Pioneers of Palestine Award Announcement
The Synergos Institute in collaboration with Alwaleed philanthropies is pleased to announce it is
now accepting applications for the first Pioneers of Palestine Award Program. The program
represents an investment in the new leaders who have a key role to play in building the future of
Palestine.
In implementing this program Synergos will leverage their experience supporting social
entrepreneurs around the globe and particularly in the Arab region, as well as, in promoting
leadership and creating employment opportunities for Palestinian youth. The program aims to spread
awareness of Social Entrepreneurship in Palestine through:
1. Strengthen community-led initiatives in Palestine that have demonstrated proof of concept
in promoting economic and social development by working with the social entrepreneurs who
lead these initiatives. Palestinian Social Innovators will receive an integrated set of services
including financial awards, capacity building and mentoring, and strategic connections to
increase the scale and sustainability of their initiatives.
2. Enhance the skills and leadership potential of a cohort of start-up social entrepreneurs,
by providing them with training and networking opportunities. The program will work with
up to 50 start-up social entrepreneurs by providing training, workshops and exchanges with
social entrepreneurs, to build skills and capacity to advance their ideas and programs.
3. Build the skills of Palestinian youth and enhance their employability through a
volunteering program that will place 200 young people at businesses and social enterprises
and will provide them with on-the-job skill building, training, and increased awareness of
social entrepreneurship as a viable career path.
Who are We?
The Synergos Institute The Synergos Institute is an independent New York-based non-profit
organization founded in 1986. With our partners, we mobilize resources and bridge social and
economic divides to reduce poverty and increase equity around the world. Synergos has long
believed that addressing difficult issues requires the development of effective, sustainable and locally
rooted solutions. Our programs are designed to strengthen the capacity of local civil society
organizations in the developing world; support philanthropic and civil society leaders around the
world to deepen the impact of their work; and build effective, inclusive partnerships across social,
economic and institutional divides. For more information about The Synergos Institute, please visit
http://www.synergos.org/
ElWaleed Philanthropies Alwaleed Philanthropies Global supports and initiates projects that
contribute to a more compassionate, tolerant and accepting world. We collaborate with a range of
philanthropic, government and educational organizations on projects and initiatives that reflect our
four focus areas empowering women and youth, developing communities, creating cultural
understanding and providing disaster relief.
Three decades. More than 90 countries.
For over 35 years, we have been one of the only philanthropic foundations in the Arab world to
serve millions of people across the globe, regardless of gender, race, or religion.
So far, we’ve supported thousands of projects in over 90 countries – from the Arab, Asian and
African regions to Europe, Oceania and the Americas. Our goal is to spread our work even further.
Wherever help is needed.
For more information about Elwaleed Philanthropies, please visit:
www.alwaleedphilanthropies.org
The Program Awards
The program will directly benefit three groups of participants, who in turn reach a larger group of
beneficiaries: 15 Pioneers of Palestine, 50 Start-Up Social Entrepreneurs, and 200 Volunteers.
The Pioneers Award - This call for applications is for applying to the Pioneers of Palestine
Award.
15 Social innovators will receive the following grant:
1- Financial Awards
Pioneers of Palestine will receive financial awards of "10.000 U.S Dollars " Awards are designed as
unrestricted grants for the benefit of the Pioneers of Palestine’s organization, to be distributed in 3
installments subject to the provision of agreed-upon budgets and reports. Awards can be used to help
them strengthen their organizations, hire new staff, expand existing programs or launch new ones,
and increase outreach.
2- Mentorship program
We will work with partners to offer one-on-one professional support and practical advice to Pioneers
of Palestine who face specific challenges that prevent them from advancing forward.
This program will be coordinated by a Relationship Manager, who will routinely meet with them to
discuss key challenges, perform a diagnostic of their programs, and track progress against agreed
upon organizational and leadership development goals.
3- Strategic Connections
Networking activities will include:
o Peer learning events: Pioneers of Palestine will have the opportunity to know other
Innovators’ projects to learn first-hand about their methods and approaches.
o In-Country Conventions: Annual conventions in Palestine will bring together
Pioneers of Palestine to build a peer learning network, share ideas and best practices.
4- Volunteers management training
No single individual makes a project a success. Social enterprises can only develop and grow
through the help of many different people, that’s why we designed Volunteers management
training to help the organizations create volunteering programs within their projects, which will not
only benefit the organization but will also build the capacity of youths interested in learning about
social entrepreneurships . The Pioneers will have to offer different volunteering opportunities to
youth regularly.
Start-Up Social Entrepreneurs Award – Call for applications will start soon
Up to 50 start-up social entrepreneurs will have access to services that will help them develop the
capacity to move forward with their ideas, as well as gain credibility and enhance their leadership
capabilities. Services for this group will include:
 Training – Training is an integral part of the Start-Up program, giving them the skills they
need to develop their ideas into a workable business.
 Mentorship – The mentoring program is designed to give Start-Ups tailored advice from
experienced individuals.
 Networking – an integral aspect of the program is to introduce Start-Ups to a variety of
individuals and groups who can be beneficial in a number of ways including by a) sharing
experiences and lessons learned b) acting as collaborators and partners c) acting as a
sounding board to test out new ideas and, in some cases, d) acting as potential clients.
 Financial Development – As start-ups progress from the idea and prototype stage to take
their projects to the next level, finding sources of funding is often an important challenge.
The program is designed to support Start-Ups to give them to tools to reach this next level
in the development of their ideas.
Volunteers Program: – Call for applications will start soon
Almost 200 selected youth will be placed in volunteering opportunities. We will conducting
trainings with the Volunteers prior to their placement. The scope of work and the terms and
conditions of each opportunity will be stipulated by a contract between the intern and the
organization.
Eligibility
The table below provides an overview of general eligibility criteria for the program.
Eligible
Pioneers of Palestine working in the non-profit or
private sectors.
Not Eligible
Innovators who are government officials or
employees.
Social innovations that do not place priority on
Social innovations whose goal is to reduce poverty
reducing poverty and inequity.
and inequity and which have as a focus any number
of fields, including but not limited to: economic,
social and sustainable development, health, education,
and culture.
Social innovation projects that are environmentally
responsible.
Social innovations that pose harm to the
environment or incorporate methods that are
environmentally damaging.
Social innovations with a proven track record.
We do not require each social innovation to be in
operation for a specific length of time because of the
uniqueness of every project. However, social
innovations must be operating long enough to have
proven their success at solving a social, economic or
environmental problem. We are looking for projects
that demonstrate positive social change at a
community level and need additional
Professional and financial support to develop,
strengthen and expand.
Social innovations with no proven track record. Social
innovations at a beginning stage of development
with a limited operational history and no record of
success at solving a social, economic or
environmental problem. We will not consider
social innovations that have no documented social
impact at the community level.
Social innovations that show the potential for
significantly greater impact, through replication to
other communities and/or expansion nationally.
Social innovations that have already reached a
large scale.
Selection Process
The selection committee will consist of professionals from Pioneers of Palestine program, and
Synergos, along with prominent Palestinian leaders in the areas of business, civil society and
academia to make the final selection. We encourage applications from youth, women and
initiatives focusing on employment and income generation.
Candidates for the program must be implementing an idea that has demonstrated positive social
change and impact at a local level with the potential for replication in other communities and
expansion to a national level. Social innovations must have as a focus one or more of the following
fields; economic, social, or sustainable development; health; education; and culture.
The five main criteria listed below describe the qualities and characteristics used by Synergos to
define a Pioneer of Palestine.

