Donor Questions
Who is PEF?
The P.E.F. was established in 1922 by Justice Brandeis, Rabbi Stephen Wise, Robert Szold and a group of distinguished Americans. It was established as Palestine Endowment Funds, Inc. After the founding of the State of Israel its name was changed. No officer or trustee receives compensation or reimbursement for travel to or expenses in Israel, and no fund-raising organization is maintained.
P.E.F. Israel Endowment Funds, Inc. is a registered United States 501(c)(3) charity. We are a fully tax exempt organization. Our tax ID number is 13-6104086. We accept contributions with or without recommendations for specific institutions or purposes in Israel.
PEF provides a means for individuals, foundations and charitable institutions to recommend grants to approved Israeli charities at no expense to the donor. Since our inception we have contributed over $1 billion to registered charities in Israel
How do I make a contribution?
The easiest way is to click the Donate Now button to contribute online.
To send an ACH or wire transfer: Send us an email at for current instructions. All donors sending ACH or wire transfer gifts MUST send us a notification email in order for the gift to be processed. Please note that ACH or WIRE contributions must be RECEIVED in our account by Dec 31, 2023 in order to be credited for 2023. (Since December 31 falls on a weekend it is not safe to assume that the funds will be credited on that date so you should aim for December 29 if you want us to receive the contribution in time. Sometimes it takes banks a day or two to transfer funds. If the funds arrive in our account in January they’ll be credited for the year 2024.)
To send stock: Please email us at for current instructions. PEF accepts cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. In general we do not accept gifts of real estate or works of art, or other items. Even if you have given to us before, please make sure that you contact us by email BEFORE sending us any shares, as our broker information may have changed. Stock contributions must ARRIVE in our brokerage account by December 31, 2023 in order to be credited for 2023. Please send the shares ahead of time since it can take a few days for shares to be credited to our brokerage account.
To send checks: The minimum contribution is $25. Checks must be made payable to “PEF Israel Endowment Funds” –no other words may appear on the “Pay to” line or else our bank will not accept it and we will have to return the check to the donor. When recommending specific charities please include BOTH the name of the charity and its 9-digit ID number on a separate note included with your check. Many charities have the same or similar names. Failure to include the ID number may result in the return of your contribution. You can look up charities and their ID numbers HERE.
Please mail your check and recommendation (including charity name AND 9-digit ID# on a separate note) to: PEF Israel Endowment Funds, Inc., 630 Third Ave, RM 1500, New York NY 10017 USA
We can receive checks via the US Postal Service regular or Priority Mail and FedEx or UPS, or other courier deliveries only if they DO NOT require a signature. CHECK contributions must ARRIVE at our office by December 31, 2023 in order for them to be credited for 2023. Checks have been taking about 2 weeks to ARRIVE. We suggest mailing them no later than December 15th. Any checks that arrive after December 31st will be acknowledged for the year 2024 regardless of the postmark or date on the check.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND CASH IN THE MAIL!!
How do donors select an appropriate Israeli charity to recommend?
PEF has over 1,000 approved charitable organizations that we support in Israel. If you know the name or (amutah) I.D. number of the charity you wish to support you can search by name or number on our Charities tab. If you are interested in a particular area of philanthropy and would like to search for an approved charity in that area, please use the category search. You can also search our charity database by doing a word search.
Please note that approved charities are continually being added and removed and we make every effort to update our list on a regular basis but there may be instances where a check is received and in the interim the charity has lost its approved listing. Please also note that a newly approved charity may not appear on our list until it has received a contribution. If you do not find the charity you are looking for you can email us to verify:
At PEF we pride ourselves in our depth of knowledge and first-hand impressions regarding the activities and efficacy of Israeli charities in all areas of interest to the donor. Donors looking for suggestions or feedback regarding the choice of charity to recommend are always welcome to email us.
Given the current situation in Israel, here is a link to our regularly updated list of charities that we are focused on: HOW YOU CAN HELP There is an asterisk next to those that have received funding from PEF’s own Emergency Fund 131, which donors are welcome to give to as well.
What percentage of a donor advised contribution reaches the intended recipient organization?
100% of contributions received are transferred to the approved charity. PEF does not charge a processing fee and transfers the US dollar amount received directly to the charity. But credit card companies and other payment providers take fees. Certain currency conversion and processing fees may be charged by the charity’s Israeli bank beyond the control of PEF.
