Deadline: 09-Jul-2026
The Professional Development Grants support Jewish communal organisations in Europe to design and deliver training programmes for community educators and volunteers. Grants range from £15,000 to £40,000 per year for up to three years and can cover up to 70% of total project costs. The programme focuses on strengthening Jewish knowledge, educator skills, experiential learning, peer exchange, and long-term Jewish educational capacity across communities.
Overview
The Professional Development Grants support Jewish communal organisations that want to strengthen the skills, confidence, and knowledge of educators and volunteers.
The grants help organisations create structured training programmes that place Jewish learning at the centre of community education.
Funding is available on a co-funded basis and is intended to support long-term capacity building in Jewish communal education across Europe.
Purpose of the Grant
The purpose of the grant is to improve the quality of Jewish education delivered in community settings.
The programme helps educators and volunteers deepen their understanding of Jewish content while learning practical methods for engaging diverse audiences.
It supports professional development that strengthens Jewish educational leadership, improves teaching quality, and helps communities build stronger educator networks.
Key Focus Areas
The grant focuses on Jewish communal education, professional development, community educators, volunteer training, Jewish skills and knowledge, innovative Jewish materials, Jewish vocabulary, experiential learning, peer exchange, shared learning, expert lecturers, trainer involvement, cross-community learning, travel support, dedicated Jewish educator roles, and capacity building across European Jewish communities.
What the Programme Supports
The Professional Development Grants support structured training programmes for Jewish educators and community volunteers.
Supported activities may include:
- Professional development courses for community educators
- Training programmes for volunteers
- Jewish learning workshops
- Experiential education training
- Curriculum development using Jewish materials
- Sessions led by expert lecturers or trainers
- Peer learning across institutions or communities
- Learning visits to other Jewish communities in Europe
- Travel costs for participants, where relevant
- Development of dedicated Jewish educator roles
- Strengthening educator networks across Europe
- Capacity building for Jewish communal education
Projects should place Jewish learning at the core of the training programme.
Funding Amount
Funding ranges from £15,000 to £40,000 per year.
Grants may be awarded for up to three years.
The grant can cover up to 70% of total project costs.
Applicants must show how the remaining project costs will be covered through other funding, organisational contributions, or partner support.
Grant Duration
Funding may be provided for up to three years.
Multi-year support is intended to help organisations build sustainable training programmes and long-term Jewish educational capacity.
Applicants should design programmes that can develop over time and create lasting benefits for educators, volunteers, and communities.
Who Is Eligible?
Eligible applicants include not-for-profit organisations working in Jewish communal education.
Applicants may operate:
- Across several European countries
- Within eligible single European countries
- In large communities with significant numbers of educators
- Across institutions or community networks
Applicants must meet the required legal and organisational status for the grant.
Eligible Programme Participants
The training programmes should support people involved in Jewish education and community learning.
Participants may include:
- Community educators
- Volunteers
- Youth educators
- Informal educators
- Jewish studies facilitators
- Programme leaders
- Community education staff
- Emerging or dedicated Jewish educator roles
The programme should clearly explain who will be trained and how they will use the learning in their community work.
Why It Matters
Jewish communal education depends on skilled educators and committed volunteers who can make Jewish learning meaningful, relevant, and engaging.
Many communities need stronger professional development opportunities to help educators deepen Jewish knowledge and improve educational practice.
This grant matters because it supports structured training, shared learning, expert input, and practical tools that can improve Jewish education across communities in Europe.
By investing in educators and volunteers, the programme helps strengthen Jewish identity, community engagement, and long-term educational capacity.
Jewish Learning at the Core
A strong application should place Jewish learning at the centre of the programme.
This means the training should go beyond general leadership or teaching skills and include meaningful Jewish content.
Programmes may include:
- Jewish texts
- Jewish history
- Jewish values
- Jewish vocabulary
- Jewish traditions
- Jewish cultural knowledge
- Experiential Jewish education methods
- Practical tools for teaching Jewish content
The training should help participants bring Jewish learning into real community settings.
Role of Experts and Trainers
The programme encourages the involvement of subject matter experts.
Experts may support:
- Curriculum development
- Workshops
- Lectures
- Training sessions
- Ongoing advisory input
- Development of Jewish learning materials
- Improvement of educational delivery
Expert involvement should strengthen the quality, depth, and relevance of the training programme.
Shared Learning and Peer Exchange
The grant supports opportunities for participants to learn from one another.
Peer exchange may include:
- Cross-community learning sessions
- Inter-institutional workshops
- Learning visits
- Joint seminars
- Collaborative programme design
- Educator networks
- Shared reflection and practice
These activities help educators exchange ideas, compare methods, and build stronger professional relationships across Jewish communities.
How to Apply
Applicants should prepare a clear proposal that explains the training need, programme structure, Jewish learning content, budget, and expected impact.
Step 1: Confirm Organisational Eligibility
Applicants should confirm that they are a not-for-profit organisation with the required legal and organisational status.
They should also confirm whether they are applying as a multi-country organisation, a single-country organisation, or a large community-based organisation.
