Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh Community Priorities Grant Request for Proposals (RFP)

MISSION: Cultivate Resources, connect people and collaborate across the community to live and fulfill Jewish values. 

VISION: A flourishing Jewish community where everyone feels included, supported and inspired. 

To meet the Federation’s mission and vision, it will invest in grants that support three priority areas: 

• Engaging Young Adults: Create or strengthen opportunities for Jewish young adults (ages 22-45) and their families, as well as emerging young adults (ages 18-22) to explore and connect to each other, their Judaism and/or Jewish identity and community. 
  • Intended impact: cultivate a sense of Jewish identity so young adults feel connected to our community and remain engaged.  
  • Achieves one or more of the following outcomes:  
    • Create new, or strengthen existing, safe spaces for Jewish young adults to build community.
    • Create more innovative and creative opportunities for deepening Jewish knowledge, connection and engagement around rituals, history, etc. for young adults and their families.  
    • Increase training opportunities for professionals in Jewish organizations to build confidence and capacity to meet the ever-changing needs of young adults.  
    • Fills a specific need within the young adult Jewish community.  
• Addressing antisemitism: Empower Jewish and non-Jewish allies to act against antisemitism (as defined by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) through increased understanding, education, advocacy and collaboration. 
  • Intended impacts: 
    • Ensure members of the greater Pittsburgh Jewish community feel empowered to live, celebrate and engage in Jewish life safely and publicly.  
    • Increase awareness among non-Jews about antisemitism to foster allyship and support.  
  • Achieves one or more of the following outcomes: 
    • Increase the number of allies or expand established coalitions to address antisemitism.  
    • Contribute to greater collaboration and communication among organizations in the Jewish and non-Jewish communities to address antisemitism.  
    • Create more advocacy for causes that support the Jewish community; including but not limited to the adoption of IRHA definition of antisemitism in Jewish and non-Jewish spaces.  
    • Provide additional education about the incorporation of Jews/Judaism in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives and increase awareness of modern antisemitism.  
    • Increase pride in being Jewish through additional trainings, capacity building and resources for Jewish community members.  
    • Improve overall physical and psychological safety and security for Jewish communities. 
• Addressing teen mental health: Support Jewish teens (ages 13-22), their educators, clergy and parents by providing grants that will embed mental health and emotional wellness into the heart of Jewish communal life. 
  • Intended impacts: 
    • Integrate mental health awareness into everyday Jewish communal experiences. 
    • Encourage youth leadership, giving teens and young adults the tools to shape conversations around emotional well-being. 
    • Build resilience, emotional literacy, and coping skills. 
    • Foster meaningful relationships across generations, creating spaces where young people feel supported by trusted adults. 
    • Promote healthy habits and self-care, helping teens build emotional resilience that lasts into adulthood. 
    • Highlight Jewish identity as a source of strength, using cultural and spiritual traditions to support mental wellness. 
  • Achieves one or more of the following outcomes: 
    • For Teen/Young Adult Participants: 
      • Stronger ability to manage emotional challenges and seek support when needed. 
      • Greater sense of ownership and leadership in creating inclusive, supportive Jewish spaces. 
      • Deeper community connection to Jewish values and traditions as tools for personal growth. 
      • Improved peer relationships built on empathy, trust, and shared understanding. 
    • For the Community: 
      • Expanded access to Jewish-contextualized mental health supports within local Jewish organizations. 
      • Increased collaboration between local Jewish institutions and mental health professionals. 
      • Increased understanding and recognition of the emotional strengths and needs of local Jewish teens and young adults.  
      • Reduced stigma around mental health in Jewish communal spaces. 