What percentage of my contribution is allocated for overhead?
ZERO. 100% of all recommended contributions received are transferred to charities in Israel without any deduction for PEF overhead. Our modest overhead (less than 2% of grants) is covered from an annual fee charged to our endowment funds.
How long does it take for a contribution to be processed?
Online/credit card contributions PEF makes every effort to transfer all contributions without delay but transfers from our credit card gateway are made to us once a week (typically on Tuesdays) and PEF issues grants to Israel once a week (typically on Fridays) so the speed with which a donation is transferred and received by the recommended charity will depend on when it was made and this schedule.
Wire/ACH contributions that have been received and are visible in our account as of Tuesday/Wednesday morning of any given week can usually be included in the current weekly grant batch issued on Friday. Contributions received after Wednesday morning will be included in the following week’s grants. Holidays in the US and in Israel may alter/delay the grant schedule.
Check contributions It has been taking about 2 weeks for us to receive checks and then 1-2 days to process them. Once the money is available it is included in our next weekly batch of grants (typically posted on Fridays).
Donors may contact us directly to inquire about a contribution if they have not received an acknowledgment from us: .
How often does PEF send grants to Israeli charities?
We issue grants once a week, typically on Fridays, and the charities get the money the following week on Wednesday or Thursday morning depending on banking conditions in Israel. Holidays in the US and in Israel may alter/delay the grant schedule.
In order to keep our overhead low and streamline our processing, we issue grants once a charity’s balance has reached $100 or more. We do not inform each recipient charitable organization of an impending grant. Charities can consult their PEF online ledger to see their current gifts and grants.
Does PEF accept non-cash (stock/securities) contributions?
PEF accepts cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. If you wish to make a contribution of stock please send us an email requesting our current instructions. In general we do not accept gifts of real estate or works of art, or other items. Even if you have given to us before, please make sure that you contact us by email BEFORE sending us any shares, as our broker information may have changed. Email us: info@ pefisrael.org
Does PEF accept credit cards?
PEF is now pleased to accept donations via credit card through an online fundraising company called CauseMatch. Participating charities – including PEF – feature a Donate button on their website which enables donors to make recommended contributions to approved charities via a dedicated PEF credit card gateway. The gateway is hosted by Stripe which offers specially discounted per transaction processing fees for a 501(c)3 of 2.2% + 30¢ for non-AmEx transactions and 3.5% for AmEx transactions. As always, PEF does not add any fees or handling charges to process these transactions.
Charities wishing to participate in this program should contact CauseMatch by clicking here. CauseMatch does not charge for setting up and maintaining this platform but would be pleased to discuss other paid fundraising products and services it offers with charities who are in need of such services. Please note: CauseMatch will be processing all credit card donations – not PEF.
Contact CauseMatch directly at for any issues/assistance with your credit card donations.
Why a $25 minimum?
PEF operates with minimal staff and very low overhead in order that we may make contributions to a maximum number of Israeli charities without taking any deductions from the contributions we receive. Accepting contributions of less than $25 is too costly.
Does PEF comply with relevant provisions of the Patriot Act and anti-terrorist list review process?
PEF follows all recommended best practices from both the IRS and Treasury and in accordance with the Patriot Act to insure that grants made to Israeli charitable organizations are not used to support or fund terrorism.
What is PEF’s charity approval process and does it fulfill the requirements of an equivalency determination?
All of the organizations that we fund must first be recognized by The State of Israel as a charitable organization (Amutah). In a separate application to become and to remain approved by PEF, the organization must provide current copies of their Certificate of Amutah, Articles of Association, Section 46 – Public Entity for the Purpose of Donations (only when available), Certificate of Financial Accountability, Current Financial Statement and a report in English describing the organization’s activities. Our trustees and friends of PEF are enlisted on a regular basis to make site-visits and to review the activities of our approved organizations.
Equivalency determination (ED) is a process by which a U.S. grant maker evaluates whether an intended foreign grantee is the equivalent of a U.S. public charity. PEF’s approval process is intended to fulfill the requirements of an ED.
Charities interested in registering with PEF should contact us at:
Does PEF have a standard or sample grant agreement?
