faq Jim Joseph Foundation

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does the Jim Joseph Foundation (the Foundation) accept unsolicited grant proposals?

A: No. The Foundation accepts grant applications by invitation only. Grantees are formally invited to work with a Foundation professional in preparing grant material for proposal development and Board of Director review.

Q: I spoke with one of the Foundation’s Directors who suggested that I apply to the Foundation. Should I submit an application if I am asked by a Director to do so?

A: The Directors depend on the Foundation’s professional staff to manage the grant making process. Please contact the Foundation if you have had a discussion with one of the Directors, and a Foundation professional will respond to you.

Q: To whom do I address an inquiry about a grant Initiative?

A: The inquiries may be sent to:

The Jim Joseph Foundation
343 Sansome Street, Suite 1200
San Francisco, CA 94104

Q: Can I send a letter of inquiry to the Foundation asking to submit a proposal?

A: While we do not discourage letters of inquiry, the request should be brief (no more than one page) and describe an idea or potential Initiative, not a proposal to be submitted. Moreover, we urge grant seekers to carefully review www.jimjosephfoundation.org before making any inquiry in order for the interested grantee to understand the Foundation’s mission, vision, goals, funding priorities and its grant making process. We respond to all inquiries in as timely a manner as possible.

Q: Should I call the Foundation to discuss a grant proposal idea?

A: We are interested in talking with grantees whose careful review of the Foundation’s grant making leads the grantee to assume that an Initiative the grantee is developing represents an apparent excellent fit with the Foundation’s strategic plan.

Q: If my organization does not attempt to directly contact the Foundation, how will the Foundation know if an organization’s idea represents a promising funding opportunity?

A: The Foundation’s professionals continually examine the field. We network with funder colleagues; consult with current grantees; reach out to practitioners and observe them working; carefully read professional literature; attend conferences, forums and convening’s; talk regularly with Foundation Directors who are knowledgeable of the field; and confer with the Foundation’s ten madrichim. We pride ourselves on a careful, ongoing search for great funding ideas.

Q: On what basis does the Foundation seek grant collaboration to initiate a conversation about a grant opportunity?

A: We critically view the philanthropy through various value screens, the most important of which are the Foundation’s mission, vision, and its strategic goals. We also consistently apply a set of grant screening criteria to any prospective grantee:

Alignment with JJF mission, vision, and strategic priorities

Demonstrated need in the target population

Financial feasibility

Potential for funding partners

Strength of professional and lay leadership

Evaluation that will yield useful information on the Initiative’s implementation and outcomes

Degree of innovation

Opportunities for leveraging impact of the grant, such as indicators that the Initiative can be adapted or replicated in other communities

Plan for sustainability

Additionally, the Foundation’s perspective on best-possible grant opportunities is shaped by the considerable investment the Foundation has made in studying the field. The layered prism through which we filter grant opportunities includes the Brandeis University research commissioned by the Foundation; the ten papers prepared for the Foundation by distinguished madrichim; and extensive ongoing scanning the Foundation’s professionals conduct of education programming for Jewish children, youth and young adults.

Q: What will the Foundation not support?

A: The Foundation does not make grants to capital projects or to support operating deficits. Currently, the Foundation does not make grants for endowments.

The Foundation is also unlikely to support individual schools, camps, congregations, youth groups, etc. except in exceptional cases where programs of a unique nature merit Foundation consideration.

Q: If the organization I represent is denied funding from the Foundation, can the organization contact the Foundation again?

A: Please continue to read the Foundation website which is updated often. You can contact us again if your organization’s work changes in a way that represents a close fit with the Foundation’s grant making focus.

Q: How often does the Foundation meet to award grants?

A: In 2007, the Board has six regularly scheduled meetings. It is anticipated that the Foundation will move to a set schedule of quarterly meeting beginning in 2008. Please note that the Board of Directors can give their approval to a grant proposal at any regular or special meeting of the Board.

Q: Once the Foundation has begun discussion with an organization, how long does it take to process that proposal?

A: For major grant proposals, it typically takes 4 to 6 months to define an Initiative, shape a proposal, and develop it in a form for the Board’s careful consideration.

The Foundation views grant proposal preparation as an ongoing dialogue. Conversations and interactions about an Initiative being considered enable the Foundation and the prospective grantee to learn more about what is most important for both the Foundation and the grantee organization to accomplish in their work. This process is as much about developing a relationship between the Foundation and prospective grantee as it is proposal writing, per se.

Q: Is there a minimum grant award the Foundation awards?

A: No, the Foundation considers all its funding decisions relative to the documented resource requirements of the proposed Initiative. The Foundation’s strategic planning process points Directors toward fewer grants of larger denominations. Grants that are smaller in size eventually are likely to be considered as part of an expedited process. The Foundation anticipates that it will award a relatively select number of these in any given grant year.

Q: Does the Foundation have a special process for reviewing "small" grants?

A: No. The Foundation has no formal small grants program. The Foundation uses a similar structure and process for all grant inquiries.

Q: What geographic areas do you fund?

A: The Foundation funds Initiatives for children, youth, and young adults in the United States. It also supports Initiatives of organizations that send U.S. youth for Jewish education experiences to Israel and other settings of Jewish significance. Please note that the Foundation does not fund directly in Israel or any place outside of the United States, unless the organization has a U.S. 501(c)(3) and its program benefits U.S. Jewish youth or educators.