(Courtesy of the OU) The Orthodox Union (OU) has launched the OU Impact Accelerator, an 18-month program based on mentorship and early-stage funding for Jewish nonprofit entrepreneurs, to invest in solutions for Jewish communal needs. Between four and six projects will be awarded up to $25,000 each.

Candidates for the program will be Orthodox nonprofit entrepreneurs who operate business ventures that service critical needs of America’s Orthodox community through innovative solutions. The Impact Accelerator will pair these individuals with experienced mentors and supply them with OU resources. Winners will partake in a customized curriculum of business skills, coaching, funding and implementation strategies to accelerate their ventures.

“The mission of this program is to transform the landscape of the Jewish future, by building on our history of innovation and leveraging the entrepreneurial nature of this generation,” said OU Assistant Director of Innovation Jenna Beltser.

Applications are due by May 6, 2018. For more information, or to apply, please visit: https://www.ou.org/accelerator/.