Social Action Fund General Information

The Social Action Committee has two funds:  The General Social Action Fund and Yom Kippur Appeal Fund.

The General Social Action Fund:

The Social Action Fund is comprised of donations made by community members throughout the year. This fund is used to fund Social Action events and activities, to support organizations and causes which align with our values, and to purchase gifts for or make donations in lieu of gifts on behalf of our speakers. When you make a donation to the shul, you can earmark it for social action if you wish. Organizations cannot apply for funding through the General Social Action Fund, but can do so through the Yom Kippur Appeal Fund. 

The Yom Kippur Appeal Fund:

Every Yom Kippur, the First Narayever community comes together to raise funds to support exceptional community projects and organizations that work on causes that are close to our hearts, in Canada and in Israel. We have raised funds to help the homeless, to improve environmental protection, to build better relations between Arab and Jewish Israelis, and to improve accessibility for those with disabilities.

The theme for the 2022-2023 Yom Kippur Appeal is Youth Mental Health. In Canada and Israel the COVID-19 Pandemic has had a profound impact on the mental health of children and teenagers. This year’s fundraising campaign is designed to support charities and organizations, in Toronto and Israel, that provide support and mental health services to youth. Organizations and charities that do not have Youth Mental Health as their particular focus are still eligible to apply to the First Narayever Congregation's Social Action Fund.

A list of the 2021-2022 recipients can be found here. 

Applying for a Grant from the Yom Kippur Appeal Fund

We welcome applications that help to advance the following mission:

1. Address the needs of Toronto’s downtown Jewish community;

2. Build an Israel consistent with our values of fairness, egalitarianism, environmental responsibility, social justice and fostering peace; or

3. Build inclusive and just communities by supporting equity seeking populations and communities facing discrimination or anti-Semitism in Canada or Israel.

Subject to change, Yom Kippur Social Action funding is only available as a one-year Grant of up to $5,000. Three year grants are no longer available.

The grants from the Yom Kippur 2021-2022 Appeal have been completed and distributed. 

Please see the following application form for funding from Yom Kippur 2022-2023 grants. Recipients of funding in 2022-2023 are required to complete a Use of Funds Form with respect to their grant and that Form is also below.

Application Forms:

If you are an organization that would like to apply for funding support, the 2022-2023 application deadline is January 1, 2023. 

Click here for the application form.

Click here for the budget form.

Use of Funds Reporting Forms

For all grant recipients, Use of Funds reports are mandatory and must be received by January 1, 2023 for 2021-2022 grant recipients (forms for 2022-2023 grants will be posted at a later date).

Click here for the use of funds reporting form.