UpLift | Cohort A 2025 | Eligibility Screen

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Page 1

Thank you for your interest in applying to UpLift: An Early Stage Sprint for Cohort A 2025.

UpStart aspires to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem that embodies and drives toward greater diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. Our commitment to diversity in programming can be found here.

Eligibility Screen Information:

Eligibility Screen Close: Monday, February 3rd at 11:59 PM PT
Information Session: Wednesday, January 22nd at 3:00PM ET. Register here.
Program Information: Access program dates, fees and an overview of the program on our website.

UpStart is committed to being fully inclusive in our process. Please see below for instructions on how to submit video messages in place of written responses. Any further accommodation requests can be sent to accessibility@upstartlab.org.

To prepare for this eligibility screen:

Set aside approximately 1-1.5 hours to complete this screen. Our intention is for you to use documents that you already have. We do not expect you to create new documents for this process.
Review the venture eligibility criteria to better understand how your submission will be reviewed.
Preview the eligibility screen questions.
Video submissions are allowed in place of any long-form written response. To submit a video:

Record Your Video: Use any platform of your choice to record your response (e.g., Vimeo, Zoom, Google Meet).
Save and Share: Save the video in a way that it can be accessed via a URL by someone outside of your organization.
Paste the URL: Insert the link to your video directly into the corresponding text box for your answer.
For technical support saving and/or sharing videos as a URL, please contact allisond@upstartlab.org.

Contact Information

Salutation

Fill in:

First name

Last name

Email address

Venture name

Job title

Program Participation

Does your venture have a co-leadership model?

YesNo

Will your co-leader be participating in the UpLift program?

YesNo

Co-leader's first name

Co-leader's last name

Co-leader's email address

By clicking here and applying for UpLift, I confirm that I have read and understand UpStart's Code of Conduct and acknowledge that all participants will be required to sign these policies upon admission to the program.

Page 2

Question #1: Venture Background

In order to help UpStart better understand your work, please share any of the following that your venture has articulated.

Note: These statements are not being evaluated. They merely provide background towards the work that you do and how you contribute to the Jewish community. If you do not have one of these statements prepared, do not feel the need to draft one.

a. Your venture’s mission statement (optional)

b. Your venture’s vision statement (optional)

c. Any alternate external statement(s) that provide a framework for your organization’s work (optional)

Question #2 and #3: UpStarter Network Alignment

UpStart has hypothesized that a “thriving Jewish community” exhibits the characteristics outlined in this framework. When it comes to investing in ideas that support our goal of working towards a Thriving Jewish Community, we seek those who attempt to fill gaps in their communities related to this framework. No venture is expected to work towards all nine practices listed in the framework, however, UpStart values work that attempts to fill community gaps in ways that others do not. The practices are meant to be expansive enough that any organization can see itself and articulate how its work lives on this list Since acceptance into this program also grants access to the UpStarter Network, the questions below help UpStart assess a venture's contribution to its community and, more specifically, whether the venture is viable for ongoing support from the UpStarter Network.

Question #2

In reviewing the nine practices listed in the framework, identify the two (2) that your work most strategically seeks to support in your community. In a response of 250-300 words, or through a video of 1.5-2 minutes, please describe: a. The gap that exists in that area of practice, specifically for your community. b. The distinct role your venture plays, or the distinct way that your venture aims to fill that gap.

Practice Selection 1

Practice Selection 1:

Practice Selection 2

Practice Selection 2:

Evaluation Criteria: (For each selected practice)

Venture provides at least one (1) concrete example of what is missing within their community, related to the chosen practice
Venture provides concrete examples of their offerings and role within the community, related to that practice
Venture articulates how their contributions are additive and necessary in addressing a gap

Question #3

3. UpStart believes in a just, vibrant, and inclusive Jewish community. In order to realize this, we maintain that each organization must be thoughtful about its own practices towards greater inclusion and belonging as a pathway to enrich community life. (See below for definitions of ‘inclusion’ and ‘belonging’.) In a response of 250-300 words, or through a video of 1.5-2 minutes, please describe how your venture sees itself creating a greater sense of inclusion and/or belonging within the context of your community. Note: If you selected practice 6 (focus on diversity and belonging as a pathway to enrich community life) in the previous question and you feel your answer here is the same, you can copy and paste your prior answer here as well.

Evaluation Criteria:

Venture provides at least two (2) concrete, meaningful examples of practices they take to ensure that they are creating an inclusive and welcoming environment.
Venture articulates the positive impact these practices have on their community members.

Definitions:

Belonging: A feeling, a sense, an affinity toward a place or group of people. When one has a sense of security, support, acceptance and a part of flourishing Jewish communities that are engaged, educated, welcoming, inclusive, safe, active, healthy, caring and connected. In order for people to feel like they belong, the environment (in this case the workplace) needs to be set up to be an equitable, diverse and inclusive place.

