Challange Grant 2021

Terms and Conditions

The OU Women’s Initiative Challenge Grant 2022 

Terms and Conditions 

Term: 

The OU Women’s Initiative Challenge Grant 2022 begins Thursday, December 23, 2021 at 12:00 AM (PT) and ends Friday, February 25, 2022, at 11:59 PM (PT). By submitting a project submission, you confirm that you are eligible to enter the grant, and you agree to the terms and conditions of the grant. 

Who May Enter: 

The grant is open to professionals and/or volunteers who represent a 501(c) (3) organization and are at least 21 years of age at the time of their submission.  

Those who submit applications must reside in the United States or Canada.  

 Individuals affiliated with the Women’s Initiative and/or the Orthodox Union, including employees, officers, directors, board members, trustees, interns, volunteers, fellows, research associates, agents, representatives or independent contractors of the Women’s Initiative and/or the Orthodox Union, or subsidiaries, affiliates, agents, assigns, or any entity connected with this promotion, and each of their immediate families (children, parents, siblings, and spouses) and others living in their households, are not eligible. The Women’s Initiative and the Orthodox Union will determine eligibility in their sole discretion.  

 The grant is sponsored by The Women’s Initiative and the Orthodox Union (collectively the “Sponsor”).  The Sponsor may be contacted at 11 Broadway, NY, NY 10004.  To find out who received the grant awards, check ou.org/women or send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the address above. Requests received more than six (6) months after the Entry Period will not be honored. 

What to Submit: 

Applicants must submit their proposal though the application form at ou.org/women/grant22-application 

The project is eligible if it is a first-time program at the institution that is submitting the specific proposal or if it is a pre-existing program which will be revised to meet the new reality.  

Any initiative, program or project which will reengage women in the synagogue and/or Jewish communal life will be considered.   

Entrants will be required to provide their full name, mailing address, and email address at the time of the entry. 

Ethics:  

By submitting your project idea, you confirm that you are the sole creator of the project, or you must provide the Women’s Initiative with a written statement giving permission from the original project creator. Moreover, all project titles must be original. 

How to Enter: Applications must be submitted by Friday, February 25, 2022, at 11:59 PM (PT.) By submitting an application, you acknowledge and agree to the Orthodox Union’s privacy policy, which can be found. here 

You retain your rights to your idea; however, by submitting an application, you grant The Women’s Initiative and the Orthodox Union (and those authorized by the Women’s Initiative and/or the Orthodox Union) a royalty-free, world-wide, perpetual, non-exclusive license to publicly display, distribute, reproduce, and create derivative works of the application, in whole or in part, in any media now existing or later developed, for any purpose, including, but not limited to, publications of the Women’s Initiative and/or the Orthodox Union. Any idea reproduced will include a credit as feasible. The Women’s Initiative and/or the Orthodox Union will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such uses. 

The Women’s Initiative and/or the Orthodox Union reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to disqualify incomplete entries. 

No purchase is necessary to enter. 

Submission of an eligible application prior to the deadline does not guarantee funds. All eligible submissions will be subject to a s selection process by a  review committee.   

Applications will be judged based on the program’s meeting the stated goals of this grant program (ou.org/women/grant22-faq) as well as its creativity, feasibility and adaptability.  

The applications will be judged by a panel of judges for the OU Women’s Initiative, and ten programs or initiatives will be selected to receive the grant monies.  Grant awards will be determined by those judges in their sole discretion.  

All decisions of the judges are final.  

The Women’s Initiative and/or the Orthodox Union will notify the grant recipients via the contact information provided at the time of entry. The Women’s Initiative and/or the Orthodox Union in their sole discretion, may disqualify anyone who fails to respond to the notification within five business days.  

Odds of being Selected.  

The odds of being selected to receive a grant award depend in part upon the total number of eligible applications received during the Entry Period.  

 Grant Awards:  

Ten organizations will receive grant awards of up to $3,600 each. 

You may submit more than one proposal; however, only one program from each organization will be funded. (At a maximum of $3,600.) Grant recipients will be announced on or before Thursday, March 31, 2022. 

Grant payments will be made in 2 installments – approximately 50% of the award will be available in May 2022 and the remainder will be sent after the program has been completed and upon the submission of a detailed spending report (programs must be completed by the end of December 2022.)  

Each grant will be awarded to the organization hosting the program as funds toward the cost of the program created by the applicant/winner.  Application form requires applicants to provide the host organization’s 501c3 tax exempt number on the application form and to sign an affidavit of eligibility/liability and public release and will be responsible for paying any fees or taxes that may be associated with the grant award. All grants are awarded “as is” and are non-transferable.  

If applicable law prohibits the Women’s Initiative and/or the Orthodox Union from awarding an applicant the grant, the Women’s Initiative and/or the Orthodox Union may award the grant in name only.  

While the OU Women’s Initiative anticipates that all funding will be distributed, on the occasion that there are not ten eligible proposed programs, the remaining funds will be returned to the OU Women’s Initiative.   

