The fund, granted by JCK, is now in its 18th year

JCK has announced the opening of the submission process for its annual Industry Fund, which awards grants to individuals, associations, or groups whose work results in the betterment of the overall jewelry industry. Proposals are due by Thursday, Dec. 8, and award recipients will be announced in early 2017.

Established in 1997, the JCK Industry Fund, underwritten by JCK, awards grants to projects that meet one or all of the following criteria: 1) improves the image of the jewelry industry in the eyes of the consumer; 2) aids jewelry industry organizations in addressing serious problems faced within the industry; and 3) assists internal organizations or associations in developing training materials.

“The mission of the JCK Industry Fund is to help aid, assist, and improve the jewelry industry,” said JCK Events senior vice president Yancy Weinrich in a statement. “JCK believes that it is our responsibility to help give back and support the industry through individuals, groups, or associations that continue to make a difference.”

Recipients of the 2016 JCK Industry Fund grants include Diamond Empowerment Fund (D.E.F.), for its Diamonds Do Good campaign; Jewelers’ Security Alliance (JSA) and Jewellers Vigilance Canada (JVC), for their joint North American Jewelery Crime Conference; Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC), for the publishing of its guide “Getting It Right—The Essential Guide to Quality Assurance and Control”; Jewelers of America (JA), for its consumer awareness and marketing campaign; and Diamond Council of America, for its Jewelry Career Readiness Initiative. To learn more about each of these projects, visit this page.

Now in its 18th year, the fund has awarded over $5.5 million in grants to date, exceeding $293,000 just in 2016.

For more information on submissions, visit this page, or email jckindustryfund@reedexpo.com.

Brittany Siminitz

JCK Contributing Editor