Yes, we have a standard agreement which you may download. When entering into grant agreements with donor foundations, PEF recommends the use of its standard form of Grant Agreement, which is available as a PDF and WORD document.
A principal concern with each agreement is that it does not create the perception that the associated grant is an agency transaction which would jeopardize the grant’s eligibility for tax qualification. All grants to PEF must be non-binding, recommended grants. PEF has Guidelines for Grant Agreements which can be viewed or downloaded here.
If a donor wishes PEF to consider changes to our standard form of Grant Agreement or to use its own form of grant agreement, PEF will have its counsel review and negotiate the proposed changes or other form of grant agreement and will issue a one-time charge to the donor for the cost of its counsel’s review, which will be billed to the donor or deducted from the amount of the donor’s next grant to PEF, as per the donor’s request. This is a one-time charge, and assuming that the donor continues to use the reviewed and approved grant agreement for future recommended grants, there will be no further reviews or legal fees.
Why must I give a "recommendation"? How can I be sure the money will go where I want it to go?
All contributions to PEF must meet our terms and conditions in order to comply with IRS regulations. We can only accept recommendations, not directives or orders, as specified in our terms and conditions.
PEF has been in business since 1922, We have a pretty great track record of trustworthiness in providing donor advised charitable support for Israel for over 100 years. If donors couldn’t trust us, we wouldn’t be here.
Do I need to have an endowment fund at PEF in order to make a contribution?
No. PEF accepts contributions as small as $25 from any donor with a recommendation for an approved charity.
What are the requirements and advantages of having an endowment fund at PEF?
We currently have over 100 endowment funds set up with a minimum contribution of $100,000. Together with our general fund, these funds account for $127 million in funds under our management. An annual fee (3/4 of 1%) is deducted from our funds to cover our modest (less than 2% of grants) overhead.
A gift to an endowment fund provides an immediate tax deduction and assures that the funds will ultimately be donated to approved charities in Israel. Donors may authorize family members and/or trustees to provide PEF with recommendations and the funds are invested in accordance with our investment strategy and the oversight of our Investment Committee. Send us an email if you’d like more information.
How are donor advised endowment funds managed?
To satisfy its long-term rate-of-return, PEF relies on a total-return strategy in which investment returns are achieved through both capital appreciation (realized and unrealized) and current yield (interest and dividends). PEF targets a diversified asset allocation within prudent risk constraints.
Endowments assets are invested in a manner that is intended to produce results that meet or exceed the five-year consumer price index. Actual returns in any given year may vary from this amount.
How and when will I get my acknowledgement letter for my gift?
If you gave via credit card or the Donate Now button your acknowledgement letter will be emailed to you the same day.
If you gave via ACH or wire transfer we will email your acknowledgment letter to you 1-2 days after we’ve received and processed the gift. (The bank doesn’t show us the full gift information until the day AFTER it hits our bank account.)
If you gave a gift of stock we will email your acknowledgment letter to you within about a week after we’ve received the shares, once we’ve received the proceeds from the sale and fully processed the gift.
If you mailed us a check we will mail you a physical letter about 12 business days after we deposit the check (because it takes our bank about 11 business days to notify us if a check has bounced).
Is PEF rated by GuideStar and Charity Navigator?
PEF can be found on GuideStar here: P E F and on Charity Navigator here: P E F Israel Endowment Funds Inc.
Keep in mind that PEF Israel Endowment Funds is a unique charitable organization and is not easily categorized. Charity rating services focus exclusively on public charities that provide a charitable service and also use fundraising to finance their activities. Private foundations that do not fundraise are not typically evaluated since they are of no interest to users of charity rating services (i.e. consumers). PEF is that strange specimen that is financed wholly by outside contributions, but does no fundraising!
Can we send your recommended grant via USD wire transfer?
No, as a rule, we do NOT send grants via USD wire transfer as wire grants require individual attention, extra processing time and a large additional fee from our bank. For specially approved grants there is a $100 fee for sending a grant via wire transfer. There will be an additional $500 charge should we be required to submit any extra documentation to the bank.
What are PEF's Terms and Conditions?
See our TERMS AND CONDITIONS page.
Charity Questions
How does a charity register with PEF?
If you are a charity in Israel and are interested in registering with PEF, please contact us at: You may send your inquiry in Hebrew. All registrations are done via email.
Please note that all PEF grants are issued in NIS, not in US dollars.
