Can you tell us briefly what Jewish Fertility Foundation – Denver (JFF-DEN) is and what its mission is?
The Jewish Fertility Foundation is a national organization that engages hopeful parents by providing financial assistance, emotional support, and infertility education to those struggling to build their families. Family is central to Jewish life, yet infertility is often stigmatized and isolating. Many feel unwelcome in Jewish spaces when the path to parenthood is difficult or non-linear. We’re changing that. Whether someone is single, interfaith, LGBTQ+, or facing genetic challenges, JFF provides community, resources, and hope.
Beyond helping people grow their families, part of our mission is to engage families in the Jewish community and connect them to other Jewish organizations so that when they do grow their families, they continue to be involved in Jewish life.
What are the main programs or services you offer in the Denver area?
In Denver, JFF offers three pillars of support:
- Financial Grants: Up to $10,000 for IVF and IUI, plus discounted services from partner clinics like CCRM, Onto Fertility, Shady Grove, Kindbody, and Conceptions (RMA). We also partner with pharmacies to offer discounts for costly medications.
- Emotional Support: Local and national support groups (in-person and virtual), fertility buddy matching for peer-to-peer support, and workshops for family and friends. Our groups span primary and secondary infertility, men, LGBTQ+, genetic conditions, oncofertility, and pregnancy after infertility.
- Community & Education: Social gatherings like mahjong nights and single moms’ meetups, educational events, and clergy and clinic trainings. And when a JFF baby arrives, we welcome them with a baby bag full of love, challah, and community connections to other Jewish organizations like JEWISHcolorado’s PJ Library and BabyCafe at the JCC-Denver.
Can you share a story or example of the impact you’ve seen recently?
We have provided many individuals and couples with the ability to continue on their family-building journey through our financial grants and with a community of support. Almost every event or support group has led to participants exchanging phone numbers and spending time together outside of formal JFF programming. A Denver mom recently shared:
“I have been experiencing infertility for over three years and during that time, I felt extremely alone and sad. Someone told me about JFF and FINALLY, I feel some peace hearing others validate my feelings and experiences. I can’t tell you how much better I feel. Sure, I still am struggling with infertility but at least now, I feel like I have a community supporting me through the journey.”
That’s the power of JFF: turning isolation into connection. Just last month, two moms who met through our support groups sent us a photo—walking their strollers side by side, babies born because of JFF.
What are some of the challenges people in our community face around fertility and family building?
The biggest barrier is cost—tens of thousands of dollars for treatment, with no guarantee of success and little to no insurance coverage. Many people go into debt as a result, and have to make some very difficult decisions. On top of that, Jewish life revolves around family and children, making those struggling feel invisible in our spaces. Infertility isn’t just medical stress—it’s deeply emotional, financial, and spiritual.
So much of being Jewish is about family and children. The first mitzvah in the Torah is ‘pru urvu’ or ‘be fruitful and multiply.’ Families and children are celebrated in Judaism, and that’s a wonderful thing, but when you are struggling to have children, it can be incredibly isolating to be in Jewish spaces.
Are there still unmet needs in this space locally?
Absolutely. We would love to provide more grants and for larger amounts in the Denver area. We exceeded our grant-giving budget in June this year and had to pause on giving grants until 2026 because the needs have far surpassed anticipated demand. We provided more than 4 times the number of grants in the first half of this year than we did in all of 2023. One in six individuals experience infertility and we have only supported a small number of those in the local Jewish community who require treatment to build their families. The need is urgent and growing.
What are your plans or goals for the next year or two?
- Expand local, social events—because connection heals.
- Grow our presence in Boulder to serve more families.
- Launch programs for those pregnant after infertility, a stage often filled with anxiety and too little support.
- Increase grant funding to meet overwhelming demand.
How is your work funded, and how can fundholders or community members get involved?
JFF is funded by various foundations including the Rose Community Foundation locally, and nationally by the Marcus Foundation, the Zalik Foundation, and by generous individual donors. The simplest way to make an impact is to donate locally. Every gift helps a Jewish family move one step closer to welcoming a child.
Fundholders and community members can get involved by contacting Shira Gabry-Kalikow, JFF-Denver Manager at shira@jewishfertilityfoundation.org, or Jenny Jones, Director of Development, at jenny@jewishfertilityfoundation.org. We would love to share more about our work and opportunities to get involved!
For someone interested in learning more or supporting your work, where should they go?
Visit jewishfertilityfoundation.org/denver, follow us on social media @jewishfertilityfoundation, and sign up for our newsletter.