Grant and Funding Programs Offered by One8 Foundation

One8 Foundation is a venture philanthropy and pro bono consultancy that partners closely with grantee organizations to drive scaled, sustainable social impact. Rooted in the belief that education is a primary lever for opportunity and guided by Jewish values of human dignity, social justice, and community, the foundation deploys both financial capital and strategic expertise. Its grantmaking focuses on a limited set of portfolios where it can build deep sector knowledge: education, Jewish community and Israel, community giving, and epilepsy.

In education, One8 aims to transform learning in Massachusetts by expanding applied learning and STEM experiences across K‑12 and postsecondary settings. The foundation identifies best‑in‑class education nonprofits nationally, helps them develop and execute multi‑year scale plans, and provides the funding required to grow their impact in Massachusetts. It also provides grants directly to schools to offset the costs of adopting high‑quality applied learning programs, so that more students can gain critical thinking, problem‑solving, collaboration, and communication skills.

The Jewish community and Israel portfolio supports organizations that make Jewish life accessible, joyful, and relevant for young adults, couples, and families, while also strengthening understanding of and support for a democratic State of Israel. One8 funds initiatives that create innovative Jewish experiences, expand leadership and employment opportunities in Israel’s diverse society, and counter antisemitism through education, engagement, and relationship-building.

Through its community giving work, the foundation provides annual grants to effective local nonprofits that deliver direct services and ensure equitable access to basic needs. It also backs a small number of strategic community grantees with multi‑year funding to drive systems-level change in underserved communities. In the epilepsy portfolio, One8 supports scientific research and other initiatives aimed at improving care and quality of life for people living with epilepsy.

One8 describes itself as both a funder and an active partner. Teams composed largely of professionals with top-tier consulting backgrounds conduct rigorous due diligence on potential grantees, assessing leadership, theory of change, programs, and outcomes. The foundation then provides operating support, strategic planning assistance, implementation support, and ongoing problem-solving to help organizations scale what works.

Grantmaking is organized around several strategic levers: piloting exemplar programs to demonstrate what is possible, scaling initiatives with proven results, building grantee leadership capacity, and commissioning or sharing research that informs continuous improvement. Multi‑year funding is reserved for organizations with solid strategic and annual implementation plans. The foundation only funds 501(c)(3) entities, and grants to universities and government agencies are subject to a capped overhead rate.

One8 operates primarily through a proactive sourcing model rather than open calls. The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant proposals, although it may occasionally invite small proposals for specific endeavors. This approach allows staff to target organizations whose missions and capabilities are tightly aligned with One8’s priorities and to maintain intensive, long-term relationships with selected partners.

Across its portfolios, the foundation emphasizes measurable impact, research-based innovation, and continuous learning. Grantees are expected to track outputs and outcomes and to use data to refine their work, while One8 contributes analytical capacity and evaluation support. Through this blend of grants and hands-on partnership, the foundation seeks to catalyze durable improvements in education, Jewish life, community well-being, and epilepsy care.