse on principles that have made Jewish progress possible–diversity, equity, and inclusion–and discourse on the oppression that harms us–antisemitism–that are combining to threaten Jewish safety, Jewish peoplehood, and pro-democracy movements in the U.S. How should American Jewish communal leadership and philanthropy respond to attacks on us, as well attacks on the very principles that have made Jewish progress and success possible?

Join us for a timely exploration of these challenges and opportunities with Sharon Goldtzvik of Uprise, Dr. Deitra Reiser of Transform for Equity, and Rabbi David Saperstein of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, along with Ginna Green of Horizon Philanthropy.

Join the Horizon Philanthropy team for a conversation connecting the work of Horizon Philanthropy with the work to move financial resources to social justice organizations. This conversation is geared towards development directors; all development staff are welcome

The 2015 Supreme Court Obergefell v. Hodges decision legalizing same-sex marriage and granting equal rights to same-sex couples ushered in a period of celebration and wins for parts of the LGBTQ community in the United States. With lower court victories, greater visibility in popular culture, and growing influence across American life, many were finally enjoying the fruit of long-term movement activism. Over this same period, however, the transgender community continued to fight for public accommodations, access to gender-affirming healthcare, and basic legal recognition. And now in 2025, the transgender community is squarely in the crosshairs of right-wing movements and actors who control the White House, Congress, the Supreme Court, and 28 state legislatures. Their actions are direct attacks on trans Jews and their families, our Jewish community, and our democracy–every state but Vermont has introduced anti-trans legislation–but is our Jewish communal response adequate? We say the words betzelem elohim (in the image of g-d), but how do we reflect that we are all sacred in our community, our institutions, and our philanthropy–and can we do better?

Please join Horizon Philanthropy in this timely conversation about trends in LGBTQ advocacy in the current moment and the role of Jewish philanthropy with Shelby Chestnut of the Transgender Law Center, Tyler Hack of the Christopher Street Project, and Idit Klein of Keshet, along with Rabbi Becky Silverstein.

Even prior to the horrors of October 7th, the ensuing Gaza War, and the tragedies in Washington and Boulder, fractures within the American Jewish community along political, ideological and religious lines–especially, it must be said, along the spectrum of opinion on Zionism and antisemitism, and Israel and Gaza-were jeopardizing individual relationships, community solidarity, and Jewish peoplehood

Some of the Torah’s most famous text comes from the early verses of Genesis, where Hashem instructs us in caring for the world they just finished creating. The sea, the sky, the land and all their flora and fauna are ours to protect, it is written–the earliest mitzvot, intended for all humans. As with all laws and good deeds, we’re not perfect–but when it comes to our stewardship of the Earth, humanity has fallen particularly short. 

At a time when the most marginalized among us bear the most devastating impacts of our rejection of this directive, is there a uniquely Jewish role to play in the fight for the planet’s future? There’s still time to solve the climate crisis, Rebecca Solnit and Thelma Young Lutunatabua remind us in their book Not Too Late, but what does this divine imperative look like in 2026, when people, our planet and our democracy are all at existential risk? 

Join us for a conversation about the climate justice movement’s most important work in an age of authoritarianism, its Jewish contribution, and the role of Jewish philanthropy in sustaining both.

Rebecca Franklin of HBCJews, Liora Pelavin of the Jewish Youth Climate Movement, and Zoe Weissman of Brown University shared powerful perspectives on our individual “moral universe;” Jewish communal fracturing; relationship and repair; Israel and Palestine and more. 

Sign up here to access the recording.

Ludovic Blain of California Donor Table, Tyler Creighton of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Cate Mayer of Be the Ones, and Estevan Muñoz-Howard of Ktisis Capital and Movement Voter Project brought together wisdom and insights from across the field in a candid members-only conversation about lessons learned in the last year, and in the last ten. Check out this clip of Estevan discussing philanthropy’s window of impact and schedule a prospective member meeting with us to get the full recording.

Jamie Beran of Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, Xiomara Corpena of Four Freedoms Fund, and Greisa Martinéz Rosas of United We Dream joined us to address the current state of immigration and immigration enforcement in the United States. Each of them connected their work to their own experience, while making critical connections across history and contemporary movements. 

Sign up here to access the recording

Many democracy front-line organizations across the country are led by Black and brown leaders, and many funders of our justice and democracy movements are white. Power dynamics, microaggressions, and missteps can present challenges in cultivating relationships between grantees and donors, hindering the success of our movements from within. Join us for an interactive workshop on navigating these dynamics, and and equipping donors with skills and tactics to build strong relationships with grantees and the field.

In their graves, Marshall McLuhan is scratching his head, and Walter Cronkite is mortified.

Gone are the days when news sources were reliable and trustworthy—news, arguably, has taken a backseat to “content”—and voters, consumers, parents all had similar access to basic information we could generally agree was valid, even if we did not agree on its interpretation.

In the Disinformation Age, however, very little can be trusted, though just about everything is being shared. What do disturbing trends in AI, social media and traditional press mean for democracy—including the safety and security of our elections—and how can philanthropy help mitigate these impacts? Join us for a robust conversation on a topic that touches not just democracy, but every issue we care about.

A brown bag series featuring leaders in the field on the following topics:

• The Fight for Trans Lives

• The View from the South

• The Electoral Map

The start of the New Year is a time for reflection on the past year and planning for the year to come. What have we experienced in the past year? What have we learned? And how can we use these to move into 5787. Join us for a time for personal reflection and collective visioning in preparation for the new year.