Project Kesher

“No review was or will be conducted.”

“No documents available to the public.”

“The auditor provided a draft of the form 990 to the management and finance committeewho provided edits to the auditor. A copy of the 990 was sent to the board and theform filed with the IRS.”

“The organization has a board approved conflicts of interest policy. Each boardmember must fill out an annual declaration stating they had no conflicts oridentifying the nature of their interested party transactions.”

“Each year, the finance committee reviews comparable salaries based on a recognizedstudy and reviews the performance of the CEO to determine if the existing salaryfalls within these ranges. The CEO conducts the same process with the two seniorstaff members.”

“Governing documents are available upon request.”

“MissionProject Keshers mission is to build Jewish community and advance civil society bydeveloping and empowering women leaders.VisionProject Kesher will expand and deepen a sustainable, global network of women leaderswho are steeped in Jewish values and work to improve the quality of their lives andtheir societies.ValuesThe values that drive Project Kesher today and into the future are based on:Judaisma deep commitment to tzedek, the pursuit of social justice; gemilut chasadim,loving kindness; the truth that all people are BtzelemElohim, created in the image of G-d; an embrace of Klal Yisroel, Jewish peoplehood; and a belief that Jewish education and learning should inform all of our activities.Feminisma deep commitment to gender equality; a recognition of womens unique ability to nurture and educate one another and empower ourselves; a recognition that womens philanthropy can address the issues women prioritize.Pluralisma deep commitment to foster religious and ethnic understanding; a respectfor the individual, for different expressions of Judaism, perspectives and cultures;and a willingness to build on these differences and act as a catalyst for theirintegration in the larger community.”

“Project Kesher (PK) continued to invest in the empowerment of women and girls and supported grassroots networks of Jewish women leaders in Belarus, Israel, and Ukraine as they advocated for Jewish life, the advancement of womens rights and promotion of civil society. Due to Russias escalated war in Ukraine and US sanctions, PK no longer operated in Russia.Founded in 1989, PK helped incorporate affiliated, independent nonprofit organizations in Belarus, Israel, and Ukraine. In partnership for over 30 years, PK raises resources, cultivates relationships, and generates awareness for the organizations and women in our network. Annual flagship programs have included Womens Leadership Training, Jewish education and holiday celebrations, and health advocacy. With 28 years experience and a fully operational team in Ukraine, Project Kesher Ukraine (PKU) was able to shift and respond when Russia escalated the war in February 2022. PKU has firsthand knowledge of the humanitarian and mental health needs of women in Ukraine because its longtime activists are in Ukraine and have extensive experience with this demographic. Through trusted wartime partners and historic allies, PKU leaders know where food and supplies are needed in the larger society and ensure that they get deliveries. Due to the fact that PK, PKU, and our partners are small and enormously flexible, these organizations can respond to communities with less than 48 hours notice.Some of PK and PKUs accomplishments in this fiscal year included:-Coordinated and helped underwrite 9,000 evacuations;-Distributed 351 cash grants to displaced women totaling more than $110,000 and worked with recipients on evacuation plans;-Purchased and distributed with partners: -300 generators, hundreds of power banks and flashlights for warming and food distribution centers including synagogues/JCCs and a hospital in Kyiv https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/24/world/europe/ukraine-power-outages-hospitals.html; -600,000 pounds of food; -5,500 menstrual cups and launched a social media campaign to make cups more mainstream in Ukraine; and -1,000 Plan B kits for women in the war zone and 500 dignity kits for women in the military and in IDP camps.-Underwrote a Workshop on preventing & responding to Conflict-related Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Ukraine;-Launched: - a womens mental health initiative called Survivors Truth. Facilitators are trained to help women frame their narratives as tales of resilience and heroism; - In partnership with Dr. Kristen Ali Eglinton of the Footage Foundation, FEMSMS, a text messaging initiative (with 98% positive feedback) to provide compassionate communication to women during wartime which will be featured at the UN in March. PK provided funding and PKU content; and - 24 shows on womens health issues on Ukrainian public radio.- Beta tested a mental health app, TraumaBrace, recommended by the global womens mental health team at Columbia University. 99% of the 200 women tested concluded that they did not have PTSD but were simply living through war, allowing us to identify those with greatest need;- Made 50 grants (out of 127 applicants) to women owned small Ukrainian businesses;-Gave 10 women full scholarships for advanced IT training in Ukraine;-Created a website for women refugees providing vetted information for key countries on how to get benefits and support (100s of visitors/week;-Provided an online Visiting Moms initiative and a Telegram channel that supported hundreds of pregnant women daily navigating the war with content from professionals;-Conducted over 500 online programs on: -English for women in Ukraine and refugees; - Jewish holiday celebrations and Rosh Chodesh in Ukrainian; - how to talk to children about war and handle panic attacks through breathing and meditation; - how to prepare your home for the war; and - 16 Days to End Violence Against Women-Translated key Jewish prayers and services into Ukrainian, as well as the first Ukrainian language hagg”