The LGBT Alliance of the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund (SF JCF) of San Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties 2009-2010 program grant request for the purpose of funding the LGBT Alliance to increase opportunities for Bay Area LGBT Jews to fully participate and celebrate in Jewish life.
Darshan Hiranandani (Son of Niranjan Hiranandani).pdf
Renewal Grant Request 2010
1. [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Alliance of the Jewish Community Federation of San [FY 2010
Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties] -2011]
LGBT Alliance of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, The
Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties
Renewal Request
Educating & Engaging Commission FY 2010-2011 Programmatic Renewal
Page 1 of 12
2. [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Alliance of the Jewish Community Federation of San [FY 2010
Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties] -2011]
1/14/2010
Dear Commission members,
Three year-old Raffi, son of LGBT Alliance Planning and Advisory Group Member Ali Cannon and
his wife Jessica smiled with exhaustion from having just marched with an estimated 800 Jews in
the 2009 San Francisco Pride parade. "Mama, I get it!" Raffi declared. Raffi continued proudly,
"Daddy's Trans and Mommy's Bi! We are all Jewish! Everyone here is Jewish!"
This was a moment of kedusha, or holiness, for Raffi and his parents. They were teary-eyed as
they listened to their son validating their family, their individual identities and their community.
This statement made by a three-year-old child cemented in stone a rich and wonderful Jewish
experience. We need to replicate and leverage these types of experiences to engage Jewish
individuals and families on what this Jewish community values: not simply inclusion, but
celebration of our diverse identities.
For the estimated 36,000 Bay Area Jewish Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT)
individuals we understand that the principles of tikkun olam, to repair the world, b'tzelem
elochem, we are all created in the image of the divine and tzedek, justice, inspire engagement in
the greater Jewish community.
We are pleased to present our renewal request to continue pursuit of these principles through
work on behalf of the LGBT Jewish community and the Jewish community in general. The Bay
Area has the potential to be a national model for innovation in LGBT celebration and inclusion
by the Jewish community. The time is now! We have the opportunity to be a “light unto the
nationsi”!
We are convinced the LGBT Alliance meets a tremendous local need and is profoundly relevant
to the larger Bay Area Jewish community. We are hopeful that you will come to this same
conclusion after reviewing the following proposal.
If you have any questions or feedback, please contact either of us directly.
Thank you,
Lisa Finkelstein Al Baum
Director Founder, LGBT Alliance
LGBT Alliance Chair, Planning and Advisory Group
lisaf@sfjcf.org ahbaum@att.net
(415) 369-2863 (415) 922-6114
Page 2 of 12
3. [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Alliance of the Jewish Community Federation of San [FY 2010
Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties] -2011]
A. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
PROGRAM NAME: The LGBT Alliance of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin
and Sonoma Counties
2009-2010 PROGRAM GRANT NUMBER: LGBT Alliance Planning and Program Development SF JCF 0910PG-LGBT
PROGRAM STAFF: Lisa Finkelstein, Director, (415) 369-2863 lisaf@sfjcf.org
PROGRAM PURPOSE: The LGBT Alliance increases opportunities for Bay Area LGBT Jews to fully participate and
celebrate in Jewish life.
PROGRAM AMOUNT REQUESTED: $194,614.00
B. UNMET NEED
POPULATION SUMMARY: The LGBT Alliance has worked over the past few years to understand the needs of the
Bay Area individuals and families that dual-identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) and Jewish.
ii
Nationally, according to the LGBT Movement Advancement Project (MAP) about 15 million American adults
identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual (LGB) or are in some-type of intimate relationships with same-sex partners. The
iii iv
Williams Institute suggests that perhaps 500,000 American adults identify as Trans . The Bay Area is the home to
v
the third largest metropolitan Jewish community in the United States as well as the largest LGBT population.
