Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Models are disrupting society in myriad ways. Although far from a replacement for rabbis and educators, AI tools may help to cultivate creativity and efficiencies where human resources are limited or help connect learners, rabbis, and educators to Jewish wisdom and resources in pursuit of their spiritual or educational goals.
Maimonides Fund (“MF”) is now inviting applications for grant funding to support projects that can help to create or adapt artificial intelligence models to advance Jewish learning, teaching and/or preaching, either on a carefully vetted and curated “direct to consumer” basis, or via support for rabbis, educators, and Jewish leaders and professionals.
A non-exhaustive list of some possible project areas, for demonstrative purposes only, might include:
• AI-supported resources for rabbis or Jewish educators (e.g., to help with sermon writing, curriculum development, Jewish ritual/practice, etc.)
• AI “concierge” to help guide learners to robust and meaningful Jewish content from many different spaces
• LLMs that allow users to channel and give new voice to highly compelling historical and contemporary teachers and rabbis (e.g., “AI Maimonides”)
Applications will be handled via a two-stage process. Applicants will first submit a short “letter of intent” via Google Form. Those invited to submit a second-stage application will then provide additional materials and a more complete proposal for consideration.
Who is Eligible?
Funding will be open to US-based organizations with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status or Israel-based nonprofit amutot (or those with suitable fiscal sponsorship already in place). Organizations must be in compliance with all applicable law and regulations, including having a functioning fiduciary board.
Applicant organizations may serve specific communities or members (e.g., synagogues or schools), but the proposed project must be scalable, replicable, or shareable with – or in service of – a wide swath of the North American Jewish community.
Please note that the proposed Project will likely require specific technical skill sets or expertise—you need not have those resources currently on staff, but you should be conversant enough in the issues and the necessary resources to articulate a reasonable understanding of the resources, bandwidth, technical expertise and related costs that will be needed in connection with the Project.
Please note as well that Maimonides Fund places a high value on human connectivity and on “in person” Jewish community. Projects will ideally supplement, complement, or amplify the role of “real life” human connection and community, and should not be designed to replace or undermine interpersonal relationships and community engagement.
Maimonides Fund is a proudly Zionist organization, committed to a Jewish and democratic state of Israel. Organizations that do not share these values need not apply.
**If you are an individual not affiliated with a qualified not for profit and have specific relevant skill sets (e.g., software/AI product development), you are welcome to submit a letter of inquiry via this Google Form. Please be advised that we will not be able to respond to each such letter of inquiry.
Parameters
Scope: Requests may be made in amounts between $18,000 and $250,000 to be spent over up to 12 months, with preference given to projects that can be initiated and executed rapidly. Projected costs should be commensurate with the capacity of the organization and of the intended scope of the Project.
In all cases, the organization must be able to responsibly absorb the project and provide adequate operational and financial oversight for the proposed project. Budgets may account for overhead and supervision aggregating to no more than 10% of the project cost.
Funding, if approved, will be limited to the project’s proposed scope (which may include, or be, a planning or pilot phase, but must be new or additive, rather than seeking support for an existing project). Continued funding may be made available on a case-by-case basis, but should not be assumed.
Intellectual Property: Please be advised that the organization will be responsible for compliance with applicable law, including use of any proprietary or public software, LLMs, and/or AI. To the extent that new technology is developed, the organization will be expected to either (i) grant MF and/or its designee(s) a perpetual, royalty-free license to use and distribute any such technology; or (ii) make it available in perpetuity via open source, open license. Grant funding may allow for payment of actual and reasonable legal fees in connection with registering any applicable intellectual property.
How to Apply:
Qualifying organizations can apply for grants, subject to the parameters described above. If approved, any grants will be subject to documentation setting forth the terms, conditions, and expectations associated therewith.
First-round Letters of Intent should be submitted no later than April 17, 2025, via the Google Form.
Letters of Intent will be considered on a rolling basis and early applications are encouraged. MF expects to notify those invited to submit a full application by the end of June 2025, with full applications expected to be due on or about July 31, 2025.