United Jewish Israel Appeal

Charity Number: 1060078

Annual Expenditure: £12.8M
Geographic Focus: Israel, Throughout England And Wales

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £12.8 million (2023-24, doubled from £6.4m in prior year)
  • Grant Range: £500 - £10,000 (for organizational grants when programs are open)
  • Individual Scholarships: Up to 50% of program costs (Gap Year Scholars)
  • Decision Time: Varies by program
  • Geographic Focus: England and Wales (UK Jewish community); Galilee region, Israel
  • Application Method: Time-limited programs (no continuous open application process)

Contact Details

Address: 4th Floor, Amelie House, 221 Golders Green Road, London, NW11 9DQ

Phone: +44 (0)20 7424 6400

Email: info@ujia.org

Website: www.ujia.org

Si3 (Social Impact Investment): si3@ujia.org

Registered Charity Number: 1060078 (England & Wales), SC 039181 (Scotland)

Overview

United Jewish Israel Appeal (UJIA) is a London-based charity founded in 1996 that works to strengthen connections between young British Jews and Israel while supporting vulnerable communities in Israel's Galilee region. With current CEO Mandie Winston (appointed January 2020, the organization's first female CEO) and Chair Zvi Noé (appointed April 2024), UJIA has significantly expanded its impact following the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, with annual giving doubling to £12.8 million in 2023-24.

UJIA's mission is to inspire young Jews to forge their own personal relationship with Israel past, present, and future, working primarily through youth movements and the Union of Jewish Students. The organization operates through a dual approach: providing Israel experiences and financial assistance for UK Jewish youth, while funding educational and community development projects in Israel's underserved Galilee region. Their work focuses on reducing disadvantage and inequality, supporting at-risk children, and helping families escape poverty through employment opportunities.

Following October 7, UJIA launched an emergency appeal that has raised £8 million to date, supporting over 30 vital projects and providing psychological support, emergency grants, and assistance to evacuees and survivors.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

IMPORTANT NOTE: UJIA does not have a continuous open application process for organizational grants. Instead, they periodically launch time-limited funding programs. Organizations interested in funding should contact UJIA directly or monitor their website and communications for announcements of new funding rounds.

Historical Organizational Grant Programs (Reference for Future Opportunities)

Summer Engagement Fund (2020)

  • Grants up to £10,000
  • £100,000 total fund
  • Supported 20+ projects impacting 7,000+ British Jews
  • Focus: Summer educational projects for children and teenagers

Winter Engagement Fund (2020-21)

  • Grants up to £5,000
  • £20,000 total fund
  • Focus: Winter activities promoting Jewish identity and Israel engagement
  • Eligibility: Organizations serving primarily the Jewish community with legal structure (charity, company limited by guarantee, etc.)
  • Priority: Projects for underserved Jewish communities, joint UK-Israel activities, creative use of technology

Current Individual Financial Assistance Programs (Ongoing)

Gap Year Scholars

  • Covers up to 50% of program costs
  • For MASA-approved gap year programs (minimum 4 months)
  • Must be British resident, active in UK Jewish community, attending post-secondary school program

Access Israel Fund - Israel Tour Subsidies

  • £2,200 subsidy available (2025)
  • For young people with limited Jewish community engagement
  • Applications through youth movements (deadline typically January)

Mosaic Award

  • Targeted at those with limited engagement in Israel/Jewish communal life
  • 62 vouchers awarded for 2025 Israel Tour

Israel-Based Funding

Si3 (Social Impact Investment Initiative)

  • NOTE: This is NOT a grant program - provides loans and equity investments
  • Up to NIS 500,000 per initiative in loans or 50% equity position
  • Focus: Education, employment, community development
  • 28 projects funded to date
  • For Israeli non-profit or for-profit organizations
  • Contact: si3@ujia.org

Emergency Appeal Grants (Post-October 7, 2023)

  • £7.2 million allocated to 30+ projects
  • Through partners: Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), Fund for Victims of Terror (FVOT), Pitchon Lev, SAHI network
  • Focus: Psychological support, evacuee assistance, emergency supplies, education facilities

Galilee Development Projects

  • Long-term commitments to educational institutions
  • Western Galilee College (£3.3m+ support for 30+ projects)
  • Carmiel Children's Village
  • Medical school in Safad
  • Funding for construction, student villages, employment programs

Priority Areas

UK-Based Projects (when grant programs are open):

  • Informal Jewish education
  • Israel engagement activities
  • Youth leadership development
  • Projects for underserved Jewish communities
  • Joint UK-Israel peer activities
  • Innovative use of technology for Jewish education

Israel-Based Projects:

  • Education and employment opportunities in Galilee region
  • Support for at-risk children
  • Community development for vulnerable populations
  • Multicultural education (Jewish and Arab communities)
  • Psychological and emergency support (post-October 7)
  • Social mobility and poverty reduction

What They Don't Fund

  • Projects whose primary beneficiaries are not British Jews (for UK grants)
  • Projects outside the Galilee region focus (for Israel development grants)
  • General operating costs without specific programmatic focus
  • Organizations without legal structure (for organizational grants)
  • Pure social impact investments are handled through Si3, not grant programs
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Governance and Leadership

Current Leadership

Chair: Zvi Noé (appointed April 2024)

  • Previously UJIA Trustee since 2022
  • Succeeded Louise Jacobs (first female chair, 2018-2024)
  • Priorities: Jewish unity, Zionism, cross-denominational inclusion, youth connection to Israel

CEO: Mandie Winston (appointed January 2020)

  • First female CEO of UJIA
  • Former LJY-Netzer leader
  • Quote: “We are committed to empowering young Jews by removing barriers to help them form strong connections with Israel and by cultivating future leaders who can inspire their peers.”