From these population findings, the LGBT Alliance estimates that the Bay Area LGBT Jewish community population,
dispersed across the Bay Area Jewish Community Federations' service areas that includes San Francisco, San
Mateo, Santa Clara, Marin, Sonoma, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, is likely around 36,000 people or an
estimated 8% to 11% of the total local Jewish population.
vi
PROCESS TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING NEED: In the most recent Bay Area Jewish Community Federation Study
LGBT Jews were not only recognized as a significant portion of the Jewish community but also noted as the least
affluent, the most impacted by poverty, and in general, the most underserved by the organized Jewish community.
Recognizing the desire for a deeper understanding of the needs of Bay Area LGBT Jews, the Jewish Community
Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties (SF JCF) and the Jewish Community
Federation of the Greater East Bay (JFED) joined together to explore strategies to reduce the barriers for
participation in Bay Area Jewish life. In early 2008 the LGBT Alliance, having been an affinity group out of the
development department of SF JCF since 1996, transitioned into the Planning and Program Development
Department and began managing the strategic planning process in conjunction with lay leaders from both SF JCF &
vii
JFED. The lay leadership group, aptly named the LGBT Alliance Planning and Advisory Group (PAG), began an
unprecedented and ambitious Bay-Area-Wide collaborative initiative to research the needs of and then
strategically plan for meeting the needs of LGBT Bay Area Jews. In addition to commissioning a Bay Area LGBT
viii
Jewish community needs assessment with Jewish Mosaic: The National Center for Sexual & Gender Diversity, the
LGBT Alliance staff collected basic psychographic information from the community in 45 small group and one-on-
ix
one interviews: it also published a report of recommendations for Trans inclusion collectively designed to
4. [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Alliance of the Jewish Community Federation of San [FY 2010
Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties] -2011]
complement and diversify the findings. What resulted in this process deepened the Alliance’s understanding about
the particular needs, issues, and concerns of the LGBT population that emerged from those 2004 study results.
C. PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION & OUTCOMES
UNDERSTANDING WHY CHANGES NEED TO BE MADE: What we can substantiate now, that we could not verify
before this planning process, is that, in some ways, Bay Area LGBT Jews are a microcosm of the larger Jewish
community. Yet LGBT Jews, experience additional barriers to engagement. The Alliance’s findings identify specific
issues of concern to certain subpopulations. For example, Bay Area Trans Jews are engaged in the Jewish
community to some degree, but recognize that the Jewish community needs to move forward on transgender
awareness and inclusion. What we can now soundly confirm is that among Bay Area LGBT Jews our younger
generations participate and affiliate less than our older generations; many of us are in interfaith relationships; we
comprise an economically diverse group; and we have a wide-ranging diversity of opinions about and sense of
connection with Israel. Additionally, some of the universal identity issues that Jews experience amplify in our sub-
x
communities based on the multiple levels of barriers to break down before we get to questions of involvement.
KEY LEARNINGS: The primary intention of our newly published LGBT Alliance strategic plan titled, "Celebrating
Distinctions," is to utilize the following key findings in driving future work with the Bay Area LGBT Jewish
community:
Bay Area LGBT Jews are highly diverse in terms of age, gender, geography, family status, spiritual connections,
xi
identities, health status , interests, social networks, and commitments. There is no singular LGBT Jewish
community in the Bay Area. Rather Bay Area LGBT Jews often identify with specific subpopulations as defined
by many of the characteristics just listed.
Some Bay Area LGBT Jews are already deeply engaged in Bay Area Jewish life and have helped to transform
Jewish organizations from within as staff, board members and clients or members.
Bay Area LGBT Jews lack accessible avenues to share and receive comprehensive Jewish LGBT-related
information, referrals, and resource materials for involvement in the Jewish community to experience
leadership options, economic support, networking, group travel, philanthropic contributions, volunteer
experiences and spiritual care. Some Bay Area LGBT Jews want more identifiable pathways to involvement,
spiritual care and leadership opportunities.
Lack of engagement with Jewish community does not mean lack of deep Jewish identity. Bay Area LGBT Jews
want to, and often do, incorporate aspects of their Jewish identities and Jewish culture into their lives, outside
and beyond synagogue life. Additionally, having a strong Jewish identity does not necessarily translate into
mainstream Jewish community engagement.
