Sustainable Israeli Palestinian Projects (SIPP)
Announces 2026 Mini-Grant Awardees
Projects promoting peace and cooperation among Israelis and Palestinians
Sustainable Israeli Palestinian Projects (SIPP), an 11-year-old US-based non-profit, is pleased to announce the six 2026 recipients of its Hope In Action mini-grant awards program. SIPP is dedicated to supporting Israelis and Palestinians who are working together to advance cultural, environmental, infrastructure, and technology projects. Over the past six years, SIPP has awarded 48 community-oriented mini-grants, up to $3000 each, delivering a total of $118,000 in vital seed funding to programs in Israel and the West Bank.
“The grassroots projects supported through SIPP grants demonstrate the deep, shared commitment to peaceful and prosperous coexistence that is held by so many everyday Israelis and Palestinians,” said Peter Ornstein, SIPP co-founder and President. “The 2026 grants are representative of the range of initiatives that have received SIPP funding over the years.”
— Peter Ornstein, SIPP Co-Founder and President
This Year's Grant Recipients:
Medabrot Ivrit (Women Speaking Hebrew)
This program, administered by Israeli NGO Lissan, focuses on removing the daily language barrier experienced by Palestinian women from East Jerusalem, by providing practical, relevant, and culturally appropriate Hebrew language courses and materials. Lissan seeks to advance gender and linguistic justice in the region.
Connecting through Arts
This bilingual, cross-cultural educational program brings together Israeli and Palestinian children for creative arts and English learning, using ecological themes such as water stewardship and recycling as the basis for art projects. It is operated by the Israel NGO Challenge, which is dedicated to “building a joint future for all in our region.”
Monira Women's Cooperative
This pilot initiative from the Israeli NGO Challenge teaches 20 Israeli and Palestinian women impacted by conflict to create marketable crafts using sustainable techniques like natural dyeing and up-cycling recycled/natural materials. The goals are income generation, building confidence, and fostering cross-cultural solidarity.
The Teachers' Lounge, Haifa
This program, offered by Hebrew Union College, promotes multicultural tolerance and shared society by convening Jewish and Arab educators in Haifa for facilitated dialogue and professional training sessions. It aims to cultivate educators as agents of change, modeling tolerance and mutual respect.
Empowering Palestinian Communities Through Sustainable Greywater Reuse
This vital infrastructure program, also supported by the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, introduces off-grid greywater treatment systems using constructed wetlands to address severe water shortages in Palestinian West Bank communities. It includes social awareness and technical development, promoting integrated cross-border cooperation among Israeli, Palestinian, and potentially Jordanian experts on sustainable water solutions.
Jumpstarting Hope In Gaza
In addition to its mini-grant program, SIPP provided a grant this year for the EmpowHer Project through the Jumpstarting Hope in Gaza Initiative to support three women-owned food businesses in a Gaza refugee camp, advancing empowerment of women and food security. This Initiative is a joint project of Israeli NGO Arava Institute for Environmental Studies and Palestinian NGO Damour for Community Development.
"With so much painful news coming out of the region over the past few years, it has been difficult for Americans to obtain information about positive developments promoting peace and cooperation. It's exciting to see these projects making a real difference in people's lives."
— Alan Sachs, SIPP Board Member
About SIPP
Our mission is to support projects that engage Israeli and Palestinian communities working to further common environmental and civil society interests, and to build meaningful connections between people in the United States and Israeli and Palestinian communities involved in these efforts.
SIPP fills a unique niche among US based NGOs by supporting innovative, grassroots initiatives that can benefit from small infusions of financial, technical, expert and networking support.
To find out more about SIPP, to volunteer, or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit www.sipprojects.org. For a complete list of mini-grant recipients since the program's inception, see www.sipprojects.org/projects.
Media Resources
- SIPP Contact: info@SIPProjects.org
- Testimonial Video: View Fareed's testimonial
- Photos: Images of EmpowHer and mini-grantees available upon request
- More Information on Projects: Additional information on projects and impacts can be found here.
- Download PDF: A PDF version of this press release can be found [coming soon].
Project Contact Information
Linda Green
Lindagreen1000@gmail.com