Grants

Jewish Helping Hand’s Tikkun Olam Grant Program

2012 grant aecipients announced! (The 4th recipient is in the final evaluation).

 

Every act of tikkun olam—of repairing the world—is a spark that will light the way for the future

Jewish Helping Hands launches its Tikkun Olam grant program in 2012 to advance our goal of inspiring and supporting tzedakah, justice and righteousness throughout the world.  This fund will support projects that focus on reaching needy and vulnerable populations in the United States and abroad, particularly those that have been overlooked or marginalized.  Through cooperation with local communities, JHH hopes to support programs and projects that are sustainable and scalable through financial and hands-on support.  The goal is to promote projects that will make a tangible and lasting difference in the lives of the populations served.

Purpose of Grants

The Tikkun Olam grant program from Jewish Helping Hands offers grants to sponsor and promote programs and projects that work toward achieving social justice at the local, national, or international level.  Through this grant JHH intends to share its resources of experience, expertise, and funding with other-like minded individuals and organizations to further its mission.

Criteria for Grants

JHH values programs and projects that aim to bring about positive change for groups of all backgrounds and religious affiliations, and welcomes grant applications from organizations and individuals regardless of these factors.

JHH will consider making grants to individuals or organizations which show clear promise to achieve one or more of the following:

*Address basic causes of injustice and foster systemic change

* Promote self-help and empowerment within communities

* Respond to unmet needs of those who are poor and/or marginalized

JHH does NOT make grants to capital campaigns, political campaigns, scholarships, fellowships, or programs administered by for-profit entities.  Additionally, JHH grant monies can NOT be used to subsidize administrative salaries or expenses, as we require 100% of all grants to be used for the intended program.

Who Should Apply for a Tikkun Olam Grant

When looking to award grants, Jewish Helping Hands is actually seeking partners,  individuals and organizations with a passion for the work of tikkun olam—of improving the world—who will continue to persevere until those in need are helped in a significant way.

Potential partners are those who look to take on what may seem to be intractable problems, to address the needs of overlooked or ignored populations, and to use their creativity and personal commitment to find solutions where others may be convinced there are none.

At JHH, we look to support those who will create partnerships with other organizations and local populations to enlarge the circle of involvement and inclusiveness.  Effective applicants will show respect for the opinions and ideas of others, and will work to draw them in to the circle of concern.

Types of Grants

Tikkun Olam grants are awarded annually.  A typical grant award may be up to $5,000. Grant recipients may reapply to have their grants renewed.

Application Process

Step One: (to be completed by October 1^st)

To apply, organizations or individuals should submit a Letter of Application (LOA) not exceeding 3 pages in length.  The LOA should describe the needs to be met, the objective of the program or project, the methodology proposed by the program or project to meet the needs, and the expected impact (ie, the number of people to be impacted/areas to be served.)  The LOA should also indicate how the proposed project or program would not duplicate an existing service within the community, or how it would improve upon an existing service.

In the LOA please be sure to include the following:

• Full name and contact information of the sponsoring organization and/or the individual responsible for the proposal
• Mission of the project or program
• Method for measuring success
• Target constituency
• Specific objective of the program or project
• Details of how those benefitting from the project or program are/would become directly involved in the orchestration of the project.

 

As attachments to the LOA, please include:

• A proposed operating budget for the project or program. This budget should indicate the amount of funding requested from JHH and the amount of funding expected from other sources.
•  If applicable, please also attach the organization’s general operating budget and an IRS determination letter of not-for-profit status (or non-US equivalent).

We encourage all grant applicants to consider partnering with other local groups, and to include information on such partnerships when applicable.

Step Two: (by October 15^th)

JHH will contact selected grant applicants to inform them of their continuing in the grant award program.  At this time, JHH may request further materials based upon the nature of the project or program.

All such materials MUST be submitted to JHH by November 15^th.

Step Three (December 15^th-February 15^th)

The Grant Making Committee of JHH will notify and invite semi-finalists for an interview (either in person or via skype) and make potential site visits.  Interviews will be conducted during this time period.

Step Four (March 15^th)

The Grant Making Committee of JHH will announce grant recipients in writing.  At this time, the duration and details of the grant will also be announced.

What to Expect After Receiving a Grant

JHH will maintain steady contact and communication with all projects and programs that receive a Tikkun Olam grant, both to oversee the use of the grant money and to maintain and strengthen the partnership between JHH and all grant recipients.  Grantees will be required to submit periodic progress and financial reports detailing the use and results of the funding, as well as work with JHH in coordinating potential JHH site visits and/or working visits to contribute to the efforts of the project.

Please submit all applications or queries to grants@jewishhelpinghands.org