Professional Development Grants

Professional Development Grants is sponsored by The Jewish Fund. The Jewish Fund offers professional development grants for transformative learning opportunities to strengthen organizational capacity and improve outcomes for social service recipients. Grants are for individual staff development and prioritize unique development opportunities.

Professional Development Grants – The Jewish Fund Knowledgeable and Effective Social Service Organizations For organizations to thrive, The Jewish Fund recognizes that a knowledgeable, well informed staff is critical. With this in mind, The Fund offers professional development grants for transformative learning opportunities that will strengthen organizational capacity and lead to improved outcomes for social service recipients.

Grants are available to current and recent grant partners and target professional staff who are in positions which can most effectively and positively impact organizational policies and practices. Mid-level and senior management professionals are the primary targets for this funding opportunity. Please review the guidelines below and submit a completed application through this website.

Note that all approved participants will be required to submit a report following the completion of their training. Professional Development Mini-Grant Guidelines: Professional development grants will be awarded to organizations that are current and/or recent (within 3 years) grantees of The Jewish Fund and will be reviewed and awarded on an ongoing basis. Professional development grants may range from $2,500 to $7,500 per training.

It is recommended that applicants provide 20-25% of the cost of the training budget. Those with very small operating budgets that will experience financial hardship will not need to contribute to the cost. Professional development grants are for individual staff development and will be prioritized toward those opportunities that are likely to produce transformative development for the participant in his/her role and/or the institution.

Priority will be given to unique development opportunities and not to ongoing training opportunities or to provide replacement funding for trainings typically funded by the organization. Applications must present a business case demonstrating the value of such an investment in professional staff.

Examples of types of training to consider are Harvard’s executive leadership programs, emerging leadership training, skills-based trainings for unique staff such as special education staff, and grantwriting/fundraising skill development trainings. In-house group training sessions are ineligible.

A maximum of two mini-grants may be supported per organization within a fiscal year (June 1st – May 31st) of The Jewish Fund Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with a response provided within 21 business days from submission. All approved participants will be required to submit a report following the training. Links to the application and follow-up report form below.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MINI-GRANT REQUEST FORM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MINI-GRANT REPORT FORM