Irene Butter Fund for Holocaust and Human Rights Education

Purpose

The Irene Butter Fund For Holocaust And Human Rights Education was founded by Generations After, Temple Beth Emeth’s group of adult children and descendants of Holocaust survivors, with generous support from over 100 additional donors in our Washtenaw County community and across the globe.

The fund’s name honors the legacy of Irene Butter, humanitarian and internationally known Holocaust survivor. Its purpose is to support educational programming that keeps the lessons of the Holocaust alive, and to help address modern-day challenges of “othering” and disregard for human rights.

The fund welcomes grant applications from individuals, organizations, schools, and faith communities in the greater Washtenaw County area. Innovative, youth-focused projects that align with the Fund’s mission will be prioritized.

Amount Available

Grant funds of $7000 are available to support multiple grants in an application cycle. Grant applications should not exceed a request for more than $2500.

Application Cycle

The deadline for proposal submission is March 1, 2025. It is the intent to review and accept applications only once a year; however, it may be during the inaugural launch of the academic year of 2024-2025, an additional request for proposals may occur in early Spring.

Decisions of funded proposals will be made within a month of this deadline.

Applicants are encouraged to submit a letter of intent to apply by February 15, 2025. The letter of intent should be no longer than one page and can resemble the format of an executive summary for the proposal .

Questions about the letter of intent or grant application submission can be addressed to ritakbenn@gmail.com 

Grant Application Programming

The Fund welcomes a diverse array of educational programming related to its mission. Ideas for projects for support by this fund may include but are not limited to the following:

• Development of an exhibit/program (essay, visual art, poetry, music, spoken word) for middle or high school students around the theme of the Holocaust and human rights
• Speaker series addressing the link between the Holocaust and contemporary antisemitism, racism, authoritarianism, and human rights abuses
• Developing interfaith youth ambassadors with knowledge of the Holocaust
• Community- or school-wide conflict resolution dialogues around contentious human rights issues, including antisemitism, islamophobia, Israel/Palestinian war etc.
• A residency by a scholar, poet, musician, etc. on the topic of Holocaust and human rights education
• Purchase of materials for dissemination and discussion to youth that augments the teaching of Holocaust and human rights
• Organized field trips to the Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Michigan

Although youth-driven projects that align with the Fund’s mission will be prioritized for funding, eligible target groups for educational programming also include public school teachers and administrators, parent-teacher organizations, mental health professionals who work with youth, congregational  faith leaders, religious school teachers, non-profit community administrators and providers who work with youth.

Grant Applications Requirements

• Proposals should not exceed 8 pages in length. All components of the grant application need to be completed. Budgets require justification for itemized amounts requested. All biosketches of persons who intend to carry out the implementation of the grant are requested.
• Proposals should be for new, one-time programs or linkages with long established national or international programs not previously existing in the county or state supporting the grant mission. If the program is intended to continue beyond the initial funding cycle, as for example a start phase for something larger or for recurrent programming, applications should explain plans for financial sustainability. If funds are requested for a program that already exists, it should be for a new development or extension that augments its scope.
• All funds must be expended before the next grant cycle. If an extension is required, the recipient must submit a written request for this extension describing the need and revised project timeline at least three months prior to the  original timelines.
• Following the award of the grant, funds may not be used for any other program or for other organizational operating expenses without prior approval from the Chair of the Fund’s Steering committee that oversees the management of the Irene Butter Fund for Holocaust and Human Rights Education.
• Funds will be distributed to the grant recipient only after the project’s implementation based on receipts or invoices and in accordance with the written budget. Exceptions may occur for advance or partial distribution based on written request to the Chair of the Fund’s Steering Committee.
• Unused funds of the grant will be re-allocated for further dispensation in The Irene Butter Fund for a later program cycle.
• Any public program offered through this grant must feature, either in print or verbally, a short description of Irene Butter’s biography and contributions  abridged from her website, as well as her photo if possible.
• Any public promotion or public display of materials must include language stating that the program was supported by a grant through The Irene Butter Fund for Holocaust and Human Rights Education administered through the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Ann Arbor.
• Within 60 days of completion of the grant, the grant recipient must send a report to cantorhayut18@gmail.com describing the impact and success of the project.

Grant Award Determination

Grant applications will be reviewed by a standing volunteer committee with knowledge of the Holocaust effects, human rights effects, educational pedagogy and our diverse Washtenaw community. Additional reviewers will be invited to serve as reviewers on the committee when additional subject matter expertise is needed for input. Final decisions for grant funding awards will be made by the Steering Committee overseeing the management of the Irene Butter Fund for Holocaust and Human Rights Education.