The Jewish Women's Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh was founded in 2000 to effect lasting social change in the lives of women and girls in the Jewish and general communities. Our founding trustees started the foundation because less than 7% of foundation grants nationwide focus on projects specifically serving women and girls. JWF carries out its mission by making strategic grants on a yearly basis. Through the funding of innovative programs and advocacy efforts, the JWF is committed to addressing the unmet needs of women and girls in the Pittsburgh and Allegheny County areas. JWF offers donors the opportunity to participate in the direction and distribution of their personal philanthropy and provides an opportunity for Jewish women to use their leadership and financial resources to make a difference. The Jewish Women's Foundation has completed five years of grantmaking with a focus on funding projects for adolescent girls.

JWF believes in making the world a better place both structurally by strengthening the role of women and girls in society and culturally by influencing the way people think about and act upon things regarding women and girls’ issues. The foundation seeks to fund projects that will become a catalyst for creative and innovative initiatives that support the unique needs of women and girls. Funding social change is at the core of what JWF does.

Over the past several years, JWF has leveraged its dollars by collaborating with individuals and organizations to increase the impact of both its grantmaking dollars and community work. Collaborations with the Women and Girls Foundation of Southwest Foundation, FISA Foundation and Eden Hall Foundation created the "Allegheny County Girls as Grantmakers" group which implemented the "girlcott" against Abercrombie and Fitch. The JWF is one of the founding members of the steering committee of the Girls Coalition of Southwestern PA. And the JWF has worked within the Jewish community to raise awareness about the issues surrounding adolescent girls.