You've got the ideas. We've got the funds.

Together, we can reshape Jewish Los Angeles.

The Cutting Edge Grants Initiative encourages creative thinkers, social entrepreneurs and innovative organizations to propose significant and transformative programs of high visibility and impact. The Foundation is interested in funding cutting edge programs for up to $250,000 over a three-year period that address important needs in the Los Angeles Jewish community.

To determine if your program is the right fit for a Cutting Edge Grant, review our Eligibility Checklist below. You may also view a list of previous Cutting Edge Grant recipients.

Grant Awards

The Foundation awards grants up to $250,000. Grant awards will be announced in summer 2012.

Application Process and Deadlines

• Register for Grantseekers Workshop

To register for the Grantseekers Workshop, please contact Naomi Strongin at nstrongin@jewishfoundationla.org with a brief description of the proposed program and how it is cutting edge and distinct from other initiatives. Once reviewed, we will extend an invitation to the workshop. Please note registration is required as seating is limited.

• Grantseekers Workshop - Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Attending the workshop is highly recommended as you will learn about the Cutting Edge Grants process, selection criteria and how to write a competitive concept paper.

If you are unable to attend the workshop, you may request a concept paper application form. Please be sure that you meet the requirements below and submit the following information to nstrongin@jewishfoundationla.org: the problem that the proposed program seeks to address; your vision of the proposed program; and aspects of the proposed program that are both cutting edge and set it apart from other similar programs.

• Concept Paper Due - Thursday, November 10, 2011
• Selected Concept Papers Invited to Submit Full Application - February 2012
• Full Applications Due - March 2012
• Grant Awards Announced - August 2012

Applicant Eligibility Requirements

To participate in The Foundation's Cutting Edge Grants Initiative, you must meet at least one of the following requirements:

• Existing nonprofit organization 501(c)(3) or a collaboration of nonprofit agencies
• Social entrepreneur(s) or group of community activists partnered with an appropriate fiscal sponsor.

Program Eligibility Requirements

The following types of programs that benefit the Los Angeles Jewish community are eligible for consideration:

• Cutting edge programs that have not been tested previously in any location
• Programs that have been piloted in Los Angeles, proved to be viable and are proposed for community-wide implementation
• Programs operating elsewhere in the United States that may be suitable for trial replication or adaptation in the Los Angeles area
• Programs developed by a social entrepreneur or group of social activists (where a board of directors and/or nonprofit status have not yet been established), designed to lead to a new charitable organization and partnered in the interim with an appropriate nonprofit fiscal sponsor

Selection Criteria

When selecting programs for funding, we seek:

• Programs that offer significant benefits and the capacity to transform the Los Angeles Jewish community
• Programs that are aligned with, and appropriate to, the applicant organization's mission
• Applicants that have substantiated a community need for the proposed program
• Programs with clearly articulated short- and long-term measurable outcomes

Program Exclusions

The following types of programs and applicants are excluded from consideration for this grant category:

• Individuals, private foundations or endowment programs
• Individual synagogues or day schools
• Organizations awarded a previous Cutting Edge Grant that will not be concluded before the year of the new request
• Ongoing general operating expenses, including fundraising campaigns and existing financial deficits
• Programs based on travel
• Capital projects
• Programs not proposed for implementation in Los Angeles
• Film/documentary projects

Eligibility Checklist

If you can answer "YES" to ALL of these questions, your program may be eligible for a Cutting Edge Grant:

• Does your organization serve the Los Angeles Jewish community?
• Are you either a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or a group of social entrepreneur(s) with a nonprofit organization serving as your fiscal sponsor?
• Is your program aligned with the mission of the applicant organization or partnering fiscal sponsor?
• Does your program address a substantiated community need and have the capacity to transform the Los Angeles Jewish community?
• Does your program have unique elements that set it apart from existing programs and make it a cutting edge innovation?
• Does your program fall into one of these categories?
  • A program that has not yet been tested in any location
  • A program that has been piloted in Los Angeles, proved to be viable and is proposed for community-wide implementation
  • A program operating elsewhere in the United States that may be suitable for trial replication or adaptation in the Los Angeles area
  • A program that is developed by social entrepreneurs and will lead to a new charitable organization (nonprofit status and/or a board of directors has not yet been established)

  Are you certain that you are NOT seeking support for ANY of these?

  • A private foundation or endowment program
  • A previous Cutting Edge Grant awardee whose Foundation grant will still be active in the same year as the request
  • Ongoing general operating support
  • A fundraising campaign
  • To offset an existing financial deficit
  • A program based on travel
  • Capital projects
  • A program proposed for implementation outside of Los Angeles