Collaboration Grant Details

1. What is a Collaboration Grant?

Now that you’re an official Rekindle Fellow, we hope your journey is just beginning. We don’t want money to be the barrier between launching new and exciting collaborations between the Black and Jewish communities. These collaboration grants are meant to take good ideas and turn them into action.

2. What are you looking for in a Collaboration Grant?

The criteria for Collaboration Grants are pretty simple. First, they must include at least two Rekindle Fellows, one from the Black community and one from the Jewish community. Second, they must be open for others to join, with the goal either advancing social/racial justice, or strengthening the Rekindle Fellowship network, or both. Because this is a limited pool of funding, tough decisions will need to be made, and no one can guarantee that your Collaboration Grant will be funded. However, the bigger the impact on Cleveland and/or the Fellowship, the more likely your idea is to be funded.

3. How do these grants work?

You apply by the deadline. You commit that, if your idea is funded, you will make your idea happen on the timeline that you proposed. The Rekindle Advisory Board reviews all the Collaboration Grant requests, then makes awards based on impact. We’ll reserve the amount of money you’ve been awarded for your idea. When your collaboration takes place, please save and submit all relevant receipts, as well as the required closeout report. We’ll review, make sure everything is kosher, and reimburse you up to the total that we awarded your collaboration.

4. What’s the due date?

Until they run out. For now, we have several thousand dollars reserved for Collaboration Grants. The sooner you can submit something, the better your chances are to receive one!

5. How much can I request?

Right now, we don’t have a maximum amount you can request. But in general, the smaller the better. We are looking to make an impact while also funding as many collaborations as possible.

6. I can charge or fundraise for this project, diversifying where the money is coming from. When I apply, should I include other sources of income, like ticket prices or fundraising, as well?

Yes, this is a good idea. If you can include income from other places – maybe ticket prices, individual donations, or a contribution by a synagogue or church – that would be great.

7. What are some potential collaboration grant ideas?

Rekindle was created to address the fact that Cleveland’s Black and Jewish communities often work in parallel, rather than in partnership. When it comes to critical issues facing our society – voting rights, reproductive rights, gun violence, educational equity, and more – these issues are too big for any one community to address independently. So: collaborative program ideas that promote/advance racial and/or social justice in Cleveland are encouraged.

At the same time, Rekindle is a platform for connection. We want to see more connections between our communities in general, and our Fellows in particular. Whether that’s social, educational, recreational, via volunteering – those are all valid ways to connect and strengthen our network. So anything from happy hours, to backyard barbecues, to educational trips, would be welcome.

8. I have an idea, but I need another Fellow (or Fellows) to jump on board. What should I do?

Start by posting to the Discord channel (both for your cohort and for the alumni as well). Pitch your cohort via email or text message. Talk to Matt Fieldman and he can potentially make some individual introductions that will lead to a collaboration.

9. My collaboration grant idea didn’t get funded. What should I do?

Don’t give up! Chances are that it’s a really good idea, but there’s only so much money available for these grants. Matt can offer ideas about fundraising from other sources as well.