Powered By is an initiative of Moishe House’s Research and Development Department (R&D). Powered By is R&D’s call for initiatives promoting peer-led, Jewish community building. You provide the idea, the projected budget, and the timeline; we provide you with funding, mentorship, evaluation, and/or networking opportunities.

Powered By was created to help Moishe House further its mission of supporting peer-led Jewish programs. Our R&D Team isn’t afraid to take a chance on a great initiative and know that young adults around the world are thinking up innovative ideas every day! Powered By gives us an opportunity to invest in great minds, great ideas, and the next big things.

Moishe House R&D is the hub of innovation at Moishe House – we think up big ideas, broaden Moishe House’s reach, and evaluate programs new and old.

Applications for Powered By are currently closed. If you’re interested in applying in the future, please fill out this form!

Anyone between the ages of 18-40 who has an innovative idea that is aimed at engaging their local Jewish community. You may be anywhere in the world. You do not need to have any prior engagement with Moishe House, but current community builders and staff are always welcome to apply. We are currently looking to support individual innovators, as opposed to other organizations and non-profits. Please feel free to reach out with any questions about this.

After filling out the application, you can expect a member of the R&D team to reach out to you shortly. If we are interested in your idea, we’ll schedule an interview to hear more about your hopes and dreams! We’ll inform you if you are accepted, send you a contract, and we’ll get started.

When reviewing applications, the following will be considered of each idea:

• Innovation: How innovative is this initiative? Is this idea truly unique or different?
• Impact: Does Jewish programming exist in this area, or is this area currently underserved? How will this initiative bring in people who don’t currently engage in Jewish programming?
• Need: Will the funding and mentorship offered by Powered By truly help the applicant start or scale up their project? Would the support deepen or broaden the work of the applicant?

All programs of Powered By must be aligned with Moishe House’s mission. Additionally, R&D is interested in programs that are scalable and have potential to become larger programs of Moishe House in the future.

Please be prepared to do or provide the following:

• Attend monthly or bimonthly check-in meetings with the R&D Team to provide project updates and brainstorm leading up to the project’s launch
• Provide photos and a summary of how the project went afterwards, including feedback forms from attendees, users, and/or participants where relevant
• Participate in an interview or other relevant marketing requests so we can showcase the innovators’ work
• Include Powered By’s brand on your innovation’s marketing materials

Please request the amount you believe you need to launch your idea. If needed, we will work with you to scale down the pilot into a minimal viable product (MVP) to test the idea. Learn more about MVPs (a process we also follow in our R&D department) here!

If you have completed a Powered By initiative and wish to apply again, you may. We typically do not fund the same idea twice, but if there are certain pivots that can be made to improve your initiative’s success, we’re all ears!

No. All Powered By projects must be not-for-profit.

Nope! If you have a great idea that would be best executed virtually, that’s okay too.

Yes! However, your Powered By initiative cannot be a part of other Moishe House programs you may be facilitating (i.e. House or Pod programs). You cannot use funding from other Moishe House programs for your Powered By initiative. The initiative must also be branded as Powered By and not with your House or Pod’s name.

You may of course invite your community members to participate!

Reach out or just feel free to apply!

You can reach out to Shula Ornstein at shula.ornstein@moishehouse.org.