I sent in all our documents and received an approval letter. Is my charity fully registered now? What happens next?
Once a charity has completed the initial document registration they will show up on our Newly Registered Charities list and we will accept contributions for them.
When we receive their first contribution the charity will need to complete a two part process to become fully registered:
First, the charity will need to register for access to their PEF online account where they’ll be able to see all their gifts and grants. We will send personalized registration information to the officially registered email address. This will happen automatically once they are in our system – no need to request it from us.
Second, they’ll need to register for Masav – Direct Deposit from within their PEF online account. By signing up for direct deposit, the charity agrees to have all their grants sent via direct deposit in NIS. Once their bank information has been approved by Clearshift, our payment provider in Israel, the charity will be considered fully registered.
All charities must sign up for Direct Deposit in order to receive grants from PEF. We do not issue grants in US dollars.
How do we update our charity's description on the PEF website?
Please email us at to update your charity’s description.
Our charity has had a change of personnel, name, or contact information. How do I update it?
Please send an email to to update your official contact information.
My charity is fully registered but I can't login to my PEF online account
Please contact for assistance with logging into your account, including password resets.
But if your charity’s contact information has changed, or if the email that you originally registered with us as your official contact is no longer valid, then you will first need to update your contact information. Please contact Larisa Vainberg at to update your official contact information.
How often does PEF issue grants to Israeli charities?
We issue grants once a week, typically on Fridays, and the charities get the money the following week on Wednesday or Thursday morning depending on banking conditions in Israel. The grant will be dated Friday but you should see the funds in your account on the following Wednesday/Thursday morning. Holidays in the US and in Israel may alter/delay the grant schedule.
We do not inform each recipient charitable organization of an impending grant. Charities can consult their PEF online ledger to see their current gifts and grants.
Does PEF accept credit cards?
PEF is now pleased to accept donations via credit card through an online fundraising company called CauseMatch. Participating charities – including PEF – feature a Donate button on their website which enables donors to make recommended contributions to approved charities via a dedicated PEF credit card gateway. The gateway is hosted by Stripe which offers specially discounted per transaction processing fees for a 501(c)3 of 2.2% + 30¢ for non-AmEx transactions and 3.5% for AmEx transactions. As always, PEF does not add any fees or handling charges to process these transactions.
Charities wishing to participate in this program should contact CauseMatch by clicking here. CauseMatch does not charge for setting up and maintaining this platform but would be pleased to discuss other paid fundraising products and services it offers with charities who are in need of such services. Please note: CauseMatch will be processing all credit card donations – not PEF.
Contact CauseMatch at for any issues/assistance with your credit card donations.
We are aware that a grant was approved and is on its way to me. When can I expect to see the funds in my account?
Grants approved each week are typically funded on Friday and converted the following Monday, with the MASAV deposits being made overnight on Tuesday/Wednesday. The grant will be dated Friday but you should see the funds in your account on the following Wednesday/Thursday morning. Holidays in the US and in Israel can delay the arrival of funds.
We received a grant from PEF. Where do I find the donor information?
Please login to your PEF online account for gift/grant updates. That is how you find information: www.pefisrael.net
You can see all incoming gifts (and donor information) on the LEDGER. This only shows activity that happens in our General Fund.
The DASHBOARD shows ALL GRANTS that have been issued to the charity -including from any PEF funds that don’t show on the Ledger.
Where do I find donor information for gifts made by credit card through an Israeli website or CauseMatch campaign?
If you signed up with CauseMatch please login to your CauseMatch account to see individual donor/gift information. PEF receives bulk payments from CauseMatch on a weekly basis and those payments will be visible in your PEF online account LEDGER under the name “PEF – CauseMatch donations”. Those entries will show the CauseMatch batch number so that you can determine which gifts were included. PEF only receives the total NET amounts after all the fees have been deducted.
Since PEF is unable to process credit card donations directly we partnered with CauseMatch so that we could make this service available. They fully administer the program and can assist you with any further questions:
What is direct deposit and how does it work?
When PEF issues a grant to a charity the funds will be deposited in NIS directly to their Israeli bank account. Israeli charities that have registered with PEF will receive Direct Deposit registration information once their account shows activity.
First the charity will need to register for access to their PEF online account where they’ll be able to see all their gifts and grants.