Conditions of Grant Funds: 

Synagogues or organizations that receive funding through the Grant Initiative must commit to: 

  1. Submit the following forms: 
    • Updated budget  
    • Mid-program evaluation form 
    • Detailed spending report (necessary to receive remaining funds) 
    • Program evaluation form which evaluates the outcomes of the project, describing its successes and suggestions for the future. 
  2. Present program and serve as an advisor to other synagogues or institutions that are interested in replicating the program, as part of the Orthodox Union Women post grant Create and Connect Initiative. 
  3. Programs with projected budgets that exceed $3,600 should be accompanied with a plan to cover the additional funds. 

Publicity: 

The Women’s Initiative and/or the Orthodox Union may select applicants’ names, organizations and program descriptions to feature on its website, social media, display in a publicly accessible grant archive, or any other form of online communication. Such selections will be made in the sole discretion of the Women’s Initiative and/or the Orthodox Union.  

Grant awardees and host organization names and other identifying information may be posted online on the Women’s Initiative and/or the Orthodox Union website, print media and social media.  

The OU Women’s Initiative may send out a press release about the applicants’ names, organizations and program descriptions. Applicants agree to participate in related follow up on behalf of their organization.  

Conditions of Entry: 

All entrants hold the Women’s Initiative and the Orthodox Union and its respective employees, officers, directors, board members, trustees, interns, volunteers, fellows, research associates, agents, representatives, independent contractors, subsidiaries, affiliates, agents, assigns, or any entity connected with this promotion (the “Indemnified Parties”) harmless from and against all claims of any nature arising in connection with entrant’s participation in the grant and acceptance or use of the grant award. The Indemnified Parties are not liable for any costs, damages, injuries, or other claims incurred as a result of entrants’ participation in the grant or winner’s acceptance and usage of the grant award. The Indemnified Parties are not responsible for incomplete or misdirected applications, technical or network malfunctions or failures, or causes beyond their control. Entrants are solely responsible for their applications.  

Entrants may not submit materials that introduce any software viruses, worms, or other programs designed to damage software, hardware, or telecommunications equipment, or are off-topic, partisan-political, contain advertising, nudity, personal attacks or expletives, or are otherwise abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, discriminatory, libelous, obscene, false, sexually explicit, or that infringe on the rights of any third party. 

The grant is void where prohibited or restricted by law. The Women’s Initiative and the Orthodox Union reserve the right to cancel the grant or modify these rules at its discretion. In the event of a dispute regarding the winner, the Orthodox Union reserves the right to award or not award the grant award in its sole discretion. The Orthodox Union reserves the right to disqualify any entrant whose entry or conduct appears in any way to: inhibit the enjoyment of others; tamper with the competition; violate these rules or other applicable law or regulation; infringe on the rights of third parties; or act in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner.   

Decisions of the Orthodox Union are final and binding. 

Any and all disputes arising out of or relating to this Agreement, or its making, performance or interpretation, shall be determined by binding arbitration before an Orthodox Beit Din. The parties agree to accept the ruling and award of such Orthodox Beit Din as a final, binding, non-appealable, and legally enforceable decision. 

 

Please contact ouwomen@ou.org with any questions. 

FAQ

What is the time frame in which the program or initiative must be completed?
Programs or initiatives may run through December 2022.
Which demographic should my program target?
Programs should be geared to women. They may be geared to a specific demographic – teens through seniors or may be open to all.
Will the Women’s Initiative consider a project or initiative that is not a program?
Yes. Any initiative, program or project that will re-engage women in the synagogue and/ or Jewish communal life will be considered.
Is the project required to be a NEW initiative or program?
The project is eligible if it is a first-time program at the institution that is submitting the specific proposal or if it is a pre-existing program which will be significantly revised to meet the new reality.
When will funds be distributed?
Payments will be sent in two installments – approximately 50% of the award will be available in May 2022. The remainder will be sent after the program has been completed and upon the submission of a detailed spending report.
Is my project eligible if the projected budget exceeds $3600?
Yes.  Programs with projected budgets that exceed $3600 should be accompanied with a plan to cover the additional funds.
What will I need to provide to the OU WI once my synagogue or organization has been awarded the funds?
Synagogues or organizations that receive funding through the Grant Initiative must commit to submit an updated budget, a mid-program evaluation form, and a detailed spending report (necessary to receive remaining funds). Upon completion of the program, they must submit an evaluation form evaluating the outcomes of the project, describing its successes and suggestions for the future. Grant recipients will present their program and serve as advisors to other synagogues or institutions that are interested in replicating the program, as part of the OU WI post-grant Create and Connect Initiative.
Is my organization eligible?
The grant is open to Orthodox synagogues in North America and to community nonprofits.
Can an eligible organization receive more than one grant as part of the OU Women's Initiative Challenge Grant 2022? Is there a maximum amount of funds that an individual organization or project may receive?
Organizations may submit more than one proposal. The OU Women's Initiative will select no more than one program from any given organization which will be funded at a maximum of $3600
What if all the grant funding is not distributed?
While the OU Women’s Initiative anticipates that all funding will be distributed, on the occasion that there are not ten eligible proposed programs, the remaining funds will be returned to The Women’s Initiative.