SteelTree

SteelTree has an updated request for proposals launched for the 2024-2025 cycle. See below for more information! Apply here.

SteelTree’s Statement of Purpose  

Invest in innovative nonprofit programs that strengthen the vibrancy, endurance, and inclusiveness of the entire Pittsburgh Jewish community through the leadership of young adult Jewish donors.   

Request for Proposals  

The SteelTree Fund is seeking applications for grants to support innovative programs that strengthen the vibrancy, endurance, and inclusiveness of the Jewish community of Pittsburgh. A program is considered innovative if it does not currently exist in Pittsburgh’s Jewish community or if it addresses an unmet need or opportunity in our community.   

SteelTree offers grants of $5k or $10k in two grant cycles per year. An existing 501c3 organization or an individual with access to a fiscal sponsor* are invited to apply for funding. Applicants may submit more than one grant within the same fiscal year (July 1 - June 30) but can only be funded once per year. Previously funded applicants can be considered as well.  

Preference is given to organizations or programs that aim to have an outsized impact on the Pittsburgh Jewish community.   

Our new application process has two stages: an Idea Phase and a Presentation Phase. We hope this new process is simple and accessible, in line with our goal of soliciting proposals from a more diverse pool of organizations. 

If you are interested in being considered for a grant in our first funding cycle, read this page to learn more about the application, or go ahead and begin your application on our portal. The deadline for the first application requirement, a Letter of Intent (LOI), is Tuesday, October 22, and applicants will find out if they are moving onto the Presentation stage on Thursday, November 7. Funding decisions will be made at the SteelTree meeting on Wednesday, January 8. We are aware that the LOI deadline is in the middle of High Holidays, but we hope that the simplicity of the LOI permits all who are interested to apply. 

The SteelTree board is composed of young adult donors from our community who are passionate about making positive change in the Jewish community.   

*A fiscal sponsor is a 501c3 organization that has agreed to receive the funds on behalf of the grantee. If you want to apply for a SteelTree grant but do not have a fiscal sponsor, please contact Shelly Parver at sparver@jfedpgh.org to set up time to talk about your options. 

 

APPLICATION PROCESS - New for Fall 2024 

In summer 2024, the SteelTree Board made significant changes to the SteelTree grant application process, with the goal of soliciting innovative projects from a larger, more diverse applicant pool. We decided to accomplish this by simplifying the application process, which we hope makes seeking a SteelTree grant more accessible to organizations large and small, as well as to members of our community who have innovative ideas but are in need of a fiscal sponsor.

Important Dates for 2024-2025: 

CYCLE 1 

• Letter of Intent Deadline: Tuesday, October 22, 2024
• Applicants Notified of Next Steps: Thursday, November 7, 2024
• Supplemental Materials Deadline: Thursday, December 19, 2024
• Presentations: Wednesday, January 8, 2025
• Applicants Notified of Funding Decisions: Thursday, January 9, 2025

CYCLE 2 

• Letter of Intent Deadline: Wednesday, February 19, 2025
• Applicants Notified of Next Steps: Thursday, March 6, 2025
• Supplemental Materials Deadline: Tuesday, April 22, 2025
• Presentations: Wednesday, May 7, 2025
• Applicants Notified of Funding Decisions: Thursday, May 8, 2025

There are two stages to our new application process: The Idea Phase and the Presentation Phase. 

Idea Phase 

The first step in the process is a Letter of Intent submitted on our grant portal. To get started on the portal, take the eligibility quiz and select the SteelTree funding opportunity. Please follow these steps to access the eligibility quiz: 

• Click on the triangle next to your name in the top right corner and select "My Account." On the left side under Account Settings select "Eligibility." Then click the green box that says Update your eligibility profile.
• Select "SteelTree Fund" and enter “SteelTree2024-25” then "Next" followed by "Save my profile." 

We’re flexible about the format for the LOI – it can be a written response input into the web form, a letter, a 3 to 5-minute video, a PDF of a flyer – as long as it addresses the following: 

• Provides a high-level description of program, and especially shows how the proposal is innovative according SteelTree’s definition from the RFP – the program does not currently exist in Pittsburgh’s Jewish community or it addresses an unmet need or opportunity in our community. 
• Shows the proposed program’s impact on the Pittsburgh Jewish community 
• Shows how the program will strengthen the vibrancy, endurance and inclusivity of Jewish Pittsburgh
• Additional notes to include: 
  • Are you an existing 501c3 or will you require a fiscal sponsor? 
  • Are you seeking $5,000 or $10,000 from SteelTree?  

Optionally, applicants can sign up for “office hours” where they can meet with Federation Staff Members and ask questions about the application process, RFP, etc. Office hours for the current cycle are 

• Monday, September 23, 1pm-3pm 
• Thursday, September 26, 10am-noon 
• Tuesday, October 1, 11am-1p  

To sign up for a 15-minute virtual time slot, contact Shelly Parver at sparver@jfedpgh.org. 

Applicants will be notified about next steps on November 7. Those who are invited to continue to the Presentation Phase will be asked to prepare a structured presentation, up to 10 minutes long, to take place on the evening of Wednesday, January 8 (exact time and location TBD), as well as submit supplemental material a couple of weeks ahead of the funding meeting. 

The 10-minute presentation should address the following: 

• What is the community need or opportunity your project will address, and what is its significance? Please also elaborate on why and/or how the project is innovative if desired. 
• Describe your proposed program or project, including activities, strategies, staffing, etc. Explain how the design will enable you to address the problem or need. Clearly identify the demographics or groups served by the project, and the number of people impacted if known. Describe why your organization is well suited to implement the proposed program.  
• How will you know if your project is successful? How will you measure the outcomes and outputs of the program? Please describe short-term and long-term outcomes. What’s your fundraising strategy, especially if you want to continue this program beyond the grant term?
• What research, evidence or established best practice suggests that your project will be successful? If the approach is new, and therefore untested or unproven, why do you think it will be successful? What are the most significant possible risks and rewards associated with this project? 

At least 2 weeks before your presentation, please submit the following supplemental materials on the grant portal: 

• If your LOI was in any form other than a written submission, provide a one-sentence description of your project (up to 100 words) 
• If the project involves other partners, list them and describe the role of each 
• Provide a project timeline, including beginning & ending dates  
• Upload project budget 
• Provide a Financial Summary that includes: 
  • Amount requested 
  • Total project budget  
  • Total budget for organization 
  • How SteelTree’s funding would be used 
  • Budget narrative 

Following the presentation, there will be Q&A in which the SteelTree committee members will ask questions about your presentation content and your supplemental materials. Funding decisions will be made that night and communicated to you the next business day. 

Questions? Contact Shelly Parver, Associate Director of Planning and Impact, at sparver@jfedpgh.org or 412-992-5207.