Ignition Grants

A More Perfect Union is proud to once again provide Ignition Grants to help our partners protect and strengthen democracy. 

This year, we are excited to award up to $100,000 in Ignition Grants – our largest grant pool yet – to 501(c)(3) organizations in the Jewish Partnership for Democracy working to ensure free, fair, safe, and accessible elections in 2024.

  • In 2024, Ignition Grants will support:

    • Proposals that advance free, fair, safe, and accessible elections. Grant applicants are encouraged to select activities from our Election Action Menu, which have been curated for their impact potential and timeliness.

    • Proposals that bring together multiple organizations to collaboratively engage in meaningful election-related work.

    Partners can apply for one of two kinds of grants:

    • Individual Organization Grants: $1,000 for projects run by a single organization

    • Collaboration Grants: $2,000 per partner working on collaborative projects, up to a maximum of $6,000 for projects involving 3 or more partners

    Funds can be used to support operational and program costs related to the proposal. Funded projects can take place at any time during the election season, from now through January 31, 2025.

    See below for examples.

  • Round 1 - May 3 - June 3

    • May 3: Round 1 Ignition Grant applications open

    • May 3 - June 3: Ignition Grant applications accepted

    • June 7: Applicants notified about funding decisions

    • January 31, 2025: Funded projects conclude

    • February 14, 2025: Concise report form or brief interview due

    Round 2 - June 10 - July 10 (Pending interest and available funding)

    • June 10: Round 2 Ignition Grant applications open

    • June 10 - July 10: Ignition Grant applications accepted

    • July 13: Applicants notified about funding decisions

    • January 31, 2025: Funded projects conclude

    • February 14, 2025: Concise report form or brief interview due

  • While we are thrilled to provide a meaningful amount of funding to this effort and wish to be able to support every partner that requests a grant, our funding pool is finite. Based on the amount of interest, we may not be able to fund every proposal. To ensure the fairest possible process for all our partners, all proposals that meet our eligibility criteria will have an equal chance of receiving funding.

    A More Perfect Union will consider funding proposals that meet all of the following eligibility criteria:

    • All organizations requesting funding are 501(c)(3) organizations.

    • All applicants are current partners of the Jewish Partnership for Democracy. Organizations that are not yet partners can apply to join the network while submitting their Ignition Grants proposal, and will be given an equal opportunity to receive funding.

    • Proposal is aligned with one or more focus areas in A More Perfect Union’s strategic priority of Ensuring Free, Fair, Safe, and Accessible Elections, outlined below.

    • Proposal is likely to have a meaningful impact in the community.

    • Proposed activities will conclude before January 31, 2025.

    • Applicants that received 2023 Ignition Grant Funding have completed the terms of their initial grant, including providing a concise status report.

    • Proposed activities will be nonpartisan.

    • Grantee organizations will each send a representative to attend A More Perfect Union’s free and virtual Community Preparedness Summit in September.

    • Grantees will submit a concise report or conduct a brief interview with an A More Perfect Union team member by February 14, 2025. (Collaboration Grant recipients will only have to submit one joint report per proposal).

    • Ignition Grants funds will be solely used to support the initiatives described in the proposal.

Ignition Grant Focus Areas and Examples

In 2024, our grant priorities align with three nonpartisan focus areas for advancing free, fair, safe and accessible elections. Below, you can find examples of grant-eligible proposals based on our focus areas. You can learn more about these focus areas on our Election Action Menu, including resources and toolkits to be released in the coming weeks to support partners.

Support the smooth administration of local elections

  • We recognize the critical importance of ensuring that our elections are administered by effective and impartial local election officials and poll workers. This infrastructure, largely overlooked for decades, is imperative to running safe and secure elections. Unfortunately, in some states, more than half of local election officials have left their posts since 2020 due to a heightened climate of fear and harassment from bad actors as well as the mounting challenge of recruiting enough poll workers. These are our friends and neighbors performing an imperative public service – and they need our support.

  • A synagogue organizes a recruitment campaign to register volunteer poll workers. Two other local synagogues join the network as new partners and co-lead this initiative. Each synagogue would be eligible for $2,000 in grant funding.

    Toolkit coming May 2024 but feel free to use this link to recruit poll workers starting now!

  • A JCRC brings a group of constituents on a tour of their local election office, including a meeting with election officials. Afterwards, they send dozens of “thank you for making our democracy work!” cards made by children in the community. The organization would be eligible for $1,000 in grant funding.

    Toolkit coming May 2024

Counter misinformation meant to disrupt our electoral process

  • Mis, dis, and malinformation (MDM) is consistently recognized among experts as one of the biggest threats to this year’s election. At best, it confuses voters, and at worst, it intentionally heightens a climate of fear and tension. Our best tool against MDM is accurate information shared by trusted messengers through trusted mediums. This is where we come in.

  • Three Hillels co-create an 18-part series of TikTok videos sharing factual information and refuting false information around the election, which they share with their followers each week in the run up to the election. The organizations would each be eligible for $2,000 in grant funding.

    Resources coming soon!

  • A synagogue joins the network as a new partner and implements a campaign to counter MDM in the community. The synagogue incorporates a segment in its newsletter to share vetted election information and offers a sermon from the rabbi on the Jewish case for challenging MDM. The synagogue would be eligible for $1,000 in grant funding.

    Resources coming soon!

Equipping Jewish leaders to preserve social cohesion in contentious times

  • Faith leaders – especially Jewish leaders facing the compounding reality of rising anti-Semitism – must be prepared both to lead and model to their communities through contentious times this election season and use their voices to reinforce democratic norms and moral accountability in public life. This is one of the key and unique opportunities for faith-based communities to contribute to American society this election season.

  • A JCRC, JCC and two local synagogues launch a Community Preparedness Working Group with the primary goal of making their constituents more resilient, supported, ready, and confident during the election season. The group brings together a diverse cross section of organizational leaders and community members for regular meetings, organizes expert briefings, adopts recommendations and best practices from A More Perfect Union’s Community Preparedness Toolkit (scheduled to be released in July), and sends representatives to A More Perfect Union’s Community Preparedness Virtual Summit in September. Each organization would be eligible for $2,000 in grant funding.

    Toolkit and Summit registration coming soon!

  • A Jewish museum serving as a polling place brings in an expert to conduct a security review, and institutes new policies and procedures to improve security during the election based on their recommendations. The organization would be eligible for $1,000 in grant funding.

FAQs

More questions? Reach out to info@jewishdemocracy.org.

  • Yes, with caveats. Partners applying for Individual Organization Grants may submit one proposal at a time. Organizations can participate in multiple Collaboration Grant proposals per round; however, organizations are only eligible to receive a maximum of $2,000 in total Ignition Grants, even if multiple proposals in which they are involved are selected.

  • Yes! Recipients of A More Perfect Union’s 2023 Ignition Grants (awarded in January 2024) will be eligible for this round of funding once the terms of their initial grant are fulfilled, including submitting a concise status report.

  • Applicants that are awarded Individual Grant funding in the first round will not be eligible for another Individual Grant in a second funding round, with the exception that an additional $1,000 may be available as part of a Collaboration Grant in a second round application.

    Applicants that are not selected in the first round will be given an opportunity to revise their proposal or submit a new proposal for the second application round.

  • Our work in 2024 is specifically focused on supporting election officials and workers during this pivotal election year. That support translates into registering poll workers, thanking election officials for their tireless efforts, and providing voters with accurate information they need to accurately, safely, and joyfully engage in local elections. As such, for this year, GOTV efforts are not a funding focus for our organization.

    We encourage you to reach out with questions or clarifications. Feel free to email info@jewishdemocracy.org.