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Nicole Caine (Courtesy of Nicole Caine)<\/p>\nNicole Caine (Courtesy of Nicole Caine)<\/p>\n
Nicole Caine originally wanted to work in disability rights policy implementation. But when she was in graduate school at Syracuse University, she took a class on funding development that opened her eyes.<\/p>\n
One day in class, Caine learned about faith-based philanthropy and an organization called Amplifier, a network of giving circles inspired by Jewish values powered by the Jewish Federations of North America.<\/p>\n
Today, Caine, a Mount Airy resident, works as a life and legacy community consultant at the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, a nonprofit known for its flagship programs like PJ Library and JCamp 180.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember thinking, \u2018wow, that is such a cool idea. Not only are we sustaining Jewish future through this, but we\u2019re bringing people together and forming community, and I want to be a part of that,\u2019\u201d Caine said.<\/p>\n
Caine is originally from Cleveland, Ohio. When she way young, her family moved further into the suburbs, where the closest synagogue was a Chabad. Despite being raised in a Conservative Jewish household, Caine attended Hebrew school at the Chabad, became a bat mitzvah, was a Hebrew School tutor and a camp counselor there over the summers.
\u201cI still feel close to the Chabad community,\u201d she said. \u201cEven though it\u2019s not necessarily a synagogue I belong to, I really love the way they look at Judaism, which has had a big impact on me today and who I am today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Growing up, Caine said she was also very active in BBYO.<\/p>\n
Caine received a bachelor\u2019s degree in global gender studies from the University of Buffalo. While in school, she remained active in the Jewish community, frequently attending the Chabad on campus as her home away from home, and was even active in the university\u2019s Jewish studies department.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir department of Jewish [studies] had some really incredible professors and really helped me dig deeper into what Judaism means to me,\u201d Caine explained. \u201cI took so many religion classes to where I got an accidental \u2014 somewhat accidental \u2014 minor in Jewish thought.\u201d<\/p>\n
After graduate school, Caine went on to work in Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan Hillel, where she served as a development manager and then became the director of development. While living in Michigan, Caine also became an advisor for the BBYO Ann Arbor chapter.<\/p>\n
At Michigan Hillel, Caine oversaw student initiatives related to their student phone-a-thon, a fundraiser for the Hillel. \u201cI really was able to not only get to know the students, but learn more about what drove them to be a part of the phone-a-thon, and the connections they felt to not only University of Michigan Hillel, but to their Judaism, and what inspired them to do the work,\u201d said Caine.<\/p>\n
For Caine, moving to Philadelphia was always a goal since visiting her cousins while she was in graduate school. \u201cI remember going to a jazz club here, and then spending a night wandering around Fishtown talking to the owners of the different bars and restaurants. And there was just something about it that felt so warm and happy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
So when a job opened up Drexel University to fundraise for campus programming related to Jewish programming and veterans\u2019 programming, she jumped on the opportunity.<\/p>\n
Then, about a year ago, Caine transitioned into her current role at the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. She works with around 76 different Jewish communities across North America, including programs within those communities such as a Jewish community foundation or a Jewish federation. \u201cWe work to continue building on endowment building within each of the organizations in that community,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Jewish community is something that\u2019s always been there for me,\u201d Caine added. \u201cBy growing up with that, it\u2019s really shown me the importance of wanting to support others through the Jewish community, both now and for the future.<\/p>\n