Jewish Liberation Fund and Rise Up Initiative Announce Merger to Strengthen Progressive Jewish Philanthropy
Two Leading Progressive Jewish Funders Unite to Build Sustainable Infrastructure for the Jewish Left
January 14, 2026 – The Jewish Liberation Fund (JLF) and Rise Up Initiative today announced plans to merge in July 2026, creating a unified organization dedicated to building long-term, sustainable infrastructure for progressive Jewish social justice movements.
The planned merger brings together two of the most prominent institutional funders squarely dedicated to resourcing the Jewish left. Over the past six years, the two organizations have collectively moved over $4.6 million to spiritual nourishment and grassroots Jewish social justice movements, investing in over 100 organizations working at the intersection of Jewish identity and social justice.
"For too long, progressive Jewish funding has been fragmented and stretched far too thin," said Joanna Ware, JLF's executive director. "This merger is about building the kind of resilient infrastructure the Jewish left needs — not just to survive, but to thrive."
Rise Up Initiative's director, Keren Soffer-Roth, will join JLF as co-executive director alongside Ware. Together, they will lead the transition and integration of both organizations' work under the JLF banner.
"This partnership allows us to consolidate our expertise, relationships, and resources,” said Soffer-Roth. “What the Jewish left needs right now is support, stability, and funders it can truly count on. This merger increases our capacity to be the funder this sector needs us to be.”
About the Planned Merger
The Jewish Liberation Fund and Rise Up Initiative have collaborated closely for years, with significant grantee overlap and shared commitment to supporting Jewish-led organizing for justice. After beginning exploratory conversations in 2024, both organizations engaged in intensive deliberation with experts, stakeholders, and community partners to ensure the merger would strengthen progressive Jewish philanthropy.
The planned merger expands organizational capacity while maintaining both Rise Up and JLF's core commitments. Rise Up's organizational commitment to funding spiritual nourishment has been a shared priority for JLF since its founding and will remain a core funding priority. JLF's participatory grantmaking model — where community members shape funding decisions together — will remain central to the merged organization's approach. The organization's political grounding, including its commitment to peace, safety, and dignity for everyone in Israel/Palestine, also remains foundational.
By combining organizational capacities, expertise, and resources, the merged organization — under the JLF umbrella — will create the operational foundation needed to meet the rapidly evolving needs of a robust and growing movement.
About Jewish Liberation Fund
The Jewish Liberation Fund grows the culture, capital, and conditions that the Jewish left needs to win. Through participatory grantmaking, grassroots donor organizing, and philanthropic transformation, JLF is building an alternative model for funding our social movements—one that is rooted in safety, dignity, and opportunity for each and every one of us. JLF was founded in 2020.
Media Contact: Noa Barash, nbarash@jewishliberation.fund, (617)539-6596