Inclusion: the intentional, ongoing effort to ensure that every individual from all backgrounds is able to fully participate in all aspects of a community or workplace. Inclusion does not mean to be welcoming but to ensure that decisions are not made on behalf of groups without the representation of those groups at the table making the decisions together. Inclusivity and loving those who are different from you is the 431st of the 613 commandments. Ahavat HaGer, Loving those who are different from you! And a biblical mandate to be One nation under God, that no person should be a god over others, and to Love your neighbor like yourself (Leviticus)

Page 3

Question #4: Value/Growth Strategy

Please articulate and share evidence of your value proposition (ie: what’s unique about what you provide).

a. Complete the following sentence: [name of venture] seeks to address [the challenge you have identified] by providing [the value you provide] to [your target audience]

b. In addition, to support your answer above, please upload documents that show further evidence. [Examples of evidence may include: Community Mapping Assessment, list of others in the field who do similar work, audience persona, focus group data, etc.]

You may upload up to 2 separate attachments in the form of PDFs. Add additional files by clicking "Add another response" below.

At Early Stage, UpStart understands the following to be true:

Venture has at least 1 form of evidence indicating they have checked their understanding of value with their constituents
Venture has an awareness of others in the field with similar or related offerings

Question #5: Impact/Needs of the Audience

Please share evidence indicating how you know that what you offer is meeting a community need.

a. Your venture has asked your community members for input - in order to create your programming/offering

YesNo

b. After programming/offerings/events, your venture asks for participant feedback

YesNo

c. In addition, please upload documentation that shows evidence of the questions above. [Examples of evidence may include: Questions from surveys/focus groups, schedule of surveys/focus groups, lists/groupings of community members surveyed, etc.]

You may upload up to 2 separate attachments in the form of PDFs. Add additional files by clicking "Add another response" below.

At Early Stage, UpStart understands the following to be true:

The venture is beginning to articulate the importance of regularly examining community needs for the sake of evaluating its impact
The venture is preparing to use basic surveys to understand the satisfaction of participants

Question #6: Revenue Model

Please share evidence that your venture is at or nearing financial stability for early stage. (See stage criteria below for an explanation of Early Stage financial stability.) a. Fill in the following fields:

i. Total budget for one year

Numerical amount only, no symbols

i. Total expenses for one cycle of offerings

Numerical amount only, no symbols

ii. Total revenue

Numerical amount only, no symbols

iii. Cash-on-hand

Numerical amount only, no symbols

iv. List of grants/contracts signed or secured

b. In addition, please upload documentation that shows evidence that you are at or near financial stability. [Examples of evidence may include: Budget printout, expenses and revenue statements, grant/contract agreements, etc.]

You may upload up to 3 separate attachments in the form of PDFs. Add additional files by clicking "Add another response" below.

At Early Stage, UpStart understands the following to be true:

The venture has received its first grant/contract at an amount that can enable it to grow programs and/or plan for the future.
The venture can cover expenses for one full offering cycle, or nearly one full offering cycle, through a combination of the following:

Cash reserves
Revenue
List of grants/contracts signed or secured

Question #7: Team/Leadership (1/2)

Please share evidence that your venture has sufficient people and leadership to support the work at this stage. a. Fill out the following:

i. Do you have a full-time, dedicated staff person?

YesNo

Full-Time Staff Member

First name

Last name

Job title

ii. List any other staff, including their titles:

b. In addition, please upload documentation that shows evidence of your staff. [Examples of evidence may include: Documentation referencing venture leader by name, staff list including responsibilities, Founder/ED/CEO job description, list of contracted support, etc., copy of “Who We Are”]

You may upload up to 2 separate attachments in the form of PDFs. Add additional files by clicking "Add another response" below.

At Early Stage, UpStart understands the following to be true:

The venture leader takes on a significant portion of the work to move the venture forward
The venture has more than one staff person doing the work of the organization

Staff may not be full-time

The venture staff hold responsibilities across multiple functions of the work

Question #8: Team/Leadership (2/2)

Please select the response that best reflects the nature of your venture’s Governance/ Advisory structure.

Board of Directors Advisory BoardA group of advisors who support the leadership of the organizationNone of the above

At Early Stage, UpStart understands the following to be true:

The venture is considering developing an official board or advisory board
The venture has some grouping of people who are “advising” the work

Question #9

8. Please let us know how you heard about UpLift.

UpStart Newsletter or Social Media postA friend/colleague shared itUnsureOther

Person's Name

Person's Organizational Affiliation

Please describe:

Page 4

Individual Information

This section asks some questions about you personally. This helps us to understand whether our programs and events are effective for all participants.

Personal email address

Identity

Completion of this section is optional and does not impact our decision on your selection. We use this information to understand whether our programs and events are effective for all participants (and to understand and plan when our programming falls short). This information will be confidential and used for general reporting purposes without identifying individual responses.

What is your gender? If you prefer not to say, skip this question.

WomanManNonbinary, Two-Spirit, third gender, agender or another gender or gendersPrefer to self-describe:

Prefer to self-describe:

How do you racially identify? Choose all that apply. If you prefer not to say, skip this question.

