2021 Tzedek Community Grants

Available in Español

Please join the Tzedek Community Grantmaking Fellows in the process of investing $250,000 into the Asheville area community—moving this money into the hands of people and organizations on the ground, positively influencing the lives of each other. 

We know that our community is filled with people doing the work of collective liberation in all kinds of different ways. Our goal is to move this money towards as much good as possible.

Tzedek Community-Led Grantmaking: Collective Liberation

This is year one of the Tzedek Social Justice Fund’s Community-Led Grantmaking program. This year’s Community Grantmaking Fellows had 5 months to connect with each other and determine and implement a process for Community-Led Grantmaking for 2021. This grant invitation is the result of that process. In 2022, the Fellows will update this process based on Fellows’ internal review and community feedback. 

We know that grantmaking processes can create distrust among people requesting funding and distrust of the team making decisions. We carry dreams of this process being as fully guided by as many people in the community who are impacted as possible and for it not to replicate harms of other grantmaking processes. We offer this process in hopes that it will create space for feedback, collaboration, and accountability and that all involved may see each other with humanity throughout the process. We will learn from the process this year and work to improve it based on what we learn for next year.

This year’s theme is Collective Liberation. For the sake of this grantmaking program, we define collective liberation as the work being done to ensure that every person, all identities, are able to live into the best and fullest version of themselves. We are seeking projects and organizations that are working towards collective liberation within Tzedek’s focal areas of racial justice, LGBTQ justice, and combating  antisemitism.

Examples of what the funding can be used for (but not limited to):

• Housing — Increasing access to housing or community organizing around affordable housing.
• Jobs — Funding to compensate people for the unpaid work they are already doing, including the emotional support work of taking care of one another and other background support that isn’t visible, but requires time, energy, and labor.
• Grassroots organizing — Organizing projects led by people directly impacted by oppression and injustice.
• Regranting projects — Funds for organizers to distribute to their communities.
• Youth support programs. 
• Community space for Black, LGBTQ, and/or Jewish people in Asheville.
• Operating funds, seed money, new innovative projects/programs, research, etc.

Eligibility Requirements

• Potential grantees must be either a 501(c)3 organization or fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)3 organization.
• Organization and or project must be within Tzedek’s service area

Our Grantmaking Process

1. Grant applicants will respond to questions in one of the following ways:
   • Written (no limit)
   • Video (10 minutes)
   • Application advocate conversation/s (up to three hours)
2. Questions to Respond to:
   • What does Collective Liberation mean to you and how does it express itself in your work, proposal, and/or project?
   • What is your proposal/project/idea, and should you receive this grant what impact would you envision this funding having on your organization/program and on the community?
   • Keeping in mind that there are different needs and priorities within the community, we ask that you only request what you need to have the impact you envision.
     • What is your funding request? Please break down in the table what the funding would be used for. Video submissions can share this info in the video, on paper, or in electronic format.
     • What is the least amount that you could work with and still envision making an impact?
3. Review Process – Fellows will review the responses from submissions using a scoring rubric to determine funding

Once your application is submitted we may reach out for further information. This is an open application process in which you are able to go back into your application and make updates until the closing date.

• If you have any questions and/or would like to set up a time to participate in an application advocate conversation, please email brilliance@tzedeksocialjusticefund.org with your availability.

Important Dates

Grant proposals will be accepted October 28th – November 29th.

Expectation of Grantees

Tzedek’s Community Grantmaking Fellows review requests and  determine that organizations’ work is aligned with Tzedek’s mission, strategic plan, and grantmaking checklist. Grantees are expected to meet with Tzedek staff within a year of their grant for a check-in. Based on what is best for grantees, meetings happen via phone, video call, or over a meal. The goal is to see how the work is going, how plans have changed, share challenges, and celebrate successes. Tzedek staff documents these meetings, and these notes function as our grantee reports, which are required for private foundations to assure legal compliance.

As with the application, there is an option of collaborating with Tzedek staff, including Fellows,  to produce a collaborative report. Generally, the meeting and co-creating the proposal takes about 2 hours of grantees’ time.

Tzedek is required by the IRS to do due diligence, oversight, and monitoring for grants to 501(c)3 organizations. Such responsibility includes:

1. Documenting a pre-grant inquiry (and receiving or collaborating on a proposal) to confirm capacity and alignment
2. Collecting a written grant agreement
3. Annual record keeping regarding grantee’s work 
4. Establishing that the grantee tracks grant funds and a budget