YEDI & OurPeople present
Accelerator for Russian-speaking non-profit organizations in Israel
Realizing the dearth of nonprofits and communities serving Russian-speaking olim in Israel, Our People partnered with YEDI (York Entrepreneurship Development Institute) to create a Non-profit Accelerator
Realizing the dearth of nonprofits and communities serving Russian-speaking olim in Israel, Our People partnered with YEDI (York Entrepreneurship Development Institute) to create a Non-profit Accelerator
Our unique curriculum focuses on the knowledge and skills leaders and activists need to establish and scale an organization in Israel. Topics include organizational strategy, effective marketing, creative fundraising and financial management. Participation in the program is free, subject to completion of all program requirements.
Participants enroll in our intensive 16-week Organizational Leadership Program that includes academic lectures led by instructors from the York Entrepreneurship Development Institute as well as entrepreneurship training workshops and mentoring from key industry leaders.
The program culminates with a pitch event, in which each participant can present the project to a group of seasoned philanthropists and nonprofit professionals.
Upon completion of the program, leaders receive an official certificate from the York Enterprise Development Institute, as well as a professionally developed business plan and executive summary of their project, so they are fully prepared to launch.
The program culminates with a pitch event, in which each participant can present the project to a group of seasoned philanthropists and nonprofit professionals.
Upon completion of the program, leaders receive an official certificate from the York Enterprise Development Institute, as well as a professionally developed business plan and executive summary of their project, so they are fully prepared to launch.
Each cohort includes 15 leaders of nonprofit organizations and activists launching promising seed-stage projects, serving the Russian-speaking community.
All courses and workshops are held online in an effort to cater to Russian-speaking Olim nationwide.
Full reimbursement of tuition fees
upon successful completion of the program!
upon successful completion of the program!
What participants learn,
week by week
week by week
Week 1
Week 1
Discover how to document and realize vision, ideation and inspiration including environmental research, identification of market opportunities and social nuances
Week 2
Week 2
Leadership, team building and volunteer management
Week 3
Week 3
Business planning and modeling: building a successful roadmap including scaling expansion and how to strengthen social impact
Week 4
Week 4
Business model visualization and operational processes: creating a reliable work plan of achievable tasks
Week 5
Week 5
Marketing, sales and promotion: strategy, tools and methodology
Week 6
Week 6
Business planning and modeling (one-on-one session for each participant)
Week 7
Week 7
Prototyping and market testing: proof of idea and concept of viability
Week 8
Week 8
"Friendraising": networking and pitching skills
Week 9
Week 9
Budgeting and financial planning: development toward self-sufficiency and sustainability
Week 10
Week 10
NGOs and charitable organizations in Israel: tax and legal aspects
Week 11
Week 11
Budgeting and financial planning (one-on-one session for each participant)
Week 12
Week 12
Fundraising strategy, sources of funds, practical guidance and examples
Week 13
Week 13
Digital promotion: Online activities and NPO marketing
Week 14
Week 14
Business communication: customer service and the creation of an elevator pitch and executive summary
Week 15
Week 15
Submission of business proposals
Week 16
Week 16
Presentation to potential stakeholders, course evaluation, graduation, venture fair
Course instructors
Founder of YEDI - Marat Ressin
Marat Ressin, a PhD in economics specializing in small business crisis management, offers our program participants more than 30 successful business cases on the reorganization and optimization of enterprises from a wide range of industries. In addition, Marat shares his compilation of knowledge on positioning small businesses as "investor-attractive". Marat embodies the importance of corporate social impact and teaches not only how to embrace this critical concept but also how to deploy and live it. We are truly fortunate to host him as an instructor.
Leah Aharoni - Program Coordinator
Born in the former Soviet Union, Leah Aharoni immigrated with her family to the USA at the age of 12. At 17, she felt pulled to Israel and made Aliyah on her own, adding Hebrew to her language repertoire making her trilingual. She holds a BA in Jewish Education and an MA in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Having established her first business in her 20's, Leah is intimately familiar with the challenges faced by immigrant founders in the Israeli corporate landscape. As a professional Process and Profitability Consultant, Leah helps organizational leaders identify and develop their team's strengths and methodologies, accelerating organizational efficiency. She has earned international press in all three of her spoken languages and has been published in dozens of publications as a thought leader on immigrant advocacy and rights. Leah's unique combination of passion for Aliyah, personal experience and business acumen positions her to help thousands who now call Israel home.
Oleg Amurjuev
Oleg Amurjuev's personal mission is to acquaint entrepreneurs with the most effective processes for turning an idea into a successful business. With an incredible range of experience ranging from the high-tech and startup worlds to established corporate senior management circles, Oleg considers himself, first and foremost, a mentor. Oleg is an established instructor at the Schulich Executive Education Center, specializing in corporate governance, business planning and technology commercialization as well as Program Director at the York Entrepreneurship Development Institute, an incubator and mentorship program for innovative entrepreneurs. A popular speaker at a number of international forums and conferences, and the author and co-author of eight books and over 100 articles, our participants benefit from Oleg's expertise in commercialization strategy, corporate structure establishment and venture capital attraction and optimization.