Receive up to $5000 to your school
The Renaissance Microgrant Program for Jewish Schools in Europe
Are you looking to bring new energy and creativity into your Jewish educational programming? Do you have a new idea for your classroom? A great program for the school? The Renaissance Microgrant Program offers schools across Europe the opportunity to receive up to $5,000 in funding for innovative, meaningful projects that take Jewish Learning to the next level.
This initiative is part of the Renaissance Hub—a partnership of philanthropic foundations and organizations committed to strengthening Jewish education in Europe.
What's the goal?
Renaissance Microgrants Program is an initiative designed to provide seed funding for innovative, school-based projects that aim to elevate the quality of Jewish education.
The program focuses on supporting the implementation of experiential education pedagogies in schools. We are particularly interested in creative, meaningful initiatives that engage students and teachers in active, immersive learning. By enabling these efforts at an early stage, we aim to foster impactful educational experiences and help shape a stronger, more dynamic future for Jewish education across the continent.
Grant Details:
Grant Amount:
Each selected school may receive up to $5,000 in funding.
Application Opens:
May 1, 2025
Application Deadline:
June 30, 2025
Eligibility:
Open to Jewish day schools operating within Europe.
Project Completion Deadline:
All funded initiatives must start implementation by 1-Nov-2025.
Eligibility Criteria
Applications must align with one or more of the following focus areas:
- Jewish Education, including: Hebrew Language, Jewish Studies, and Israel Education – The proposed initiative must contribute to enhancing educational programs and/or educators’ skills in at least one of these fields and/or strengthening Jewish identity among students and teachers.
- The application should address a proposal to introduce a new methodology, initiative, pedagogy or skills development around the integration of experiential education with formal Jewish day schools curriculum and programs.
Selection Criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Relevance: Alignment of the proposed initiative with the program’s core focus on experiential Jewish education.
- Impact: The potential of the project to meaningfully enhance the educational experience or organizational effectiveness for students and/or teachers.
- Feasibility: The clarity and practicality of the implementation plan, including a realistic timeline and budget.
- Sustainability: The likelihood that the initiative will deliver lasting value beyond the grant period.
- Clarity and Focus: A well-defined project with a clear rationale for how the grant funds will be used to achieve specific goals.
- Scalability: The potential for the initiative to be expanded or replicated in other schools or settings following a successful pilot and evaluation.
- Availability of Additional Funding: Consideration will be given to the presence of other potential funding sources.
Application Process
- Schools are invited to submit a brief application outlining their proposed project, anticipated impact, and a clear budget breakdown.
- All applications must be endorsed by the director of the applying organization.
- A dedicated selection committee will review applications.
Reporting Requirement:
At Renaissance, we view grantee schools as partners in advancing Jewish education and fostering innovation in the field. While we require basic reporting on the use of funds, our goal goes beyond accountability—we aim to engage in a shared learning process.
Grantees will be asked to participate in one or two collaborative evaluation sessions to reflect on the project’s outcomes, strengths, and areas for improvement. These sessions will help us collectively assess the initiative’s impact and identify insights that can benefit the broader field. Upon completion of the project, each school will submit a short but comprehensive report. This report should include:
- A summary of the initiative
- How the funds were utilized
- The observed impact on students, teachers, and the school environment
The reporting process will be designed to be straightforward and accessible, while ensuring that the project’s results are clearly communicated and well-documented.
For questions about the program, application etc. please contact:
[email protected]
