From Emergency Relief to Long-Term Resilience
The goal of ROI Real-Time Challenge Grants is to support ROIers in developing solutions to the challenges faced by Israelis and global Jewish communities as a result of the Swords of Iron War.
ROIers have led hundreds of emergency initiatives since the beginning of the war, and the incredible momentum they've been generating has been felt within our network and beyond.
Now, we would like to empower our Community members to look to the medium- and long-term, and design and implement solutions to challenges that are, and inevitably will continue to be, emerging from this difficult period.
We hope to see ROIers' innovative solutions in three critical focus areas.
The grant application has now closed.
ROIers: The process for this grant is new! Please review the dates, guidelines and application carefully.
The Challenges
Real-Time Challenge Grants will focus on three challenges:
- Community Resilience in Israel: Strengthening social support systems and community solidarity. (This is for Israel-based initiatives only.)
- Telling Israel’s Story: Combatting disinformation and biased communication, and increasing international support for Israel by shedding light on Israel's diverse story.
- Jewish Communities' Resilience Around the World: Strengthening social cohesion and solidarity within and between Jewish communities, strengthening Jewish communities' connections to Israel, and addressing the rise of antisemitism and antizionism.
Requests should not exceed $5,000.
Additional support (up to $10,000) may be considered for a select few initiatives that exhibit potential for long-term sustainability, are the result of collaboration between ROI members, and have additional funding sources. The additional ROI funding will be offered by invitation only and cannot be requested at the application stage.
The Timeline
- January 17, 2024: Grant application deadline
- Decisions will be sent by mid-February
Please note: all projects should start after mid-February. - October 15, 2024: Final report deadline
The Criteria
Here is some of what we are looking for in ROIers' grant applications:
- ROIer Leadership: An ROI member is the one leading the initiative and personally involved in carrying the project out.
- Community of Practice: The ROIer can commit to attending one ROI peer-learning gathering (details TBD).
- Scale Potential: Preference will be given to initiatives with potential to scale or to continue after ROI funding ends.
- Leverage Potential: Preference will be given to initiatives with potential to leverage ROI funding to secure additional philanthropic support (matching).
- Measurable Goals: The ROIer will be expected to show measurable results for the project.
What Will Real-Time Challenge Grants NOT Cover?
This is not an exhaustive list, but here are some examples:
- Any program or opportunity that is already being supported by a Schusterman/ROI grant of any kind
- Repeat events for which you have received ROI funding in the past
- Personal travel costs
- Salaries
- Ongoing business-related expenses (e.g., renting office space, long-term equipment rental, ongoing subscription fees for software, web hosting, etc.)
- Services that you are rendering to yourself, your organization or others (for example, grants cannot be used to pay for your own time spent planning an event or program)
- Services provided by a spouse, partner or close family member
- Legal work (for example, legal advice, litigation, etc.)
- Any attempt to influence legislation, the outcome of any specific public election, or support of any voter registration drive
The Process
- ROIers whose applications are approved may request to receive up to 60% of the approved funding amount at the interim report stage (on the basis of invoices).
- The remainder of the grant will be transferred upon submission of the final report as reimbursement against receipts.
- In keeping with ROI Micro Grant protocols, payment will be made via PayPal directly to the ROIer in US dollars.