Israel Travel for Teens and Young Adults

The Federation provides funding to support Jewish experiences that can have a lasting impact on Jewish life and identity, including educational travel experiences to Israel for teens and young adults.  

Formerly known as Israel Experiences and Israel Within Reach grants, the Federation’s Israel travel funding is provided directly to organizations planning teen and young adult trips to Israel. Organizations include, for example, local Jewish day schools, JCCs, or synagogues planning a trip for their members and larger nationwide programs (e.g. BBYO, NCSY, NFTY) who plan group travel experiences for any interested individual. Any 501(c)(3) organization that is organizing a trip to Israel which includes Jewish teens and/or young adults from our service area may be eligible for funding, if the trip meets the following criteria: 

  • The organization completes an application for funding by the required deadline and is notified that an award for that trip has been granted based on the contents of that application.
  • More than 50% of the trip must take place in-person in Israel, must be dedicated to Jewish education, and must include a curriculum addressing Jewish identity and peoplehood.
  • The trip must be at least 10 days long inclusive of travel days.
  • The trip must include Jewish participants ages 13-25 who reside in our service area or who attend Jewish day school in our service area.
  • Bay Area-based organizations will receive priority in funding decisions, but we will continue to fund nationwide programs that serve our community as well.

Grant guidelines

Programs are required to use these guidelines when administering the Federation’s Israel travel grant funding:

  • The primary purpose of this funding is to maximize the number of Jewish teens and young adults from our service area that are able to participate in educational trip to Israel. Priority should be given to need-based requests for “last resort” funds, supplementing financial assistance provided by the day school or trip provider, family, and all other possible sources, for individuals and families who would otherwise not be able to attend.
  • Participants who receive this funding must identify as Jewish, be ages 13-25, and reside in our service area or attend Jewish day school in our service area.
  • Funding from the Federation must not contribute to more than 75% of the total trip cost for any one participant.
  • Funding cannot be used for staff or chaperones of the programs, even if they are 25 or under.
  • Some funding may be designated only for participants from a more limited geographic area (e.g. the East Bay) and can only be used for eligible participants.

How to apply

Families and individuals must apply for scholarships directly through their participating organization. 

Applications for 2023-2024 are now closed. Please check back in the fall for 2024-2025 applications.

Participating programs

The following organizations are examples of organizations that received Federation funding for Israel travel in the 2022-2023 and/or 2023-2024 years:

  • Aardvark Israel
  • BBYO
  • Birthright Israel Onward
  • Brandeis Marin
  • Brandeis School of San Francisco
  • Camp YTT
  • Chabad Teen Network
  • Contra Costa Jewish Day School
  • Contra Costa Midrasha
  • Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School
  • Jewish Community Center of the East Bay
  • Jewish Community High School of the Bay
  • JCC Maccabi Games
  • Kehillah Jewish High School
  • NCSY
  • NFTY
  • Oakland Hebrew Day School
  • Oshman Family Jewish Community Center
  • Ramah Seminar
  • Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School
  • URJ/Yallah! Israel

FAQs for scholarship seekers 

My child or I don’t live in the Federation’s service area, or I need additional funding beyond what I have already been granted. Who else can I ask?

In addition to asking your program for financial aid, you can try contacting your local Federation (if you live outside our service area), your local synagogue or JCC, Hebrew Free Loan Association, or Jewish Family and Children’s Services for a scholarship.

What if my program doesn't have U.S. 501(c)(3) status or a physical office in the U.S. to accept payment? Will you still be supporting the Orthodox community to attend Yeshiva and other programs? 

An organization with a 501(c)(3) status and a physical U.S. office to accept the check may act as a fiscal sponsor for the program. The program will need to note this in the application, and they must choose this organization carefully. Once the check has been deposited, it is the responsibility of the program and the family to ensure the funds are directed appropriately. For example, local synagogues/Chabads are often willing to act as the intermediary in these situations. Please contact a member of their staff to inquire.

Why did the Federation change its strategy to providing grants to programs rather than accepting individual applications?

The Federation always awarded this funding directly to a 501(c)(3) organization on an individual’s behalf, with a separate grant processed for each individual approved application. This change in strategy makes this grantmaking process consistent with how the Federation funds other scholarships, via “block grants,” with individual scholarships then administered by the participating organization. Making fewer, larger grants to organizations allows the Federation to focus on key institutions that are having the greatest impact on our community. In addition, previously, individuals were required to complete the Federation’s financial aid application for need-based funding, a separate application for incentive grants, plus separate financial aid applications as required by the travel program or school. Now, families and individuals can complete fewer applications and still be eligible for funding from the Federation directly administered by the participating program.

My older child, sibling, cousin, or friend received a scholarship or incentive grant directly from the Federation. Why can’t I?

You may still be eligible to access funding from the Federation, but now applications go directly to the participating organization. The Federation always awarded the money directly to a 501(c)(3) organization on an individual’s behalf. Previously, individuals were required to complete the Federation’s financial aid application for need-based funding, a separate application for incentive grants, plus separate financial aid applications as required by the travel program or school. Now, families and individuals can complete fewer applications and still be eligible for funding from the Federation directly administered by the participating program. This is consistent with the way the Federation funds scholarships for other Jewish experiences including camps, day schools, and preschools.

My travel program did not apply or was not awarded funding from the Federation. Can I still get a scholarship? 

Contact the organization planning your trip to ask what financial aid may be available for your program. Also, encourage your organization to apply for funding in the next available round! 

How will I know how much incentive or need-based funding I can receive for my or my child’s program? 

Contact the organization planning your trip to ask for the most complete picture of what financial aid may be available for your program, which may include funding they were awarded from the Federation as well as from other sources.

FAQs for organizations applying for a grant

How long after the application deadline will organizations receive a funding decision?

The Federation aims to communicate funding decisions no more than two months after the deadline. If this period has not yet passed, please do not email the Federation asking for updates. We promise we are working hard on the allocations and will communicate with you as soon as we have information to share.

How many eligible Bay Area residents on a given Israel trip must be interested in this funding for my organization to apply?

There is no minimum or maximum number of participants required. It is up to the organization/trip provider to determine whether it is worth the effort to complete the application and reporting requirements for a small number of participants (or even one participant) taking into consideration the cost of the program and the level of need.

Can you give me an idea of how much money an organization will receive for each trip?

The amount granted depends on several complex factors, including: the number of applications we receive each year, the amount of money the Federation is able to grant in a given year, the number of trip participants coming from the same region, and the total size of the request for each organization. We do our best to grant as much as is within our fiscal means to each organization in need but cannot give estimates prior to releasing the decisions.


 

For more information, please contact:
Amanda Cohen
Director, Young Adult Engagement
AmandaC@sfjcf.org