Expanding and diversifying the activities of the Philanthropic Foundations Forum in Israel

Philanthropy has played a unique role in Israeli society, with foundations being highly active and instrumental in almost all areas of Israeli life. From education to welfare, culture to the environment, foundations establish institutions, support programs, and train professionals. Each with its own perspective and size, they all contribute to a better and stronger Israel.

In recent years, the philanthropic sector in Israel has become more dynamic and vibrant. Philanthropic strategies have led to innovations and systemic improvements. Especially in times of political instability, war and crisis, philanthropy and voluntarism have proven vital. Consequently, expectations of philanthropy are growing, and its position in Israeli society is becoming more nuanced.

As private institutions, foundations are independent in their decision-making and in the level of openness and transparency they choose to exercise. Their teams learn through practice, and their boards and leaders develop their standards and modi operandi. It is a new phenomenon for philanthropic foundations to consult with each other, bring their teams together for shared learning, and collaborate on joint initiatives.

We see potential for the Trump Foundation to contribute to the development of the Israeli philanthropic landscape. After more than a decade of catalytic philanthropy that has moved the national education needle, other foundations seek our insight and expertise. A year ago, the foundation approved a grant to the Jewish Funders Network Israel to convene Israeli education foundations for a joint learning group.

Now, we turned to the Forum of Foundations in Israel. Established in 1999, the Forum is a member-based initiative, gathering more than 90 foundations in Israel. It provides foundation teams with opportunities for joint learning and for sharing their experience and expertise. The Forum organizes conferences, courses, and workshops and fosters discourse on philanthropy, involving the government, universities and social organizations. Additionally, it maintains a database of philanthropic activities and shares updates with the members on a designated website and through newsletters.

The Forum is an initiative hosted for administrative and financial purposes under Matan, a nonprofit organization providing services to the social sector in Israel. The Forum’s current manager, appointed a year ago, was previously the CEO of a small foundation. The chair is invited to serve for several years and is selected by and from among the heads of the major and veteran foundations in Israel.

The Forum is proposing a five-year plan to expand its activity and asked Eli Hurvitz to volunteer as its chair. The plan includes creating a mentoring program for new team members at foundations, where they will learn from a veteran practitioner in a peer foundation; producing a monthly podcast to showcase and analyze best practices; and publishing a book of philanthropic case studies in Israel.

In addition, the Forum will initiate a dialogue with corporate philanthropies in Israel, particularly those of high-tech companies. Together they will convene to discuss potential areas for collaboration. Additionally, the Forum has approached the Prime Minister’s Office and Tel Aviv University to organize a course on philanthropy for high-ranking civil servants in relevant government ministries.

In the coming years, the Forum will need to devise a strategic plan on how it will become more relevant to additional philanthropic players, such as community foundations, Jewish Federations, and others.

* The text above shows the grant as approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors / Grant 577