About JFN
JFN is an international organization established in 1991 in the U.S. by a group of Jewish philanthropists, in order to encourage quality philanthropy by creating a platform for collaboration, activity and learning. Currently, the organization boasts 2,500 private funders, foundation managers and trustees from 11 countries worldwide, who have joined forces to promote significant giving and to take an active part in processes that change thought patterns and the activity of Jewish philanthropy.
JFN Israel was established in 2008, with the aim of providing Israeli funders and social investors, who constitute about one fourth of the members of the global network, a forum for sharing ideas regarding their philanthropic involvement and for expanding their circles of giving both in Israel and overseas.
Through a personal connection with the funder and their family, whether it’s an extended family with four generations-long legacy of giving or young entrepreneurs embarking on their first steps in meaningful giving, JFN is able to accompany its members on their philanthropic journey,
Strategic Philanthropy
Members of the network enjoy a wide range of expert lectures, workshops and strategic skills development, including training on civil society engagement and partnering with national and local government agencies. In an effort to promote impactful strategic giving, JFN publishes guides for intelligent giving in a wide range of areas, including in-depth analysis and recommendations for action.
Advisory Services
JFN assists philanthropists from Israel and abroad in building an effective and smart strategy for giving in Israel, through field analysis and mapping, facilitating personal learning tours, as well as meetings with leaders, other funders, opinion leaders and senior executives from all sectors of the society relevant to their areas of interest.
Family Philanthropy
In workshops, lectures, and group processes, JFN members are exposed to giving in a family context, learning how to structure a family decision-making mechanism and how to engage the “future generation” in family philanthropy. As part of JFN’s “Generations to Philanthropy” program, participants explore personal, value dilemmas, and develop their own path to philanthropy.
Meetings and Networking
Network meetings provide an opportunity for building relationships, sharing initiatives and learning innovative models of giving, forming a fertile ground for collaboration. JFN conferences in Israel, online and around the world combine unique content, professional experts and hundreds of philanthropists who are eager to learn and share their experiences, deepen their relationships with their funder peers and become an integral part of shaping the nature of Jewish philanthropy in the present and future.
Member-to-Member Connections
As a network organization, we introduce funders to colleagues with the same interests, for personal connection, learning and mutual exploration.
Peer Groups
JFN members who share common interests form peer groups for mutual learning and sharing, which include meetings, seminars and events, as the basis for creating collaborations.
Young Funders Forum (ages 30-50)
The forum brings together over 50 young funders from diverse backgrounds, convening four times a year to build community and learn advanced philanthropic strategies that are appropriate for young funders in a changing world.
Philanthropic Collaborations
JFN helps funders and foundations build philanthropic coalitions, integrating proven models and offering continued guidance and support from expert staff. Working together on shared goals, philanthropists can leverage resources, share knowledge and experience, and diversify risks, enabling them to make a significant social impact.
Establishment and Development of New Philanthropic Tools:
Keshet is Israel’s pioneerdonor-advised fund, enabling Israeli donors to receive immediate tax benefits on donated funds and to build their charitable giving with investment revenues. Using the fund, donors choose the organizations they wish to allocate grants to at a future time. The fund was established by JFN and is expected to increase the number of donors and the scope of giving in Israel.
Matching Grants
Matching grant programs are initiatives of philanthropic foundations who choose to develop their philanthropic impact by expanding the pool of funders in a given field.
Philanthropic Investment Map in Israel
JFN initiated and led a unique study to map the scope and characteristics of philanthropic activity in Israel and to provide donors with insight on where philanthropic money is invested and how it meets the challenges of Israeli society.
Identifying and Removing Barriers in the Philanthropic Field
JFN works to identify and remove legal, regulatory and other systemic barriers to giving, thus encouraging philanthropy in Israel.
Our Strength
JFN Israel is an accessible, intimate and productive meeting place for philanthropists who are interested in taking part in and/or initiating active and effective collaborative efforts. We help members acquire the tools to bring about real social change in Israel by offering networking opportunities, conferences and programs on a variety of topics. We also help facilitate philanthropic collaborations and joint ventures. For every activity, our vision of social change is to connect people, ideas and initiatives, in order to create added value for members, based on their needs and philanthropic agenda.
Our Unique Characteristics
JNF Israel’s strength lies in our members — philanthropists with a wide range of ideas and opinions, who connect with each other time and time again as part of creative think-tanks, groundbreaking programs and formative collaborations. All these activities help shape a productive and creative future for philanthropy. Our members feel a deep sense of concern for Israeli society. They keep abreast of the changes taking place in the philanthropic world, share helpful information with one another and work together to bring about real change in Israeli society.
The members of the network benefit from a wide range of services and tools uniquely developed for the Israeli philanthropic community.
Our Strength
JFN Israel is an accessible, intimate and productive meeting place for philanthropists who are interested in taking part in and/or initiating active and effective collaborative efforts. We help members acquire the tools to bring about real social change in Israel by offering networking opportunities, conferences and programs on a variety of topics. We also help facilitate philanthropic collaborations and joint ventures. For every activity, our vision of social change is to connect people, ideas and initiatives, in order to create added value for members, based on their needs and philanthropic agenda.
Our Unique Characteristics
JNF Israel’s strength lies in our members — philanthropists with a wide range of ideas and opinions, who connect with each other time and time again as part of creative think-tanks, groundbreaking programs and formative collaborations. All these activities help shape a productive and creative future for philanthropy. Our members feel a deep sense of concern for Israeli society. They keep abreast of the changes taking place in the philanthropic world, share helpful information with one another and work together to bring about real change in Israeli society.
The members of the network benefit from a wide range of services and tools uniquely developed for the Israeli philanthropic community.