The factors influencing the level of engagement among Bay Area LGBT Jews mirror other subpopulations
within the Jewish world. However, the factors that tend to limit engagement are often present to a greater
degree among Bay Area LGBT Jews.
The majority of the Bay Area's Jewish organizations are at least open to the welcoming of LGBT people. Only
a minority of the Bay Area's Jewish organizations are characterized as pro-actively and systematically inclusive
in terms of the policies, practices, and programs that signal greater LGBT participation. Many Jewish
organizations want help with financial resources, training, marketing, outreach, and program development to
support a range of LGBT-thematic programs and events that reach a wide variety of people in various
regionally diverse areas.
5. [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Alliance of the Jewish Community Federation of San [FY 2010
Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties] -2011]
While these learnings are important to consider, so are those that suggest that there are a number of issues that
really are unique to our community. These include, among other things, concepts of gender identity and family
that are squarely outside of “the mainstream.” As a result, our strategic plan seeks to address both domains:
those in which LGBT Jews are grappling with the same issues as the broader community, but also those that
constitute unique and specific challenges/opportunities.
PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION & OVERVIEW: Viral marketing and multiple outreach strategies across the Bay Area
helped the LGBT Alliance sell out and achieve record attendance at its events in 2009-10. The LGBT Alliance has
strengthened its outreach strategy through dedicated and consistent use of LinkedIn, Twitter & Facebook social
networking sites. The LGBT Alliance Facebook page has built a stronger online presence for the group and offered
a steady stream of event information, articles, and pictures. Over the past 12 months, the LGBT Alliance grew to
600+ followers on the @JewishLGBT Twitter feed, promoted over 100 events, and grew to more than 1,000
members on Facebook.
PROGRAM PROGRESS: Please see the logic model in Appendix A, to review the intended outcomes of the FY 10-11
LGBT Alliance program.
PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Together with community leaders and partners from across the Bay Area, the
LGBT Alliance supports a broad spectrum of initiatives directly related to Jewish life. Highlights include:
Conducted programs, convened committees and spearheaded advocacy activities designed to unify
the Bay Area LGBT Jewish community.
Published & designed the LGBT Bay Area Jewish Needs Assessment Study
Engaged the LGBT Alliance’s Planning and Advisory Group (PAG) with the work of community
organizing, planning and publishing a new LGBT Alliance strategic plan with the Jewish Community
Federation of the Greater East Bay (JFED).
PROGRAM CELEBRATION: In the past year, the LGBT Alliance continued to sponsor, promote, host and organize
multiple events and programs connecting Bay Area LGBT Jews to Jewish life while we continued to focus on our
th
strategic plan. Our signature 2009 event was "Jews March for Pride" at San Francisco 39 annual Pride parade. We
surpassed many of our attendance, partnership and programming goals. On June 29, 2009, the largest gathering of
Jews in celebration of LGBT rights in the world marched down Market Street led by 20+ Rabbis, 800 Jews and 60+
Bay Area Jewish organizations. In addition, we organized the Federation's annual pre-Israel in the Gardens party by
hosting Israeli Gay pop music star, Ivri Lieder. This event brought together over 500 Bay Area Jews, Israelis and
guests. Here are a few additional highlights:
Organizing a candlelight march, vigil & memorial for the LGBT Teens murdered in Tel Aviv.
Promoting how to honor the 11th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance at Shabbat services
across the Bay Area
Celebrating Thanksgiving over lunch with 65+ LGBT Seniors at the Osher Marin Jewish Community
Center
Hosting over 40 LGBT Jews for a pre-conference mixer at the 2009 Hazon Food Conference
KEY STRATEGIES MOVING FORWARD: Within the next fiscal year, the LGBT Alliance will begin to implement 70%
of the recommendations from the findings of the LGBT Alliance Study and Strategic Plan. Within this fiscal year, we
plan to focus on the parts of the strategic plan that do not require external grants. These initial strategies listed
6. [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Alliance of the Jewish Community Federation of San [FY 2010
Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties] -2011]
below and charted in our logic model are strategies 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Strategies 1 and 2 will ensue as funds are
raised:
1. Targeted Outreach: Promote & support targeted, local, engagement opportunities that focus on specific
sub-populations.