Then they’ll need to register for Masav – Direct Deposit. By signing up for direct deposit, the charity agrees to have all their grants sent via direct deposit in NIS.
All charities need to sign up for Direct Deposit in order to receive grants from PEF. We do not issue grants in US dollars.
What exchange rate is used to convert the USD grant to NIS?
Our financial services provider in Israel has committed to PEF that the exchange rate will always be based on the Bank of Israel official daily rate, known as the “Sha’ar Yatzig”, on the date of the exchange. That rate can always be verified on the Bank of Israel web site: www.boi.org.il. The effective rate you receive will be around 0.3% below the official rate.
Why is there a fee for the conversion and delivery of the grant funds?
While PEF does not charge any fee for processing and delivering the grant, we do pass on to our grantees the standard fee charged by Clearshift, our financial services provider in Israel. Their fee of 0.25% is deducted from each transfer. There is no “hidden fee” in the exchange rate because, unlike the banks, the exchange rate will always be exactly the official rate with no markup.
For individual grants of $125k and above, Clearshift automatically provides a tiered discounted fee such that a single grant of $250k will result in a discount of 10%, 35% on $500k and 50% on $1mm. Single grants of $1mm will use the same sliding scale and will actually see discounts greater than 50%.
For more information on Clearshift Services see:
What are the benefits to receiving your grants from PEF via direct deposit?
- Speed – Direct deposits will be available in your NIS account immediately upon arrival.
- Clarity – Funds are deposited electronically into your account and a full listing of the exchange rate and any fees will accompany each transaction.
- Savings – The cost of depositing a foreign check (or receiving a foreign wire) and converting it to NIS varies from one organization to another, but it is not unusual for banks to take as much as 1.5% in various fees and rate markups and to delay crediting your account. Clearshift provides no “hidden fee” in the exchange rate because, unlike the banks, the exchange rate will always be exactly the official rate with no markup.
Can I receive a direct deposit grant in US dollars?
No. Direct deposits are only made in NIS.
Is there a benefit to opening an account directly with Clearshift?
Clearshift does have some incentive and rebate programs for PEF grantees that open an account with Clearshift. Clearshift should be contacted directly for the details.
We need the grant funds to remain in USD. What are our options?
While we don’t encourage speculation on future exchange rates, we acknowledge that there are times when it may be important to an amutah to maintain the original USD value of a grant until the funds are ready to be expended in Shekels. Our recommended solution is to use a “Patzam” (פצ”מ). These are Dollar-linked deposits offered by all of the major Israeli banks. Once the full value of the grant funds is received by your amutah in Shekels, you can place the funds in a “Patzam” so that your deposit will retain its USD value. Depending on the maturity of the deposit, bank may offer interest on these deposits. When the deposit matures, the value of the Shekel deposit will track any changes the value of the Dollar from the time of the deposit until the maturity.
If the Dollars are actually needed to make payments due in USD inside or outside of Israel, you may wish to contact our provider Clearshift regarding opening an account to make foreign currency payments.
Is our bank going to charge us for receiving the MASAV deposit?
No. Other than the standard per-statement line charges (usually between 1 and 2 Shekels) that your bank may charge for activity in your account, Shekel deposits through MASAV avoid the foreign currency transaction fees and correspondent fees that are typically charged for wires or check deposits.
We received an email that our direct deposit registration was approved. Does this mean that we should expect to see a deposit in our account in the coming days?
No. Your registration is not connected to any specific grant. The next time a grant is made to you, it will be made via a MASAV deposit. You will receive an email notice from Clearshift on the day the deposit appears in your account, which will include the relevant details of the grant but NOT the list of gifts and donors relevant to the grant. For that information you’ll need to login to your PEF online account.
How do I update/change a charity’s bank information?
You’ll need to re-register for Direct Deposit. Login to your PEF online account at www.pefisrael.net
Then click on Register for Direct Deposit in the menu bar, type in the new IBAN and then click submit. The page will then prompt you to upload a new scanned check. Your PEF account will be put on HOLD and no grants will be issued while your new information is reviewed. Once your new information has been approved by Clearshift you’ll receive an email notification and your PEF account will become active again.
Why do I need to upload a copy of a check from my NIS account?