Innovative Idea: Pioneers of Palestine must possess a creative idea, solution or approach
to a social, economic, environmental or other problem that will make an impact on the
alleviation of poverty and inequity.

Innovative Quality: Pioneers of Palestine must be driven by a vision to promote social
progress and break old patterns of action and perception. S/he will persevere to refine, test
and spread a remarkable new idea, methodology or approach to improve the quality of life
for people in their community and beyond.

Collaborative and Inclusive Approach: Pioneers of Palestine must demonstrate a
commitment to participating in and developing partnerships in the communities they serve
and working with other civil society organizations, businesses, and government to address
issues related to poverty and inequity.

Ethical Values: Pioneers of Palestine must be persons who have demonstrated a
commitment to and who model high ethical standards. Candidates will not be considered
who advocate any form of discrimination against race, ethnicity, sex, religion, age, or
disability.

Social Impact of the Innovation: Pioneers of Palestine must lead social innovations that
have demonstrated positive social change and impact at a local level with the potential for
replication in other communities and/or expansion to a national level.
The selection process is designed to ensure objectivity and transparency. It will consist of three
key stages, described below:



Stage 1, all applications will be reviewed against a criteria scorecard to be used to
consistently evaluate each applicant against the above criteria. Where appropriate, the
selection team may contact candidates for clarifications. Upon satisfaction of the above
criteria, qualified applicants will advance to Stage 2.
Stage 2, the selection team will conduct a more comprehensive evaluation including oneon-one interviews and site visits to candidates’ projects in the communities in which they
operate. The strongest candidates will advance to Stage 3.
Stage 3, the selection team will check applicants’ references and deepen due diligence by
circulating information about the projects and seeking inputs from our network of advisors
and nominators. Follow-up interviews will be conducted as necessary to clarify any
outstanding questions. This stage will lead to the selection of the class of 15 Social
Innovators
Application Submission
If you know someone who might be a suitable candidate for this Program, we hope you’ll
forward this message to his or her attention.
The deadline for sending applications is "November 30th 2015 ".
We encourage interested applicants to send their application at an earlier date so that any missing
materials/information can be provided in a timely manner.
For more information about the award and its application, contact
pioneerspalestine@synergos.org with your inquiries.
Pioneers of Palestine Program Team
Phone: 0599674996
Email: pioneerspalestine@synergos.org
Website: www.synergos.org