Black or African American	African
Hispanic or Latina/o/x	Asian or Asian American
Middle Eastern	North African
White or European American	Native American, First Nation, or Indigenous American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander	Another race not listed

Another race not listed:

Do you identify as Jewish (culturally, religiously, racially or ethnically)?
If you prefer not to say, skip this question.

YesNo

Do you identify with any of the following Jewish heritages? Choose all that apply. If you

prefer not to say or this is not applicable to you, skip this question.

AshkenaziMizrachiSephardiPrefer to self-describe

Prefer to self describe:

Do you identify as a person with disability/ies? If you prefer not to say, skip this question.

YesNoPrefer to self-describe:

Prefer to self-describe:

Do you identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community? If you prefer not to say, skip this question.

YesNoPrefer to self-describe:

Prefer to self-describe:

Regarding your identity, is there anything else that you would like us to know?

Geography

UpStart would like to understand whether you are located in the same place as your venture headquarters. Please fill out the following based on your home location.

City

Country

State

Provinces

State/Province

Postal Code

Professional Information

How many years of professional work experience do you have?

Are you (one of) the founder(s) of this venture?

YesNo

Is this the first venture you have founded?

YesNo

What is your current role level?

Individual contributorManager with at least one direct reportManager of managersExecutive / Leadership teamBoard member

Which functional area in the venture do you work in? Choose all that apply.

Governance (e.g., Board member)	Fundraising
Finance	Human Resources & People
Marketing & Brand	Measurement & Evaluation
Programming / service delivery	Prefer to self-describe

Prefer to self-describe:

Venture Information

The following questions ask about your venture. This helps us to understand whether our programs and events are effective for our venture audience.

Venture website

Venture's legal status

501c3	Fiscally Sponsored	LLC
B Corps	501c4	For-profit

Fiscal Sponsor organization

Fiscal Sponsor contact first name

Fiscal Sponsor contact last name

Fiscal Sponsor contact email

Venture Headquarters

If your venture has multiple satellite locations, please select where your headquarters are located.

City

Country

State

Provinces

State/Province

Postal Code

Geographic area(s) served

InternationalNationalRegionalStatewideCitywide

Please specify country

Example: USA

Please specify region

Example: Midwest

Please specify state

Example: Illinois

Please specify city

Example: Chicago, Illinois

Area of Community Support (Please select all that apply)

Advocacy	Arts & Culture	Community Building
Disability Justice	Education	Environment
Financial Services	Gender Focus	Israel
Journalism/Media/Communications	LGBTQ+	Racial Justice
Social Change	Social Services	Spirituality
Other

Please describe:

Type of Organization (Please select all that apply)

Camp	Day School/Yeshiva
Informal Education	Supplemental Education (Hebrew School, Religious Schools)
Synagogue	Other

Please describe:

Demographic Served (Please select all that apply)

BIPOC (Black/Indigenous/ People of Color)	College Students	Early Childhood
Families	Female Identified	Grandparents
Interfaith	JOCSM (Jews of Color/ Sephardi/Mizrahi)	LGBTQ+
Parents/Caregivers	People with disabilities	Singles
Teens	Young Adults	Other

Please describe:

The following are Venture Stages as defined by UpStart:

Idea Stage

The idea stage is the first step to starting a venture. A seed has been planted and some ideas are beginning to be tested. The social entrepreneur is still asking questions about the landscape and the market. They have emerging ideas about the social problem they hope to address and can describe what they hope their social impact might be.

Early Stage

Experimentation, exploration and testing are key in the early stage. Some ideas from the idea stage have come to fruition and others are still being developed or refined. The development of the venture and the skillset of its leader in this stage vary widely. The venture may have secured some investors or have a minimalist structure in place. The venture has a clear understanding of the social problem it exists to address and can articulate how it’s activities will lead to positive change.

Growth Stage

Ventures at Growth Stage are focused either on planning for growth or stabilizing at their current size. For any particular venture, this may be demonstrated through steady revenue, an advisory board, formal staff structures, establishing partnerships and collaborations and proven social impact. This stage also involves looking further into the future, such as developing a sustainability or strategic plan for the venture. This stage of the venture comes with a decision point about growth: is the venture preparing to grow and scale at this point? The venture is beginning to be able to understand and demonstrate its social impact using evaluation practices.

Mezzanine Stage

A venture in this stage has achieved a certain level of maturity and possibly a significant financial footprint. In the context of UpStart, a venture in the mezzanine stage may need support with an innovation or adding projects to an otherwise established operation. Elements of the organization may return to the Early or Growth stage of the pipeline. At this stage the venture is not only able to demonstrate its social impact but is using measurement, evaluation and learning practices to inform decisions that improve and deepen its work.

If you need further assistance identifying your stage, please refer to our "What is Your Stage" quiz here!

What stage of organizational development is your venture at currently?

Idea stageEarly stageGrowth stageMezzanine stageNot sure

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