Our Grantmaking

The Jews of Color Initiative is the only national fund focused on creating a more equitable U.S. Jewish communal ecosystem for Jews of Color and the larger Jewish community. 

We work to achieve this through our grantmaking by supporting field building for Jews of Color (JoC) in the U.S. Jewish community. Our grantmaking is an articulation of our mission to advance racial equity in the U.S. Jewish community. We believe that the Jewish community should reflect our multiracial reality, and take pride in supporting projects and leaders who help bring this vision to life.

Types of Grants

We award project grants (typically not general support or grants) to Section 501(c)(3) organizations in the U.S.

We are most interested in supporting early-stage projects that nurture and empower JoC participation and leadership in Jewish communal life, and demonstrate replicability and adaptability to the greater Jewish community. 

Our grantmaking efforts focus on 

• Prototypes: Our goal is to support projects that address a need for JoC communities through data-driven insights, testing, and iterative growth. We support prototypes that plan or test these initiatives to assess their viability, adaptability, and potential for replication. Examples of our support might include initial funding for research, focus groups for innovative program ideas, community-building initiatives, creative arts projects, Jewish education and professional development programs, or other early-stage efforts centering diverse Jewish communities.
• Leadership Development Support: We believe education and training are crucial to building a diverse pipeline of Jewish leaders and we support projects that improve and develop the capabilities of Jewish leaders through opportunities such as cohort experiences, professional development programs, and skill building courses.
• Infrastructure Support: We are committed to supporting JoC communities, and strengthening projects and organizations to create lasting impact. To that end, we support capacity-building initiatives that will enhance organizational operations, long-term sustainability, effectiveness, and impact.

Our general grants cycle is open and reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the fiscal year. Grants of $10,000 and above are reviewed quarterly by our Grant Advisory Committee. 

Please note that we are unable to fund all requests. While we strive to support as many deserving initiatives as possible, funding is limited, and we must prioritize projects that align closely with our mission and available resources. We do not fund individuals directly and we do not provide scholarships.

Eligibility:

• Projects must be aligned with our mission and focus areas
• Grantees must be a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit, or a fiscally sponsored project of a valid 501(c)(3) nonprofit
• Our funding must be used for domestically focused and based projects within the U.S. and U.S. territories
• Grantees must have a national scope and an ability to share learnings and impact with the wider community

Interested in Applying for a Grant?

If you have a project that you believe fits our grantmaking priorities and eligibility requirements, we invite you to reach out to our grants team at grants@jewsofcolorinitiative.org to set up a meeting.

When reviewing potential alignment, we evaluate projects with the following questions in mind. In an effort to support an easier preparation process in advance of our meeting, please send in your responses to these questions two days in advance and come prepared to discuss:

• What is your project?
• Whom are you trying to reach, and how?
• What are your desired outcomes and what steps will you take to get there?
• What is your timeline?
• How much funding is needed, and for what?

If your project seems aligned with our priorities and eligibility requirements, you can expect 1-3 meetings with our grants team. If you move forward in the process, we will provide you with a formal link to the online application.

About Our New Application

Starting in 2025, we’re excited to introduce a new application process in Jotform, which integrates directly with our Salesforce platform. Using your email, you can create and edit your application through our online portal.

After you submit your application, you can expect to hear back with next steps within 2-3 weeks. 

• For requests of $10,000 or more, or for applications related to specific Requests for Proposals (RFPs), please allow additional time as these requests must be reviewed by our Grant Advisory Committee, which meets quarterly.

Thank you! Please let us know if you require any reasonable accommodations to ensure accessibility during the grants process.