JCF MARIN REGIONAL IMPACT GRANTS INITIATIVE COMMITTEE
2014-15 GRANT OPPORTUNITY/REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
First Stage Background and Proposal Submission Instructions
Announcement Date: March 18th, 2015
The Marin Regional Impact Grants Initiative Committee of the Jewish Community Federation of San
Francisco, the Peninsula, Sonoma and Marin Counties is pleased to issue this first-stage Request for
Proposals. The Committee invites forward thinking ideas that can make a real and meaningful impact in
the Marin County Jewish community with all of its expressions of Jewish life, through implementing a
dynamic connection and engagement program focused on individual, organizational and community
in reach, outreach, and communication.
Please read the Appendix for a detailed description of desired program/project outcomes, important
information related to proposal framing, and proposal review criteria.
Overview:
The Marin Impact Grants Initiative (IGI) Regional Committee is a committee of the Community Impact
Division of the Jewish Community Federation (JCF). Framed and inspired by the Federation’s vision,
mission and especially values of Kehilla (community), Tzedakah (righteous giving), and Tikkun Olam
(repairing the world), and charged with bringing about positive change through high-impact grant
making in communal priority areas determined by each region, the mission of the Marin IGI Regional
Committee is to deepen and strengthen the connections and opportunities for the Marin County Jewish
community.
At this stage, we invite brief first-stage proposals that will address the focus of this grant round in and
across Marin County. The deadline for first-stage submissions is Monday April 20th, 2015. The
Committee will then request full proposals from selected applicants, with final grant decisions
announced in August, 2015. Please see below for key dates related to this RFP.
Scope of individual, programmatic, organizational or institutional eligibility:
Eligible individuals, programs, organizations and institutions should be a tax-exempt 501(c)(3)
organization or if not a 501(c)(3), must apply through a fiscal sponsor registered as tax-exempt 501(c)(3)
organization.
Evaluation, Sustainability and Scalability: The Federation will require funded programs to budget staff
time and some additional resources to support evaluation of the project. At this stage, per the
instructions below, evaluation should be reflected in the project budget. First-stage proposal narratives
do not need to describe evaluation plans or sustainability. Please note, however, that those applicants
selected to submit full proposals will be asked in the final submission to address these elements.
Eligibility:
The Committee will accept no more than one proposal from any individual, program, organization or
institution. Program proposals should outline a three-year project with a budget ranging from $11,000
to $66,000 per year, with the sum total not to exceed $200,000 over the three-year period of the grant.
Please note, the committee welcomes proposals from two or more organizations working together as
partners.
Key Dates:
April 20th, 2015:
First stage proposals are due
May 30th, 2015:
Second stage proposal are due
July, 2015:
Grant finalists are announced
*To read a detailed description of desired program/project outcomes, important information related
to proposal framing, proposal review criteria please read the Appendix.
*To complete the online application, visit:
https://www.GrantRequest.com/SID_364?SA=SNA&FID=35151
*Have questions about the RFP? Ilana Kaufman, Program Officer is available to help anyone with
questions about this RFP. [email protected] / (415) 512-6285. And for technical questions about the
application form, please contact Henry Velasco, Grants Administrator: [email protected] / (415) 5126272.
Appendix
The Committee invites and encourages forward thinking ideas that can make a real and meaningful
impact in the Marin County Jewish community with all of its expressions of Jewish life, through
implementing a dynamic connection and engagement program focused on individual, organizational
and community in reach, outreach, and communication.
Desired Outcomes:
 Connect Jewish people to each other, opportunities, programs and organizations
 Increase the connections between all Jewishly identified Marin County residents to the broadest
range of engagement opportunities
 Increase meaningful collaborations between Jewishly identified organizations, and between
Jewishly identified and secular organizations
Marin Regional Impact Grants Initiative Committee 2014-15
Request for Proposals, p. 2
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Using dynamic communication tools, provide Jewish community members with resources about
relevant programs and opportunities
Using dynamic communication tools provide organizations with information that supports
their efforts to create sustainable relevant programs and opportunities
Systematize and make dynamic in-reach, outreach, communication, collaboration and
engagement opportunities for those Jews open to meaningful engagement opportunities but
not affiliated with bricks-and-mortar Jewish organizations.
Opportunities for Connections within the target population of the Marin Community:
Proposals must address how to engage those who are Jewishly identified but are not, by choice or
circumstance, formally engaged in traditional, organized Jewish life through:
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Programs that tap into the diversity of the Jewish community
Organizational collaborations between existing Jewish organizations
Programs for Jews looking for low-barrier engagement opportunities
Programs that are actual engagement, networking, affinity group opportunities
Programs that allow Jews to deepen connections, engagement, and stimulate identity
The Committee will evaluate proposals in regard to their strength in the following respects:
 Demonstrate deft understanding of the target population, opportunities for connection and
areas of focus
 Define specific program objectives that support the goals and desired outcomes
 Demonstrate forward-thinking approaches to achieve the goals and outcomes, and utilize
context-specific approaches and modalities in program execution; and
 Define a compelling rationale that serves as the basis for the proposal (e.g., evidence or theory
that demonstrates that the proposed activities will result in the desired outcomes for the
specified target population).
As a “preview,” those invited to submit full proposals (stage two proposals) will need to:
 Demonstrate the capacity to be structurally and financially sustainable beyond the initial threeyear grant period;
 Dedicate time and resources to evaluation of the program
Marin Regional Impact Grants Initiative Committee 2014-15
Request for Proposals, p. 3