Trustees

Board includes: Keith Black (35-year association with UJIA, former Manchester chairman), James Burchell, Alex Dwek, Ian Grabiner, Ruth Green, Karen Harris, Jeremy Isaacs, Stuart Levy, Robert Randall

Note: No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

For Organizational Grants:

UJIA does not currently have an open application process for organizational grants. Grant programs are launched periodically in response to community needs. Organizations interested in funding should:

  1. Monitor UJIA communications - Sign up for updates at www.ujia.org
  2. Contact UJIA directly - Email info@ujia.org to express interest and be notified of future opportunities
  3. Build relationships - Engage with UJIA through their events and programs
  4. Review past programs - Understand their priorities through previously funded initiatives

When grant programs have been open (historical reference):

  • Online application form on UJIA website
  • Application required: Project budget, safeguarding/child protection policy, organizational budget, latest accounts
  • Short Zoom meeting with UJIA educator to discuss application
  • Rolling or fixed deadline basis depending on program

For Individual Financial Assistance:

  • Gap Year Scholars: Apply through MASA-approved gap year programs
  • Israel Tour subsidies: Apply through your youth movement
  • Contact: Check UJIA website or email info@ujia.org for current programs

For Si3 Social Impact Investment:

  • Continuous application process at si3.ujia.org/apply/
  • Email: si3@ujia.org

Decision Timeline

Historical organizational grant programs:

  • Application review: 2-4 weeks
  • Zoom interview scheduled within application period
  • Decision notification: Varies by program, typically within 4-6 weeks of deadline

Individual programs:

  • Israel Tour subsidies: Deadline typically mid-January, decisions notified late January
  • Gap Year Scholars: Rolling basis, decisions made in consultation with MASA programs

Success Rates

Specific success rates for organizational grants are not publicly available. However:

  • Summer Engagement Fund 2020: 20+ organizations funded from “many dozens” of applications (estimated 30-40% success rate)
  • Gap Year Scholars: Over £270,000 distributed annually in bursaries
  • Israel Tour 2025: 62 Mosaic vouchers awarded

Reapplication Policy

Organizations can reapply for subsequent funding rounds. UJIA appears open to funding organizations multiple times if programs align with their priorities and demonstrate impact.

Application Success Factors

Evidence from Past Funded Projects

Successful organizational applications typically demonstrate:

  1. Clear Jewish identity and Israel connection - Projects must engage participants with Jewish identity and Israel, as UJIA CEO Mandie Winston stated: the fund aims to “provide young Jewish people and their families with meaningful and exciting ways to connect with their Jewish identity and with Israel.”
  1. Focus on underserved communities - UJIA “looks favorably” on projects aimed at underserved Jewish communities in the UK who may have limited access to traditional programs.
  1. Innovation and technology - During pandemic-era funds, UJIA prioritized “creative use of technology” and innovative approaches to engagement.
  1. Joint UK-Israel activities - Projects featuring collaboration with Israeli peers receive favorable consideration.
  1. Strong safeguarding - Applications must include current safeguarding and child protection policies.
  1. Clear impact on youth - Primary beneficiaries should be British Jews, particularly young people.
  1. Covid-compliance (when relevant) - Historical programs required adherence to health and safety requirements.

Key Priorities from Leadership

Chair Zvi Noé's stated priorities:

  • “Jewish unity is my top priority”
  • "Communal unity, Zionism, active inclusion and our young people's connection to Israel across all religious denominations"
  • “What we do here, in the UK, matters” - emphasizing UK-Israel connection

Strategic focus areas:

  • Post-October 7: “UJIA will be there, not just for the physical rebuilding but in addressing the mental scars too”
  • Youth leadership: "Israel experiences, particularly immersive gap year programmes, play a vital role in strengthening young people's sense of belonging to the Jewish people, which in turn inspires them to become the communal leaders of the future"

What to Avoid

  • Projects that don't primarily serve the Jewish community
  • Applications without required documentation (budget, safeguarding policy, accounts)
  • Generic proposals without clear connection to Jewish identity or Israel
  • Projects outside UJIA's geographic or thematic focus areas

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. UJIA is a grant-maker but without continuous open applications - Monitor their website and communications for announcements of time-limited funding programs rather than expecting an always-open application process.
  1. Dual focus on UK youth and Israeli communities - Programs must either support British Jewish youth engagement with Israel/Jewish identity OR address inequality and disadvantage in Israel's Galilee region.
  1. Significant emergency response capacity - Following October 7, UJIA doubled its income and demonstrated ability to launch major funding initiatives rapidly in response to crises.
  1. Strong emphasis on inclusion and accessibility - Access Israel Fund and focus on underserved communities shows commitment to removing financial barriers for young people with limited engagement.
  1. Relationship-based funding for Israeli projects - Israeli grants appear to flow through established partnerships rather than open applications, except for Si3 social impact investments.
  1. Youth movements are key partners - Much of UJIA's UK work flows through youth movements and UJS (Union of Jewish Students), so connecting through these organizations may be strategic.
  1. Contact them proactively - Given the time-limited nature of grant programs, organizations should contact info@ujia.org to express interest and ensure they're notified when new funding opportunities arise.

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