Organizations with an idea to strengthen the jewelry trade have until Friday, Nov. 13, to apply for a 2027 JCK Industry Fund grant.
Starting in 1997, the fund has awarded more than $8 million in grants to organizations working on behalf of the industry at large. In 2026, it distributed more than $330,000 among nine recipients, whose projects spanned security, workforce development, and environmental preservation in mining regions.
“The JCK Industry Fund is an integral part of our commitment to the long-term health and vitality of the jewelry industry,” says Sarin Bachmann, senior vice president of RX’s jewelry portfolio—which includes the JCK, Luxury and JIS shows, plus JCK magazine and JCKonline.com—and chair of the JCK Industry Fund Committee. “JCK brings our community together to connect and do business, and the fund extends that purpose by supporting organizations whose work benefits the industry as a whole.”
“From education and workforce development to security, ethical sourcing, tariff education, and opportunities for emerging designers, these organizations address shared challenges and help build a stronger future,” she adds. “Through the 2027 grants, we look forward to supporting organizations with meaningful ideas and a clear vision for how they can make a lasting difference for our industry.”
In practice, that support takes very different forms. JCK spoke with three 2026 recipients about how they put the money to work and what they would tell organizations applying this year.
The Jewelry Edit Foundation: Demystifying the Show Floor
For The Jewelry Edit Foundation (TJEF), the grant funded “Inside a Jewelry Trade Show,” a four-part video series that follows designers attending JCK for the first time and gathers advice from industry veterans.
“The JCK Industry Fund was the engine that made this initiative possible,” says founder Rosena Sammi. The series aims to take the mystery out of an event that can intimidate even seasoned professionals. “There is a lot of knowledge that comes with experience, but not everyone has access to that knowledge or the networks that help you navigate the industry.”
Her advice for 2027 applicants begins with the fundamentals: “Start with a clear understanding of the problem you want to solve and the impact you hope to achieve.”
“Don’t be afraid to think ambitiously,” Sammi adds. “Sometimes an idea just needs someone to believe in it and provide the support to make it happen.”
Future Jewelers Academy: Building the Bench
The Future Jewelers Academy aims to get high school students to the bench before they settle on a career path, helping to address an industrywide shortage. It pairs sophomores, juniors, and seniors with mentors and has awarded more than $30,000 in GIA scholarships to date. Students train three afternoons a week, about two hours at a time.
The academy applied to the fund for the first time last year, and Malyia McNaughton, its executive director and cofounder, says the grant was a natural fit for its mission.
“The JCK Industry Fund is literally aligned with that goal of creating a pipeline,” she says. “We needed to start with the industry to get their buy-in, and then we could go out to government for funding around trade and building back up that pipeline. The Industry Fund was a great launchpad for us.”
Her advice to prospective applicants is simple: Apply. Any organization supporting the future growth and stability of the jewelry industry should see the grant as a path toward its goals, McNaughton says.
Gem Legacy: Starting at the Source
Gem Legacy, a fund recipient six years running, supports independent artisanal miners in East Africa. Most of its work with miners has been in Kenya, and it’s expanding in Tanzania. Its outreach team works with entire mining communities.
Miners receive customized tool kits that include picks, sieves, headlamps, first aid kits, and food staples. The communities they come from get support such as water wells and school meals, which has helped raise literacy rates and school attendance, says Bernadette Mack, Gem Legacy’s executive director.
The team continually checks in, on the ground, with the miners they support, to see what’s working and what isn’t. One group, for instance, reported that its three-pound hammers were too light for the job. “We’re not in the business of trying to just deliver what we think people need,” Mack says.
Gem Legacy also teaches basic safety and gemology, so that miners—many of whom are paid only when they find something—better understand the value of what they unearth. “The more they understand about what they’re digging up, and how to do it safely and more effectively with better tools,” Mack explains, “the better off they’ll be.”
How to Apply for the JCK Industry Fund Grant
The fund encourages nonprofit and 501(c)(3) organizations operating within the jewelry industry to apply. Initiatives may focus on industry development, consumer confidence, ethical business practices, or diversity, equity, and inclusion. For-profit businesses also may be considered if the proposed initiative is charitable in nature.
Applications are due Nov. 13 and can be submitted via the JCK Industry Fund page. Recipients will be notified in early 2027.
How the Community Invests in the JCK Industry Fund
The JCK Industry Fund’s work is made possible by the people it serves. JCK provides the majority of the Fund’s support each year, enabled by the industry’s participation in its events and support of its media (JCKonline.com and JCK magazine included). Show attendees can also donate during JCK registration, and exhibitors can contribute through their license agreements. These donations amplify the Fund’s impact, and JCK thanks the many who already give. Click here to make your own donation.
Top: A student at Future Jewelers Academy gets hands-on training at one of the organizations workshops. (Photo courtesy of Future Jewelers Academy)
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