Grants Process
The following is a description of the general steps followed in the process of the Institutional Grants Program. Amendments are made from time to time. The application review and approval process take approximately 8 months.
Application Review and Assessment
Applications are submitted for review to the Claims Conference on a semi-annual basis. All application forms can be found in the Claims Conference Grantee Portal at claimsconference.fluxx.io. Programs and funding guidelines are available both on the Claims Conference website and the Grantee Portal.
Applications are categorized into two different areas: Social Services for vulnerable Jewish Nazi victims or Shoah Research, Education, Documentation and Film.
Upon receipt of an application, an acknowledgment email is sent to the applicant. Applications undergo a thorough review by the Claims Conference staff to see if they fit within the priorities established by the Board of Directors.
In addition, Research, Education, Documentation and Film applications are reviewed by one of three expert committees – the Professional Educational Advisory Committee, the Professional Research and Documentation Advisory Committee and the Professional Film Advisory Committee. These committees are composed of experts from around the world who help guide the staff in developing recommendations to the Allocations Committee.
Approving Grants
A booklet of summaries of applications and recommendations is provided to each member of the Allocations Committee in advance of the Allocations Committee meeting. The Allocations Committee generally meets for a day and reviews each proposal and recommendation.
In addition, all Claims Conference Board members are given an opportunity to comment on the recommendations in advance of the meeting of the Allocations Committee. Board members are asked to bring questions and issues to the staff’s attention. If any questions remain after consultation with the staff, or if a Board member wishes to raise a specific issue or opinion for discussion at the Allocations Committee meeting, it may be submitted in advance of the Allocations Committee meeting.
Based on the decisions of the Allocations Committee, a booklet of summaries and recommendations is posted for each member of the Claims Conference Board of Directors, which has ultimate responsibility regarding decisions. When a majority of the Board concurs, the recommended grants are ratified.
All members of all committees serve pro bono and are expected, along with staff, to comply with the Ethical Guidelines and Practices Policy of the Claims Conference as approved by the Board of Directors. The policy sets out clear procedures to be followed.
Implementation of Grants
After the Board of Directors approves the recommendations, institutions receive an official Allocation Letter. The Allocation Letter includes the grant amount, purpose of the grant and all other terms and conditions of implementation. Grants and payments are tracked through the Claims Conference Grantee portal at claimsconference.fluxx.io (for Social Welfare grantees reporting is done in Diamond, a separate online database).
The progress of each grant is closely monitored by the Claims Conference staff, which is responsible for reviewing all of the financial and programmatic activities to ensure accountability and conformity to the program plan and compliance with requirements and regulations.
A list of every grant (see link below), containing the name of the recipient institution, country and city in which the institution is located, amount granted, and purpose of the grant, is posted on the Claims Conference website under “Grant Lists.”
