JHH 2020 Emergency USA-Only Grants
OPENS: August 3, 2020
DEADLINE: October 19, 2020
PURPOSE OF GRANTS
In its 2020 Emergency US-Only Grant Cycle, Jewish Helping Hands is focusing primarily on projects that respond to the needs that American families have as they face the unique challenges of our time.
In cooperation with local communities, JHH supports programs that are sustainable and scalable through financial and hands-on support. Our objective is to promote organizations and projects that will make a tangible and lasting difference in the lives of the populations they serve. With each of our grants, JHH also intends to share its experience and expertise, so as to help further our joint mission.
Please note: Applications for the 2021 cycle are now closed.
Due to the large number of proposals we received, notifications will only be sent to semi-finalists.
Thank you for your submissions.
CRITERIA FOR GRANTS
JHH values programs and projects that aim to bring about positive change for groups of all backgrounds and religious affiliations.
JHH will consider making grants to individuals or organizations that show clear promise to achieve one or both of the following:
· Respond to unmet needs of those who are poor and/or marginalized
· Promote self-help and empowerment within communities
Who should apply for a Tikkun Olam Grant?
In the 2020 Emergency US-Only Grant Cycle, JHH is focusing primarily on projects that respond to the needs that American families have as they face the unique challenges of our time.
As in the past, JHH prefers to provide the basic necessities for a decent life: Food, Shelter, Clothing, Water, Education and Health.
Potential partners are those who look to take on what may appear 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. We seek partners who will continue to persevere and to help people in need.
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.
JHH especially seeks to partner with grassroots organizations that utilize resources local to their communities especially when those projects support the well-being and health of the community members.
To ensure that our funding makes the most impact, JHH will give preference to organizations with smaller budgets (operating budgets under one million dollars) and projects that would otherwise not be possible without our assistance.
Who shouldn’t apply for a Tikkun Olam Grant?
JHH will NOT make grants to organizations with substantial budgets (operating budgets over a million dollars) or subsidiary parts of such organizations.
JHH will NOT support overhead or administrative salaries and expenses.
JHH will NOT make grants to capital, or political campaigns, scholarships, fellowships, or programs administered by for-profit entities, or micro-loan programs.
JHH will NOT welcome applications from paid professional fund-raisers.
type of Grants
Grants are awarded annually. An emergency grant award may be up to $10,000.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Step One: (to be completed by October 19, 2020)
Please submit the initial inquiry form
Step Two: (to be completed by November 20, 2020)
Selected organizations will be notified by October 23, 2020 and invited to submit Full Applications. Unfortunately, we are unable to notify those organizations not chosen.
The Full Application should begin with 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 proposed methodology of the program or project, and the expected impact (i.e., the number of people to be impacted/areas to be served.) The LOA should also indicate whether the proposed project or program would duplicate an existing service within the community and, if so, how it would improve upon it.
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
· Complete operating budget for the project and the sponsoring organization.
· 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, you must include:
A proposed operating budget for the project or program, including 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 Three: (December 7 – December 21, 2020)
The Grant Making Committee of JHH will notify finalists of their application status. During this time period, all finalists will be invited for interviews, either in person or via Skype/telephone. Additionally, during this time JHH may make site visits to finalists.
Step Four: (January 5, 2021)
The Grant Making Committee of JHH will contact the grant recipients. At this time, the duration and details of the grant will also be announced.
What should I 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 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.
Questions about your application?
Fill out the contact form below and we will get in touch.