The check is used to verify your bank account number and ensure that the transfers are made correctly. If you don’t have a check for the account, you can upload either a bank statement or other document from the bank showing the name on the account, the amutah ID and the branch and account numbers. Contact Clearshift for further assistance: ()
Where do I find the IBAN of my NIS account?
You can get the IBAN (International Bank Account Number) from your bank, either by logging on to their online banking website or by contacting your branch directly.
We are looking for the deposit in our bank account. How does the deposit appear in our bank statement?
The deposit will be in NIS under the name of our Israeli trustee Mishmeret. Login to your PEF online account to find gift information on your LEDGER and DASHBOARD.
We see the deposit. How was the NIS amount calculated?
You will receive an email notification from Clearshift showing the exchange rate and the calculation of the NIS amount deposited.
The Clearshift email DOES NOT PROVIDE DETAILS REGARDING THE GIFTS. You will need to login to your PEF ONLINE account and check the LEDGER and DASHBOARD FOR THE DETAILS.
If you signed up for credit card processing through CauseMatch then you’ll need to login to your CauseMatch account for details of any credit card contributions sent to PEF.
I'm not getting the Clearshift payment notifications. How do I update the email address for that?
Login to your PEF online account at www.pefisrael.net
In the black menu bar at the top click on My Account and then on Update Direct Deposit Contacts.
To whom do we make out the receipt and in what currency? How do we send our receipt?
Please do not send us a receipt via mail or email. You must upload it to your PEF online Dashboard.
The receipt should be made out to PEF Israel Endowment Funds. Your receipt should include the USD amount on the receipt. You should send “thank you” letters to any listed donors, not receipts.
In order to upload your receipt please login to your PEF online account and go to your DASHBOARD. There you will see the list of all the grants recently issued to you. Choose the row of the grant for which you have a receipt. At the far right there is a column named “Receipt” – if you click on the link it will allow you to upload the receipt for that grant. Once you have loaded it the symbol will become a check mark indicating that your receipt has been received.
You can upload multiple receipts for each grant (although we strongly prefer only one receipt for each grant) by simply clicking on the “blue arrow” icon and uploading another file. To see all the receipts you have uploaded for a particular grant just click on the “check mark” symbol and you’ll see the list of file names. You can delete any file(s) you see there by clicking on the “X” to the left of the file name.
The receipt must be uploaded to your PEF online account. DO NOT EMAIL IT TO US.
Can you give us PEF's wire instructions so that we can give them to our donors?
No. We do not allow charities to distribute our bank information since the information can change without notice. Failure to comply with this rule can result in the suspension of a charity’s account.
Please tell your donors to send an email to asking for our wire instructions. We do not give this information to charities because then we will receive “mystery” funds and not know where to allocate them- resulting in DELAYS in your receiving the funds. We must have a direct series of emails with the donors to insure that we can identify the funds properly and acknowledge the donors correctly.
We want to make sure that every charity receives their donations as soon as possible during this difficult time.
We have a donor who wants to give stock. How does that work? Can you give us your broker information?
Please ask your donors to send an email to asking for stock instructions. We do not allow charities to distribute our broker information since our information can change without notice.
First the donor should request our current stock instructions. Then they must send us the required notification so that they can send the shares to our broker. When our broker notifies us that the shares have arrived then we sell the shares and receive cash from the sale. The total cash proceeds will be the amount available for the donor’s grant recommendation(s).
The donor will be acknowledged for the average value of the stock on the day that we receive it (the NON-CASH VALUE of the shares). However, the actual proceeds realized from the sale of the stock may be higher or lower, depending upon market fluctuations beyond our control. We will not know the exact amount of the proceeds until we receive the broker’s payment, typically within a week after the sale. The total CASH proceeds that we receive will be the amount available for the donor’s recommendation. Their acknowledgment letter for tax purposes will only show the non-cash value of the shares, not the cash proceeds amount. But we will notify the donor of both amounts once the gift has been fully processed.
How does an Israeli charity apply for a grant from PEF?
A PEF registered amutah may submit a brief but detailed proposal to the Trustees for their consideration via email at . There is no form to fill out. However, the great majority of requests are not fulfilled. Please do not call to follow up on the status of an application since our staff will not have that information. There will be no reply if you are not awarded a grant. You will be contacted if you receive a grant, but again, very few requests are granted.
We recommend that you make sure that you are currently registered with PEF in good standing before submitting a proposal.