Step 2: Identify the Training Need
The application should explain why professional development is needed.
Applicants may describe:
- Gaps in Jewish educator training
- Limited volunteer knowledge or confidence
- Need for stronger Jewish content delivery
- Lack of structured learning opportunities
- Need for more experiential education methods
- Need to strengthen dedicated Jewish educator roles
- Opportunities for cross-community learning
Step 3: Design the Training Programme
The proposal should describe the structure of the professional development programme.
It should include:
- Training objectives
- Target participants
- Number of educators or volunteers involved
- Jewish learning content
- Teaching methods
- Experiential learning activities
- Trainers or expert lecturers
- Programme timeline
- Delivery format
- Expected learning outcomes
Step 4: Explain the Jewish Education Content
Applicants should clearly show how Jewish learning is central to the programme.
This section should explain:
- What Jewish topics will be covered
- What materials will be used
- How Jewish vocabulary will be introduced
- How participants will apply Jewish learning in community settings
- How the programme will improve Jewish educational practice
Step 5: Include Peer Learning and Collaboration
Applicants should explain how participants will learn from one another.
This may include shared workshops, visits to other communities, joint learning groups, or peer mentoring between institutions.
The proposal should show how collaboration will strengthen the programme’s impact.
Step 6: Prepare the Budget
The budget should request between £15,000 and £40,000 per year.
The grant request must not exceed 70% of total project costs.
The budget may include eligible costs such as training delivery, expert lecturers, materials, travel costs for participants, and programme coordination.
Step 7: Explain Long-Term Impact
Applicants should explain how the training will strengthen Jewish education beyond the grant period.
This may include:
- Improved educator confidence
- Stronger volunteer capacity
- New teaching resources
- Better educational programmes
- Ongoing peer networks
- Dedicated Jewish educator roles
- Stronger cross-community collaboration
Step 8: Submit the Application
Applicants should submit a complete application with the programme plan, budget, organisational information, and any required supporting documents.
A strong application should be clear, practical, Jewish learning-focused, and realistic for the proposed grant period.
Selection Considerations
Applications are likely to be assessed based on relevance, quality, feasibility, and long-term educational value.
Key assessment areas may include:
- Strength of Jewish learning content
- Quality of the professional development design
- Clear benefit for educators and volunteers
- Use of innovative Jewish materials
- Inclusion of experiential learning methods
- Strength of expert involvement
- Opportunities for peer exchange
- Multi-country or large-community reach
- Feasibility of the budget
- Clear co-funding plan
- Potential to strengthen Jewish educational capacity
Tips for a Strong Application
A strong proposal should show how the programme will improve Jewish education in practical and lasting ways.
Applicants should:
- Place Jewish learning at the centre of the programme
- Clearly define the educators or volunteers being trained
- Use strong Jewish content and materials
- Include experiential learning methods
- Explain how expert trainers will contribute
- Build in peer learning or shared exchange
- Provide a clear co-funding plan
- Show how the programme will continue after the grant
- Include measurable learning outcomes
- Demonstrate benefit across communities or institutions
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid submitting proposals that are too general or not strongly focused on Jewish education.
Common mistakes include:
- Treating the grant as general staff training
- Not placing Jewish learning at the core
- Providing weak or unclear Jewish content
- Failing to show how educators will apply the training
- Requesting more than 70% of project costs
- Providing no co-funding plan
- Not explaining participant travel needs
- Missing expert trainer involvement
- Offering limited peer exchange opportunities
- Providing unclear outcomes or weak evaluation plans
- Applying without the required not-for-profit status
FAQ
1. What are the Professional Development Grants?
The Professional Development Grants support Jewish communal organisations in Europe to create and deliver training programmes for community educators and volunteers.
2. Who can apply?
Not-for-profit organisations operating across multiple European countries or within eligible single countries may apply, provided they meet the required legal and organisational status.
3. How much funding is available?
Funding ranges from £15,000 to £40,000 per year for up to three years.
4. What percentage of project costs can the grant cover?
The grant can cover up to 70% of total project costs. Applicants must secure the remaining funding from other sources.
5. What types of activities are supported?
Supported activities include professional development training, Jewish learning programmes, expert-led workshops, experiential education training, peer exchange, learning visits, travel support, and development of Jewish educator roles.
6. Who should benefit from the training?
The programme should benefit Jewish community educators, volunteers, youth educators, informal educators, programme leaders, and others involved in delivering Jewish education in communal settings.
7. What makes a strong application?
A strong application places Jewish learning at the centre, uses innovative Jewish materials, includes expert trainers, supports peer exchange, provides a realistic budget, and shows how the training will strengthen Jewish education over the long term.
Conclusion
The Professional Development Grants provide important support for Jewish communal organisations working to strengthen educator and volunteer capacity across Europe. With funding of £15,000 to £40,000 per year for up to three years, the programme helps organisations build structured training rooted in Jewish learning, experiential education, expert input, and peer exchange. Applicants should present a clear professional development plan that improves Jewish knowledge, strengthens teaching practice, and creates lasting value for communities.
For more information, visit Rothschild Foundation Hanadiv Europe.