WASHINGTON, D.C. – BBYO has received $28.8 million in support from two long-time funders toward the North American Jewish youth movement’s newly launched $90 million “This Moment in Time” campaign. According to BBYO leadership, the five-year campaign will enable BBYO to double its annual growth rate, with the goal of having 27,000 members annually by the end of the 2022 school year. BBYO will also expand its workforce, increase summer program offerings, better support its volunteer advisors, and grow its endowment.

“BBYO is a proven leader in engaging and inspiring Jewish teens through meaningful, dynamic learning experiences,” said Al Levitt, president and board chair of the Jim Joseph Foundation.

The two initial gifts, provided by the Jim Joseph Foundation and the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, came after a six-month capacity building study by Wellspring Consulting that focused on ways in which BBYO can build its infrastructure to support and accelerate its growth. The resulting five-year plan outlines key initiatives to accomplish those goals and the financial resources needed to make it happen.

“Our research included more than 3,900 data points and concluded that we are having a deep impact on our members,” said Matthew Grossman, BBYO’s chief executive officer. “Rather than make major shifts to strategy, we were advised to scale our operation so that many more teens can experience all that we have to offer. We are grateful for these significant investments, which will help position us for even greater global reach and impact on Jewish teens.”

A 2011 Impact Study showed BBYO’s significant long-term impact on the ways in which its alumni gravitate toward leadership positions, build community and participate in Jewish life. These alumni have been key partners in BBYO’s growth in recent years and will be asked to join with some of the Jewish community’s leading philanthropists in helping BBYO reach its $90 million campaign goal.

“Time and again, we have seen BBYO deliver powerful Jewish and Israel experiences to a larger and larger audience of teens,” said Stacy Schusterman, co-chair of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. “We believe that BBYO is uniquely positioned to ensure that the Jewish future is vibrant, and we encourage others to join BBYO’s current donors to help realize BBYO’s potential to connect Jewish teens to being Jewish leaders and to Israel.”

BBYO includes 600 teen-led local chapters and over 100 weekend retreats along with a plethora of summer experiences including Israel visits, travel programs and leadership camps.