2. Enhance Organizational Capacity: Support training programs for Jewish organizations that promote
inclusion and welcoming of Bay Area LGBT Jews.
3. Build Community Partnerships: Organize & collaborate with Jewish groups and organizations to create
more social, cultural, community service & spiritually- based programming for Bay Area LGBT Jews.
4. Develop Leaders: Create, promote & support professional development & networking opportunities that
prepare Bay Area LGBT Jews to move into leadership roles within Jewish organizations.
5. Foster Engagement with Israel: Design &/or strengthen programs that can foster greater awareness of
and engagement with Israel among Bay Area LGBT Jews.
6. Enhance online content and access to resources: Increase the online access points for Bay Area LGBT
Jews to develop community.
7. Cultivate Giving: Develop a philanthropic menu and donor cultivation strategy targeted for Bay Area LGBT
Jews who have both philanthropic interest and capacity.
OUTCOMES AND EVALUATION
Please see the the Logic Model in Appendix A, to review the intended outcomes of the 2010 – 2011 LGBT Alliance
program. The LGBT Alliance strategic plan is a complex, multi-year undertaking with ambitious regional objectives.
A comprehensive evaluation of the LGBT Alliance will be developed and undertaken over time in order to:
Inform and aid decision-making by funders, educators, lay leaders and community members
Assess performance and progress over time
Identify and replicate successes
Address problems early with effective changes
The comprehensive evaluation will be designed to provide findings, insights and recommendations regarding the
efficacy of the implementation of the Strategic Plan to achieve desired outcomes for the LGBT Alliance Strategic
Priorities. An evaluation team that includes experts in LGBT community empowerment and Jewish community
evaluation, as well as agency, funder and lay representatives will oversee the comprehensive evaluation. The
evaluators and methodologies employed will generate rigorous qualitative and quantitative results.
D. BUDGET AND SUSTAINABILITY INFORMATION
PROGRAM BUDGET: Budget draft is included in Appendix B
PROGRAM BUDGET VARIANCES: The LGBT Alliance proposed a budget of $214,673 for FY 08-09. After the Jewish
Community Federation’s budget cuts, the FY 08-09 LGBT Alliance budget was reduced to $194,610. The LGBT
Alliance again maintained that current funding level of $194,610 in FY 09-10 and for a third year requests the same
level of funding $194,610 for FY 10-11. Program budget variances are included in Appendix C.
7. [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Alliance of the Jewish Community Federation of San [FY 2010
Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties] -2011]
PROGRAM FUNDING PLAN: The LGBT Alliance’s long-term funding plan and timeline continues to be in line with
the commitment of the Jewish Community Federation to educate and engage our Jewish community. In
subsequent years in order to implement the strategies of the strategic plan, a diversity of funding sources is
needed.
PROGRAM FINANCIAL RECOMMENDATION: The LGBT Alliance, like all programs in the community, has scaled
back its budget in light of tough economic times. Reducing funding below current levels would mean further cuts
to staff, leadership development, co-sponsorship of events and regionally based programming partnerships.
Execution of the strategic plan would consequently be stifled and momentum lost.
PROGRAM FISCAL CHALLENGES: The current economic situation continues to hit low-income individuals and
families the hardest. Statistics from the 2004 Jewish Community Study indicate that a third of LGBT households are
low-income and that LGBT Jews are the poorest subgroup or more likely to experience poverty than any other
Jewish subgroup in the Bay Area Jewish Community. President Barak Obama in his January 27, 2010 State of the
Union address said, "For those that have known poverty, they feel it that much more now." The LGBT Jewish
community is hurting economically and will continue to suffer in 2010-11. The LGBT Alliance continues to
experience an increase in demand for subsidized programs. Engaging LGBT Jews with Jewish life at this increasingly
difficult time is an essential piece of the LGBT Alliance's strategy. The LGBT Alliance assumes that an LGBT Jew who
previously felt unwelcome in the Jewish community is looking for concrete signs that things have changed in the
Bay Area. Providing access to Jewish life for economically vulnerable LGBT Jews is a key signal of that change.
