JCK has opened submissions for the 2019 JCK Industry Fund application process. Entering its 22nd year, the fund has awarded over $6 million to date towards program grants to benefit the jewelry industry at large.
On the cusp of a new year, JCK has announced a new mission statement for the program moving forward:
"As global leaders in the jewelry industry, JCK strongly believes that it is an essential element and part of our corporate responsibility to give back and continue to nurture an industry that has given so much to so many. The JCK Industry Fund was created in 1997 for the purpose of deploying funds donated by JCK, and more recently with added donations from the industry at large. As the fund increases in size and scope, monies are directed to where they are needed the most, and where significant impacts can be attained. A board comprised of executives from a broad scope of the industry continues to meet regularly, and to date more than $6M has been given to worthy grant recipients.
The renewed mission of the JCK Industry Fund is 'To assess and prioritize grant requests from all sectors of the jewelry industry, and to invest those available funds to projects that will have the most sustainable impact to improve growth and health for the industry at large.
"As our industry adapts to changes in contemporary culture, we want to present a mission that clearly defines our goal to support the needs and issues that most directly and substantially impact the industry at large," says Yancy Weinrich, Senior Vice President, Reed Jewelry Group. "With an increase of funds through generous donations, our mission ensures that dollars are allocated in the most effective way."
In support of the mission, the JCK Industry Fund Committee will launch a new PR campaign to support its efforts and raise further awareness of the fund and its recipients. The Committee consists of Yancy Weinrich (Senior Vice President, Reed Jewelry Group), Mark Smelzer (Publisher, JCK Magazine), Joel Schechter (CEO, Honora), John Green (President & CEO, Lux Bond & Green), Eddie Levian (CEO, Le Vian) and Michael Lerche (President, Goldstar Jewellery LLC).
Earlier this year, the JCK Industry Fund announced grants for 2018 — Diamond Empowerment Fund (DEF), Jewelers of America (JA), Jewelers Security Alliance (JSA), Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) and the Women's Jewelry Association (WJA). Each of these organizations received grant monies to advance specific projects that will benefit the industry as a whole by improving commerce and enhancing the jewelry industry's overall image in the eyes of the consumer. The grants, with a grand total of $240,000, were awarded at the JCK Las Vegas 2018 show in early June.
V.P. Executive Director of Diamond Empowerment Fund Nancy Orem Lyman expressed her gratitude towards the Fund, "With continued support from the JCK Industry Fund, our outreach with the Diamonds Do Good message has yielded over 265 million consumer impressions. Our research has confirmed that millennials are learning something new about the industry after reading positive facts and this is creating a positive opinion about the industry while increasing the likelihood that they will purchase diamonds. We are so grateful to the JCK Industry Fund for understanding the need to foster these positive narratives around diamonds with consumers. With the help of the 2018 grant, we will be able to leverage these efforts more fully into video and further increase our engagement with millennials."
The JCK Industry Fund was established in 1997 to enhance the image of the jewelry industry and to foster development and research of programs that would benefit the industry. The 2018 recipients have each developed educational content or programs that exhibit synergy with the Fund's core goals and address serious problems faced by the jewelry industry.
The 2019 Grant Applications are now being accepted. To submit your application, please visit www.jckonline.com/industryfund.
