The 2023 Fall Open Grants Process is now closed. Learn more about SRE's fall 2023 grantees.
Background
SRE is a network of over 165 Jewish organizations that is rooted in our shared commitment to safety, respect, and equity-for all. Our work is focused in these two areas: 1) Gender-focused efforts to address harassment and inequity, that include women as a primary target beneficiary population; and 2) Broader safety, respect,and equity (s,r,e) culture change efforts that support safety, respect and equity for all (i.e. impact multiple segments and identities).
SRE Network serves as a multiplier through our community investments portfolio, which encompasses both grantmaking and investments in partnerships with experts, trainers, and practitioners in both the Jewish community and beyond to provide support to SRE Network membership, Jewish workplaces, and the field at large. To date, SRE Network has invested over $5M in grants and supports to advance safety, respect, and equity. For a comprehensive list of projects SRE has funded, please click here.
Fall 2023 Open Grants Process
We anticipate awarding a total of 5-8 grants with an average grant amount of $50,000 over one or two years, but we will consider smaller and larger requests.
These grants are designed to provide financial support and technical assistance to help build the internal capacity of Jewish organizations on their safety, respect and equity journey.
To be eligible to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) for this funding, an organization must:
- Be a 501c3 nonprofit (or have a current fiscal sponsor who maintains a 501c3.
- Be a current SRE Network member, and have maintained membership for at least six months.
- Previous and current SRE grantees (please see FAQ) and previous SRE grant applicants are all eligible for this funding, provided they meet the other criteria.
- Proven commitment to safety, respect, and equity.
- Availability and readiness of dedicated leadership, staff, and resources to successfully deliver this effort.
Letters of Intent
Letters of Intent (LOI), not to exceed 3 pages, must be submitted to the grant portal by September 29, 2023. In order to submit a LOI, organizations will need to have already assessed an internal capacity building need in relation to safety, respect and equity in the workplace, and determined a course of action. Letters should then include:
- Applicant Organization Name
- Contact Name, Title, and Email
- Annual Operating Budget (including fiscal year)
- Total Amount Requested (over 1 or 2 years)
- Need: What are your organization’s specific internal capacity-building needs around s, r, e, and how did you identify those needs (e.g. a needs assessment, staff surveys, previous consultation)?
- How have you assessed or measured your organization's readiness for this internal capacity-building?
- Solution/Project Outline: How have you determined you will address this need? Will you be engaging a trainer/consultation?
- If you determine you will be using a third party trainer or consultant, who will your trainer be, and what will their scope of work be (please include a timeline of the work)? If you are looking for a suggestion of a trainer/consultant, please reference this list.
- How did you select your trainer as the right partner for you and/or what vetting or recommendation did you use?
- If you determine you will be using a third party trainer or consultant, who will your trainer be, and what will their scope of work be (please include a timeline of the work)? If you are looking for a suggestion of a trainer/consultant, please reference this list.
- Evaluation: What are the goals of your internal organizational capacity building? How will you measure success and/or impact and continue to evaluate over time?
- Budget: Applicants will use this budget template provided to outline a full project budget, including how the SRE funds will be allocated.
- Proof of Tax Exempt Status: Applicants will need to upload a IRS Determination Letter/proof of 501c3 or Fiscal Sponsorship documentation to submit a LOI.
We welcome you to provide materials that have already been created.
Commitment, Timeline, and Reporting
SRE Network is committed to developing an equitable grants process, and all applications are subject to evaluation through our Grants Review Committee, and a due diligence process through our fiscal sponsor, New Venture Fund. As such, if you are moved forward in the process, there are a total of three rounds of inquiry and evaluation which will require your input including an interview in October 2023, and a document review in December 2023. SRE Network anticipates all grant periods to begin January 1, 2024, with a grant disbursement at that time.
All grantees are expected to provide staff time to a relevant Community of Practice on a quarterly basis throughout the grant period to support the field of safety, respect and equity.
All grantees will be required to provide two reports for their progress and evaluation of their activities, once midway through their grant period (6 months out of a 12 month grant period, 12 months out of a 24 month grant period) and once upon the completion of their grant period to reflect on the entirety of the project. Additional information will be provided.
Potential applicants are encouraged to watch the recording of the August 16 Grantseekers Workshop, and are required to have a conversation with the SRE Network team before applying. Please reach out to Andrea Deck, Senior Program Officer, at andrea@srenetwork.org with any questions or to schedule a meeting.
Grants Review Committee
SRE Network's Grants Review Committee will review grant applications and, in partnership with the SRE staff team, will recommend grant awards for consideration by the SRE Network Advisory Board. We intentionally brought together a diverse group that brings new and underrepresented voices to grantmaking. Together they have deep experience in Jewish communal and professional life, including organizational leadership, LGBTQ+ activism, community organizing, survivor support, women's advocacy, and anti-racist consulting. Grounded in this deep community knowledge, they will use an intersectional and justice-centered lens to make their recommendations.
Dr. Guila Benchimol
Toronto, Canada
Sarah Levin
San Francisco, CA
Gamal Palmer
Los Angeles, CA
Stefanie Rhodes
New York, NY
Judith Rosenbaum
Boston, MA
Chava Sims Shervington
Jerusalem, Israel
Mordy Walfish
New York, NY
Evaluation Criteria
The Grants Review Committee will use the following criteria when evaluating applications:
Safety, Respect, and Equity:
We are seeking member organizations who value and center safety, respect, and equity in all parts of their organization, and can articulate how these values are held in the work.
Need:
We are seeking member organizations that have been intentional about addressing safety, respect, and equity issues within their organizations and have demonstrated ability to identify specific training and or consultation needs.
Learning Orientation:
We are seeking member organizations that have dedicated staff and board leadership who are committed to and invested in the proposal’s capacity building priorities, demonstrating an openness to evaluation and change.
Viability:
We are seeking member organizations that dream big but show strength in day-to-day implementation and have the capacity to effectively implement change efforts within their organization and among their constituents.
Impact:
We are seeking proposals who demonstrate potential for impact through scale, scope, or scalability.
Measurement:
We are seeking member organizations who have identified how they will measure change, with clear and achievable short and long term goals.