8. [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Alliance of the Jewish Community Federation of San [FY 2010
Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties] -2011]
E. ATTRIBUTION REQUIREMENTS
The LGBT Alliance is an internal program of the Jewish Community Federation. Therefore, everything we do is
attributed to the Jewish Community Federation. One example of successful attribution is a banner stating that the
Jewish Community Federation celebrates Marriage Equality. This banner marched with lay leaders at the San
Francisco Pride March. Here are a few visual examples of our marketing materials displayed in a collage:
9. [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Alliance of the Jewish Community Federation of San [FY 2010
Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties] -2011]
APPENDIX A: LOGIC MODEL
10. [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Alliance of the Jewish Community Federation of San [FY 2010
Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties] -2011]
APPENDIX B
2010 -2011 BUDGET:
Jewish Community Federation LGBT Alliance
FY 2010-11: Year 3
As of: 2/1/2010 Proposed
Budget 2.1.10
Revenue
Annual Campaign Funding $ 194,614.0
Sponsorship Income $ -
Total Revenue $ 194,614.0
Expense
Staffing
Salaries & Benefits $ 94,539.0 [1]
Total Staffing $ 94,539.0
General Expenses (infrastructure)
Catering $ 4,150.0 [2]
Office Supplies $ 500.0
Hospitality $ 2,200.0
Transportation $ 3,700.0
LGBT Community Conferences $ -
Postage $ 500.0
Printing $ 500.0
Thank you gifts $ 300.0
Total General Program Expenses (infrastructure) $ 11,850.0
Programmatic Expenses
Kol Tzedek (Coalition of Jewish LGBT organizations) $ 1,000.0 [3]
Community Partnerships $ 20,000.0 [4]
On-line content writer (contract) $ 3,000.0
Israel leadership exchange $ 10,000.0 [5]
Leadership training & development $ 3,000
Total Programmatic Expenses $ 37,000.0
Allocated Overhead $ 51,225.0 [6]
Total Expenses $ 194,614.0
Notes:
1. Benefits represent 21% of salary.
2. Food for Committees, Groups, Programs and Meetings
3. Kol Tzedek intends to partner with the Transgender Inclusion and overall community organizing
4. Regionally-based co-produced programs and co-sponsorships.
5. LGBT Alliance Staff and Lay Leadership Subsidies
6. Includes JCF provided HR/benefit management, accounting and Finance, marketing and IT
11. [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Alliance of the Jewish Community Federation of San [FY 2010
Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties] -2011]
APPENDIX C
BUDGET vs. ACTUALS:
Jewish Community Federation LGBT Alliance Budget 2009-10 YTD
Submitted Actuals
2.1.09 (as of 12/25/09) Variance
FY 2009-10: Year 2
As of: 1/28/2010
Revenue
Annual Campaign Funding $ 194,614.0 $ 198,234.0 $ 3,620.0
Sponsorship Income $ - $ 600.0 $ 600.0
Total Revenue $ 194,614.0 $ 198,834.0 $ 4,220.0
Expense
Staffing
Salaries & Benefits $ 94,539.0 [1] $ 46,896.5 $ 47,642.5
Total Staffing $ 94,539.0 $ 46,896.5 $ 47,642.5
General Expenses (infrastructure)
Catering $ 4,150.0 [2] $ 2,090.0 $ 2,060.0
Office Supplies $ 500.0 $ 236.0 $ 264.0
Hospitality $ 3,200.0 $ 457.0 $ 2,743.0
Transportation $ 2,700.0 $ 884.0 $ 1,816.0
LGBT Community Conferences $ - $ - $ -
Postage $ 500.0 $ - $ 500.0
Printing $ 500.0 $ - $ 500.0
Thank you gifts $ 300.0 $ 245.0 $ 55.0
Total General Program Expenses (infrastructure) $ 11,850.0 $ 3,912.0 $ 7,938.0
Programmatic Expenses
Kol Tzedek (Coalition of Jewish LGBT organizations) $ 1,000.0 [3] $ 300.0 $ 700.0
Event Co-Sponsorship $ 13,000.0 [4] $ 2,000.0 $ 11,000.0
Regionally based co-produced programs $ 13,000.0 $ 2,000.0 $ 11,000.0
Travel and Conferences $ 10,000.0 [5] $ 1,307.0 $ 8,693.0
Total Programmatic Expenses $ 37,000.0 $ 5,607.0 $ 31,393.0
Allocated Overhead $ 51,225.0 [6] $ 27,782.0 $ 23,443.0
Total Expenses $ 194,614.0 $ 84,197.5 $ 110,416.5
Notes:
