The Covenant
Grants

How to Apply 2: The Full Proposal

How to Apply for a Covenant Grant

Full Proposal 

By mid-March 2026, The Covenant Foundation Grants Selection Committee will invite those applicants whose letters are judged to be most promising to submit Full Proposals. The Full Proposal must be submitted via our online portal only by 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday, May 18, 2026. Full Proposals for Ignition or Signature Grants should include the following:

1. Cover Sheet. 

   The cover sheet for the Full Proposal is based on the cover sheet for the Letter of Inquiry, but also contains additional information. The first page should be submitted on the organization’s letterhead. The cover sheet should be 2-3 pages long in total. Applicants should begin by copying the following information from the cover sheet of their Letter of Inquiry and making any necessary corrections:

   • The name, EIN number, mailing address, and telephone number of the Applying Organization.
   • The name, EIN number, mailing address, and telephone number of the Fiscal Sponsor Agency (if applicable).
   • The name of the Point Person from the Fiscal Sponsor (if applicable) and the telephone number and email address where he or she can be reached.
   • The name of the Project Director, position, email address and the telephone number where he or she can be reached. This is the contact information we will use to contact the Project Director for the duration of the grant process.
   • The type of grant being requested (Ignition or Signature).
   • The length of grant being requested.
   • Dollar Amount being requested.
   • The title of the proposed project.
   • One sentence that explains what the organization hopes to accomplish with a Covenant Grant: “[name of institution] requests $[x] over [x] years to fund [or support, disseminate, create, expand]…. [x].” Please make sure that the total dollar amount matches the “Amount Requested from The Covenant Foundation” on the Project Budget Form.
   • A brief description of the institution where the program will be housed. In addition, please add a brief description of any partnering organization that will be critical to the completion of this project.
   • Name of Authorized Person: The person from your organization who is authorized to approve the submission, such as the Executive Director or the Principal of a school.
     

   Below this information, the applicant should add:

   • An approximate annual operating budget for this institution.
   • The dates of the requested grant period: “from [month, year] to [month, year].” Please note that Covenant Grants commence January 1, 2027.
   • The estimated number of participants involved in the program during the grant period.
   • A brief abstract of the proposal. In 3-5 short paragraphs, please provide the following:
     • Need addressed by the project
     • Target population
     • Summary of the project, including the proposed activities
     • Intended outcomes (i.e., the changes you expect to see in the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of the target population as a result of the project)
     • Staff/leadership of the project
     • Planned partnerships with other organizations or communities, if any
     • List of other Foundations from which you are currently seeking funding, if any

   Please be diligent in your preparation of this document. It will be used by The Covenant Foundation as a distillation of your proposal.

2. Narrative. 

   The narrative portion should be double-spaced, using 12-point Times New Roman font with 1″ margins. Please complete your proposals using the following outlines for Signature and Ignition Grants respectively.

   • Please complete each section below, using the section headings provided and responding to all questions
   • Please format your response in narrative paragraphs, rather than addressing each question in a separate bullet
   • Please do not exceed the requested word count for each section

Signature Grant Full Proposal Narrative

• • Section 1: Statement of Need (400 words).
    • What is the specific issue or concern that your proposed project will address?
    • Who are the populations most impacted by this issue?
    • Why is addressing this need a priority for your organization?
    • Is there research that supports your statement of need? If so, please cite these findings. (Note: this should be published, objective research. Anecdotal evidence such as participant feedback or personal experiences may be included in the Appendix or in Section 2).  
  • Section 2: Previous Work to Address Need (300 words)
    • What work has your organization previously done in this area? 
    • Have you completed any pilot projects or other exploratory activities? If so, please describe these projects and their results.
  • Section 3: Project Description (700 words)
    • What will you do during the course of the project? Include specific activities such as recruitment, marketing, courses, workshops, trainings, and/or curriculum development.
    • If you have done previous work in this area (as described in Section 2) how does this project expand upon that work?
    • If this project does not expand on previous work, how is it different from work you’ve done? What is new?
  • Section 4: Project Staffing (150 words)
    • Who will be the lead staff for this project within your organization? 
    • If you will be partnering with any outside organizations for this project, please identify them and describe their roles.
  • Section 5: Project Impacts (600 words)
    • For Participants: How will this project benefit participants in ways that address the issue you outlined in your Statement of Need? For instance:
      • What will participants learn as a result of this project?
      • What will participants be able to do as a result of this project?
      • How will participants grow as a result of this project?
    • For Broader Communities: What impacts could the project have on the communities surrounding your organization and/or project participants?
    • For Your Organization: How will this project position your organization for leadership within the field regarding the issues you are addressing?
    • For the Field: What broader impact might this project have on the field of Jewish education? To address this, consider the following questions:
      • How does this project expand the boundaries of what we consider “Jewish education?”
      • If the project is successful, how might other Jewish education organizations learn and benefit from your experience? 
      • If this project were to be widely adapted in other communities and/or nationally, what impact could this have on the North American Jewish community?
  • Section 6: Innovation (600 words)
    • How does this project differ from existing programs that seek to address similar needs?
    • What are the unique elements of your project’s setting, methodology, pedagogy and/or target audience?
    • How does your project use Jewish content and wisdom in innovative and creative ways?
  • Section 7: Organizational Capacity (250 words)
    • What resources (personnel, knowledge, experience, etc.) does your organization currently have or expect to obtain that will support your ability to successfully implement this project?
    • How do you envision sustaining the project after the grant period?

