By funding the Organizational Capacity Building Grant, Federation CJA and JCF aim to make a substantial impact in the Montreal Jewish community by investing in the capacity building of our Jewish community organizations.
Creating more effective, efficient, and thriving organizations is essential for enhancing the vibrancy and well-being of the Montreal Jewish community. Achieving this goal demands thoughtful strategies, adequate resources, and enhanced capacity. Healthy institutional structures play a crucial role in fostering an engaged, vibrant, diverse, and secure community ecosystem.
Objective
The primary objective of this new grant program is to provide eligible applicants with resources aimed at enhancing and fortifying the internal organizational capacity of their respective organizations. This support is intended to facilitate the effective implementation of programs and services aligned with Federation CJA’s three key impact priorities: delivering community care with compassion, strengthening Jewish life and continuity, and advancing Jewish communal interests.
Organizational capacity can be cultivated through various avenues, each critical to its overall development:
- Efficient management focused on growth and impact is paramount.
- Empowering and adequately training employees to fulfill their roles within a well-functioning system is essential.
- Establishing well-defined strategies, effective structures, and a supportive organizational culture, along with ensuring adequate resources, are imperative for achieving organizational success.
- Investing in modern tools and platforms to bolster technological capacity supports strong organizational structures and systems, contributing significantly to an organization's success.
Guidelines and Criteria
Who can apply?
To be eligible for funding, your organization must:
- Be a Montreal-based Jewish non-profit organization serving the Montreal Jewish Community
- Be a registered non-profit organization with a charitable status number.
Expenses that can be claimed within the funding agreement
- Temporary project staff salaries
- Consultant or facilitator fees for project or learning events
- Translation costs for the project
- Website development, upgrades, and/or computer equipment or software specifically related to the project outlined in the application
- Travel and accommodation related to the project outlined in the application
- Insurance for any event-related activities that are part of the project outlined in the application
In-kind contributions are considered real contributions to the cost of the proposed project but are not reimbursable. Donated goods and services may be considered in-kind contributions if they are:
- Essential to the project’s success
- Eligible and would otherwise have to be purchased or paid for by your organization
- Measurable according to reasonable value (i.e., in relation to similar goods and services)
- Balanced by an equal revenue in your projected budget (i.e., in-kind total expenses equal to total in-kind revenues)
In all cases, administration and overhead costs budgeted will be limited to a maximum of 15% of the total project funding.
Not eligible under the funding agreement
Federation CJA will not fund expenses incurred prior to receiving your application or approval process for the grant. If you incur expenses related to your project outlined in the application before receiving written confirmation of approved funding, your organization will do so at its own risk. Additionally, the following are not considered for funding:
- Full-time salary costs for staff
- Benefits, bonuses, debt reduction, stipends, or similar payments to project staff
- Directors' fees for volunteer members of boards or other governing bodies
- Ongoing production costs beyond the scope of the project outlined in the proposal
- Contributions to fundraising campaigns or other fundraising events
- Direct service delivery activities
Examples of capacity building activities supported through the grant program include:
- Forging partnerships with other organizations to strengthen organizational capacity: Identifying potential partners within your field and exploring collaborative capacity building opportunities can help avoid service duplication and enhance the impact of both organizations. Collaborative efforts can optimize resources and improve service delivery.
- Investing in new IT capacity: Upgrading technological infrastructure can streamline workflows, reduce administrative burdens, and empower staff to focus on more strategic tasks. Investments in IT systems or platforms tailored to organizational needs can enhance efficiency and productivity.
- Fundraising capacity building: Developing fundraising skills and strategies is essential for ensuring the financial sustainability of non-profit organizations. Capacity building activities in fundraising may involve training sessions on effective fundraising techniques, financial management practices, and donor engagement strategies.
- Building capacity in monitoring, evaluation, and strategic learning (MEL): Strengthening the organization's ability to measure and evaluate its impact is crucial for informed decision-making and continuous improvement. Capacity building efforts in this area may include training staff in impact measurement methodologies, developing evaluation frameworks, and fostering a culture of organizational learning.
Monitoring and Evaluation Commitments
Successful applicant organizations will be required to contribute to a shared measurement framework and plan for the grant program.
Additionally, the application process will include a section where organizations must outline how they intend to measure the success of the goals and outcomes of the activities for which they are seeking funding support.
Reporting expectations
- During Phase 1, which involves launching and implementing the project (September 2024), organizations are expected to submit a 2-page Progress Report.
- In Phase 2, which concludes with a Final Evaluation and Financial Report due in June 2025, organizations must provide comprehensive documentation of their project's outcomes and financial expenditure.
- Furthermore, all grant recipients will be expected to participate in a shared measurement survey to assess the overall impact of the grant program.
How and When to Apply
Application Timeline:
- The application platform is now open, applications must be submitted no later than May 8, 2024.
- Successful applicants will be notified of their acceptance no later than June 20, 2024.
- The grant will be utilized over a 12-month duration.
Maximum grant available – $30,000 CAD
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