1. Benefits represent 21% of salary.
2. Food for Committees, Groups, Programs and Meetings
3. Kol Tzedek continues to partner on Transgender Inclusion &overall community organizing
4. Includes sponsorship for Films, Pride, relevant community programs.
5. LGBT Alliance Staff and Lay Leadership Development Subsidies
6. Includes JCF provided HR/benefit management, accounting and Finance, marketing and IT support
and building occupancy. This is an estimate only and is based on 08-09 allocated overhead costs.
Allocated overhead will vary, potentially materially, as the JCF 09-10 budget is developed and finalized.
Costs in the aforementioned service departments may increase or decrease as budget assumptions are
developed and the drivers used to allocate those costs may change.
12. [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Alliance of the Jewish Community Federation of San [FY 2010
Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties] -2011]
ENDNOTES
i The phrase “Or LaGoyim” or "A light to the nations" first appears in Isaiah, chapter 42:6-7 "I the Lord have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand, and will
keep you, and give you for a covenant of the people, for a light to the nations; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and those who sit in
darkness, out of the prison house"
ii Outlook on the LGBT Movement (2009 International Gay & Lesbian Leadership Conference Presentation a December 2009 report of the LGBT Movement Advancement
Project (MAP) & Williams Institute summarized how community perceptions continue to assume that 10% is the given LGBT demographic number. They stated that in 1948,
Alfred Kinsey’s Sexual Behavior in the Human Male revealed that homosexuality is far more widespread than commonly believed. From this study, general community
perceptions indicate that Homosexuals constitute 10% of any population or community group. Homosexuality at that time may or may not have included the LGBT
population continuum, as we understand it today. Most likely, it was an estimation (rather than a census of LGB individuals) of LGB behavior within a population. This
estimation translates to what we understand today as 7% from Gary Gates, Same-Sex Couples and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Population: New Estimates from the
American Community Survey, released by the Williams Institute at UCLA in October 2006. Additionally, data is based in part on information about same-sex couples, which
means the bisexual population is likely undercounted and the transgender population is not included, which is why "LGB" is used, rather than "LGBT". According to current
& live data compiled for California with the LGBT MAP project there are 1,338,164 LGB Californians (5.2% of the total population). In contrast, the New York state LGB
Population is 592,337 or 4.2% of the total population. Total LGB population per state ranges from 11,000 in North Dakota to the 1.3MM (CA) LGB population density varies
from 2% in South Dakota (10,554) to 8% in Washington D.C. (32,599) of a state's total population. Funding for LGBT community in North America is about 16% in DC, 23%
in NY, 25% in California & 36% in all other states.
iii Outlook on the LGBT Movement (2009 International Gay & Lesbian Leadership Conference Presentation a December 2009 report of the LGBT Movement Advancement
Project (MAP) & Williams Institute.
iv Data related to gender identity and expression—and the overall health and wellness of the transgender population—are essentially non-existent on a national scale. A
serious effort needs to collect reliable data that more accurately assesses the current state and needs of the transgender community.
v LGBT Alliance Study, A Bay Area Jewish LGBT Needs Assessment conducted by Jewish Mosaic. Dr. Caryn Aviv, Director of Research. January 2010. Page six (Phillips
2005).
vi LGBT Alliance Study, A Bay Area Jewish LGBT Needs Assessment conducted by Jewish Mosaic. Dr. Caryn Aviv, Director of Research. January 2010. Page six (Phillips
2005).