Ignition Grant Full Proposal Narrative

• Section 1: Statement of Need (200 words)
  • What is the specific issue or concern that your proposed project will address?
    • Who are the populations most impacted by this issue?
    • Why is addressing this need a priority for your organization?
  • Section 2: Previous Work to Address Need (100 words)
    • What work has your organization previously done in this area? 
    • Have you completed any pilot projects or other exploratory activities? If so, please describe these projects and their results.
  • Section 3: Project Description (600 words)
    • What will you do during the course of the project? Include specific activities such as recruitment, marketing, courses, workshops, trainings, and/or curriculum development.
    • If you have done previous work in this area (as described above) how does this project expand upon that work?
  • Section 4: Project Staffing (100 words)
    • Who will be the lead staff for this project within your organization? 
    • If you will be partnering with any outside organizations for this project, please identify them and describe their roles.
  • Section 5: Organizational Impact (150 words)
    • What are you hoping this project will “ignite” for your organization? 
    • How will this grant serve as a catalyst for further work that you are considering and/or already planning?
  • Section 6: Innovation (250 words)
    • How does this project differ from existing programs that seek to address similar needs?
    • What are the unique elements of your project’s setting, methodology, pedagogy and/or target audience?
    • How does your project use Jewish content and wisdom in innovative and creative ways?
  • Section 7: Learning (150 words)
    • What are you hoping to learn from this project?
    • What are the “burning questions” you have about the need the project addresses or population(s) it will reach? 
    • How will you use the project to explore these questions?
  • Section 8: Organizational Capacity (100 words)
    • What resources (personnel, knowledge, experience, etc.) does your organization currently have or expect to obtain that will support your ability to successfully implement this project?

• Project Timeline

  • Include a timeline for the proposed project with approximate dates, deliverables, major activities, and milestones. Please be sure to upload this document in .docx format in the Appendices section of the application form.

• Staff Information

  • Please attach a brief résumé or CV for each key member of the project staff that includes:
    • Name
    • Current position in the organization (or partnering organization)
    • Education
    • Last three professional positions held
    • Community service, including dates performed
    • Awards, including dates received
    • Listing of up to three recent publications
• Appendix
  • Please be sure to upload the Project Timeline as part of your Appendix.
  • Applicants may submit an appendix with information about their organization’s history and record in the area of the proposed project. The appendix should not exceed ten 8 ½” x 11″ pages.
• Project Budget
  • Applicants who are invited to submit Full Proposals must complete the Foundation’s Full Proposal Budget Form. The project budget must supply details of expenditures for salaries, supplies, travel, etc. Please note that the Foundation’s fiscal year runs from January to December. The Foundation does not fund evaluation, scholarships, or overhead. Please feel free to contact us with questions about completing the Budget Form by emailing grants@covenantfn.org or calling 212-245-3500.
• Narrative Budget Statement
  • The Narrative Budget Statement should explain the basis used to estimate all costs and how the major items requested relate to the proposed project activities. Please reference specific line items in your completed Full Proposal Budget Form. A sample Narrative Budget Statement is included with documents available for the preparation of the Full Proposal.
• Audited Financial Statement
  • Please submit a copy of the institution’s two most recent years’ audited financial statements.

• Financial Statement Form

  • Please submit a copy of a brief financial review of the sponsoring organization, based on the audited financial statement. Please use the Financial Statement Form that is included with the Covenant Full Proposal Budget Form, following the instructions in that document.

• IRS Tax Exemption Letter

  • Please submit a copy of the IRS tax exemption letter or another document showing the institution’s tax identification number indicating that the institution is exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is not classified as a private foundation under section 509(a) of the Code. Canadian applicants must supply proof of nonprofit status from Revenue Canada.
    
    Important notes on formatting and submitting your proposal:
    All pages submitted, aside from the proposed Project Budget and Financial Statement Form, must be numbered.

Review of Full Proposals

During the review process, members of the Covenant Foundation staff may visit prospective institutions to discuss aspects of the proposed program. The Foundation staff might also ask for additional materials to supplement your proposal. The Executive Director of The Covenant Foundation will advise all applicants of the final determinations in late December 2026.