CJP Opportunity Grant application

Access a downloadable Word document version of the application

 CJP is pleased to announce the opening of the 2026 Opportunity Grant application. These grants are designed to support organizations working within CJP’s catchment area that received less than $10,000 or no funding from CJP this fiscal year (July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026), excluding Communal Security Initiative grants. Grantees will receive up to $18,000. We encourage eligible organizations that are new, new to CJP, or past grantees to apply.  

2026 Opportunity Grant application process overview 

Eligibility

• Organization received less than $10,000 or no funding from CJP in FY26 (does not include Communal Security Initiative grants)
• Organizations and/or programs working within CJP’s catchment area

Grant pool structure

• These are one-time grants to be deployed in spring 2026. Grants are intended for efforts occurring by the end of calendar year 2026. 
• Organizations will have the opportunity to apply for grants of up to $18,000. The grant pool will include both smaller and larger awards, so we encourage applicants to request the amount that best reflects their project needs. Please note that final grant awards may be lower than the amount requested.

Selection process

Grant applications will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

• Alignment with CJP Portfolio Grantmaking Objectives (see below)
• Community reach — breadth and/or depth of engagement or support
• Organization’s role in the community ecosystem, with priority given to organizations and programs that:
  • Reach underserved populations
  • Fill gaps in community engagement or support
  • Reduce barriers to engagement or support
• Impact of/sustainability beyond CJP dollars, for example:
  • A grant that fully funds the program, meaningful progress can be made within the scope of the grant request, and/or there is a clear plan in place to fill the funding gap
  • A one-time or stand-alone effort, or there is a sustainability plan to fund the effort beyond this grant
• Eligible applications may be focused on:  
  • Programmatic support, including piloting new programs, bringing national programs to the Greater Boston area, or growth capital to expand core work
  • Organizational capacity building support (i.e. professional development, data capacity)
  • Physical infrastructure needs, outside of large-scale capital campaigns, to support programmatic work 
  • Collaborative efforts (programmatic and shared resourcing) 
• Funding from this pool will not be able to support:  
  • Offsetting membership fees or dues  
  • Opening new regional offices for national organizations

Timeline

• Tuesday, February 17: Application opens
• Tuesday, March 10 (11:59 p.m.): Application deadline
• Spring: Grant decisions communicated
  

Requirements for grantees

• Progress report after 6–9 months, and other reporting as requested by CJP 
• Adding public facing events to JewishBoston and JewishBoston Teens

CJP does not fund more than 20% of any organization’s operating budget or, with rare exceptions, more than 50% of a local budget (e.g., for national organizations).

CJP’s Portfolio Objectives

Caring

Care for our own Jewish community and “care Jewishly” for the Greater Boston community around us, focusing on supportive services, social justice, and inclusion.

• Caring for the Jewish Community: Build and strengthen a thriving ecosystem of supportive services for our Jewish community, so that more people feel included and are physically, emotionally, and economically secure
• Caring “Jewishly” for the Greater Boston Community: Broaden opportunities to bring a Jewish perspective to — and engage the Jewish community in — tackling Greater Boston's pressing societal issues, in order to foster connection to Jewish values, strengthen ties across lines of difference, and further our impact in and beyond the Jewish community​

Israel and Global Jewry

Grounded in Jewish peoplehood, this grant pool invests in meaningful relationships, shared experiences, and collective care that link Greater Boston to Israel and Jewish communities globally.

• Connecting: Support initiatives that create sustained connections, understanding, and mutual responsibility between Jews in Greater Boston and Israel, with clear pathways for ongoing engagement
• People-to-People Connection: Prioritize programs that foster direct, reciprocal, and relationship-based engagement between Jews in Greater Boston and Israelis, including shared learning, dialogue, and collaborative experiences that strengthen Jewish peoplehood and long-term connection
• Global Caring: Invest in targeted efforts that address the social, emotional, and/or physical well-being of Jews around the world, particularly in response to acute needs or emerging communal challenges

Jewish Communal Life

Broaden and deepen engagement in Jewish life and learning in Greater Boston across all life stages.

• Thriving Ecosystem: Nurture collaborative, highly effective, and diverse organizations and opportunities with dynamic and talented staff​
• Gaps and Barriers: Identify and prioritize gaps and barriers to engagement across the ecosystem and develop strategies and investments to address them

Please contact Dara Freedman-Weiss with any questions.