FAQs 

• Why is the Federation only issuing requests for proposals for those two priorities? 
  • As part of the Federation’s recent strategic plan, we are focusing on deepening our grantmaking impact on topical issues that have arisen in the community. In the summer and fall of 2023, the Federation staff met with stakeholders about the top issues that are facing our community. There were six issues that rose to the top. Because of our existing investments in the other four areas, the decision was made to carry out a limited open request for proposals (RFP) process with Young Adult Engagement, Addressing Antisemitism and Addressing Teen Mental Health. We will continue to fund Jewish education, camps, human services, etc. through the Federation Community Campaign.  
• Who can apply? 
  • Any Jewish 501c3 organization with initiatives addressing the Jewish communities located in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Washington and Westmoreland Counties.  
• Will there be preferences given to applicants? 
  • Yes. The following preferences will be given: 
    • Any organization that holds a majority of its endowment dollars with the Federation Foundation. 
    • Any application that collaborates with another organization, whether Jewish or non-Jewish.  
    • Any application for a program that is data informed, evidence-based or evidence-informed.  
    • Any application that focuses on innovation, or an innovative enhancement or expansion of an existing program.  
• Can my organization apply if it received a Community Campaign allocation or a grant from the Federation in the past? 
  • Yes. 
• How much can my organization apply for? 
  • This grant opportunity is intended to fund requests of at least $10,000. 
• Can my organization apply for multi-year funding? 
  • Yes, but such commitments are made rarely, on a case-by-case basis, as we are testing this funding model.  
• Will there be other opportunities for grants? 
  • The Federation also has year-round small grant opportunities through SteelTree, micro engagement grants and Jewish Life and Learning micro grants.  
• Can my organization apply for more than one grant? 
  • Yes, but only one submission per priority area.  
• Can I apply for ongoing operations?  
  • Yes, if they meet the relevant priority's intended impact and describe how it enhances the work that your organization is doing.   
• If my organization applied last year, can we apply again? 
  • Yes. We encourage speaking to a member of the Federation staff in advance of applying. 

  • If you are reapplying for the same project you received funding for last year, you are required to: 

    • Submit a grant report prior to submitting a new grant application. Information about your report is available on the grant portal. 

    • Show in your new proposal how second-year Community Priorities grant funds would enhance your program or project. 

• What are some examples of projects that could get funded?
  • $20,000 for a collaborative project between three young adult serving organizations to provide holiday materials and food for young adults with young children to celebrate and learn about Jewish holidays. 
  • $15,000 to a day school to create more programming for parents of day school students to engage with each other, and the community at large, through a partnership with a non-Jewish non-profit organization. 
  • $20,000 to create a task force at a university to address the harmful impact of rising antisemitism on campus and to ensure that protection, respect and belonging extends to everyone.   
• What does a successful application look like? 
  • It will answer all the questions on the application clearly and share outcomes on how the program will move the needle on the relevant priority. 
• Who makes the decisions? 
  • There will be committees of dedicated community volunteers that will review the proposals and make recommendations to the Federation Board of Directors that will approve the grants.  
• Will I have to present my application to the committee? 
  • No, but you are welcome to have conversations with Federation staff members in advance of applying.   
  • If awarded, grantees will be asked to invite the members of the grantmaking committee to visit the program at a site visit.  
• When will grant decisions be made? 
  • The Federation’s Board of Directors will review grants at their April 21, 2026 meeting and applicants will be notified on April 22nd.  
• Whom do I contact if I have questions? 
  • We encourage you to contact us prior to preparing your application to discuss proposal ideas and receive guidance. You will be able to book office hours with Federation staff using this link: https://outlook.office.com/book/CommunityPriorityGrantOfficeHourTEAMSmeetings@jfedpgh.org/?ismsaljsauthenabled 
  • If you are applying for "Addressing Antisemitism" grants - Lily Wein: lwein@jfedpgh.org 
  • If you are applying for "Young Adult Engagement" grants - Shelly Parver: sparver@jfedpgh.org
  • If you are applying for “Addressing Teen Mental Health” grants – Ilene Rinn: irinn@jfedpgh.org 
  • For technical support - Sarah Worthington: sworthington@jfedpgh.org