vii In spring 2007, the Bay Area Jewish community began an unprecedented and ambitious collaborative initiative to research the needs of, and strategically plan for, the
Bay Area LGBT Jewish community. Together, the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties (SF JCF) and the Jewish
Community Federation of the Greater East Bay (JFED) developed a Planning and Advisory Group (PAG) to oversee this Bay-Area-Wide initiative. The LGBT PAG
members were selected seasoned community leaders, rabbis, LGBT experts, social scientists and communication professionals across a diversity of age, gender identity,
socio-economic status, sexual orientation, geographic region and Jewish community affiliation. The LGBT Alliance set out to engage a broad-based group with an interest
and expertise in the work of the LGBT Alliance to jointly work together to create this plan. Our goal was to recruit up to 30 Jewish Lay Leaders from across the Bay Area to
take part in the PAG. These leaders embody a wide range of perspectives and experiences within the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Gender Variant, Intersex and
Queer identified continuum. PAG participants in this process include a diverse sampling of the following: From all of the geographic regions of the Bay Area; Seasoned
volunteer and professional leadership from the organized Jewish Community ; Various affiliation styles and levels of involvement with the Jewish and/or LGBT community
Communal funders; various sexual orientations (including heterosexual), gender identities, gender presentations, economic class, health status, family styles and age;
various political ideologies; Rabbinic and spiritual leaders in our community.
viii This study used one-on-one interviews and focus groups with a diverse sample of 100 LGBT Jews. For interviews and focus groups, Jewish Mosaic developed a diversity
matrix, using previous community studies and Census data, to select a broad and diverse sample of participants. Jewish Mosaic also developed an online survey, sent to
221 Bay Area Jewish communal organizations, which gathered information about LGBT Jewish programs, policies, services, staff, and lay leadership. 125 agencies
completed the survey. 79 of those agencies were classified as general Jewish organizations and 46 were synagogues. 45 general agencies and 51 congregations did not
respond to the survey.
ix Gender Variant People in the Bay Area Jewish Community is a report from March 2009 of recommendations from Kol Tzedek. The authors of the report are: Rachel
Biale, Ruby Cymrot-Wu, Noach Dzmura, Karen Erlichman, Lisa Finkelstein & Rebecca Weiner
x For example, Bay Area LGBT Jewish families that are interfaith have a bigger percent of interfaith couples and while a heterosexual interfaith couple may have one issue
to worry about, an LGBT interfaith couple now is different from the "norm" in at least two key ways, which may make being "welcomed" that much harder. Bay Area Jewish
LGBT Needs Assessment June, 2009 Pages 5 & 6, two national (Cohen, Aviv and Kelman 2009, Aviv and Cohen 2009) and one local (Phillips: conducted in 2004,
published in 2005) Some of those demographic trends dovetail and reinforce important demographics, patterns, and policy implications discussed in this report. Two
important caveats: one national study (Cohen, Aviv and Kelman 2009) only included lesbian, gay, and bisexual respondents (no transgender respondents). The local Bay
Area study (which did not include the East or South Bay) simply collected information among all LGBT respondents. It did not break out any demographic data by gender
among participants within that LGBT sample.
xi Health status refers to people living with compromised immune systems or those that live with HIV/AIDS or Cancer. According to the San Francisco Department of Public
Health, HIV Epidemiology Section. HIV/AIDS Epidemiology Annual Report. 2007 of the 27,592 cumulative AIDS cases in San Francisco at the end of 2007, 95% were
among males, 4% were among females and 1% among transgender persons. Three-quarters of HIV/AIDS cases were among men who have sex with men (MSM). Non-
Hispanic whites accounted for 54% of cumulative HIV/AIDS cases followed by African Americans (13%) and Latinos (12%). In 2007, there were 467 newly diagnosed HIV
cases in San Francisco (a new “diagnosis” does not necessarily mean a new infection) -- 89% among men, 8% among women and 3% among transgender persons. 78% of
these cases were among individuals 25-49 years of age. Among the MSM persons age 20-29 had the greatest percentage of unmet need.