8/15/2020 FAQs | New Israel Fund (NIF)
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FAQs
Over the past four decades, NIF has provided over $300 million to Israel’s progressive civil society organizations. Find out more about our approach to grant-making, capacity-building and initiatives.
What is the New Israel Fund? What has NIF accomplished since it was established in 1979?
The NIF family has been the agent of Israel’s most significant social change since its founding in 1979. We have won the most important legal and legislative victories that have improved the lives of tens of thousands of Israelis, opening doors to women, non-Orthodox Jews, Arab Israeli citizens, the LBGT community, immigrants and the disabled. Working at the cutting edge of sometimes- contentious social change, we have placed previously neglected issues on the public agenda and changed the consensus on some of Israel’s most difficult social issues.
Thirty years ago, Israel’s NGO sector consisted of small groups that were mostly partisan and allied with political parties, and charitable organizations dominated by traditional cultural, educational and religious institutions. Today there are more than 27,000 citizen-action groups, hundreds of which are helped each year by the New Israel Fund. NIF has also influenced the principles and practice of other philanthropies, resulting in additional support in areas such as the rights of Arab citizens, environmental justice, women’s rights and more.
The New Israel Fund has nurtured many of Israel’s best-known and most effective NGOs, including the Association for Civil Rights in Israel; B’Tselem; Association of Rape Crisis Centers; Community Advocacy: Genesis Israel; Israel Women’s Network; Adalah: Legal Center for the Arab Minority; Israel Religious Action Center; Bizchut: Human Rights Center for People with Disabilities; Jerusalem Open House; Kolech: Religious Women’s Forum; Tebeka: Legal Center for Ethiopian Immigrants; Worker’s Hotline, and many more.
What is the di erence between NIF and other Jewish philanthropies? Is NIF a “go-it-alone” organization or does it work with other philanthropies? How does NIF operate? Is NIF a “peace group?” Does it lobby in the U.S.? How is NIF governed, and how does its grant-making process work? What are NIF’s funding priorities? What are NIF’s funding guidelines? How Does NIF Raise its Annual Budget? What is Shatil? https://www.nif.org/about/faqs/ 1/2 8/15/2020 FAQs | New Israel Fund (NIF) What is your Federal Tax ID Number? Where is your Charitable Disclosure Notice?
Where does NIF stand on issues of religious pluralism? Does NIF fund programs in the Occupied Territories? Why does NIF focus substantial resources on supporting Arab (Palestinian-Israeli) organizations in Israel? What is NIF’s position on boycott, divestment and sanctions?
The New Israel Fund is committed to strengthening democracy in Israel, supports freedom of speech and promotes non-violent means of expression of belief and conscience. We oppose any attempt to criminalize the legitimate expression of support for any non-violent strategy or tactic, including the global BDS movement which we do not ourselves support.
NIF does oppose the global (or general) BDS movement, views the use of these tactics as counterproductive, and is concerned that segments of this movement seek to undermine the existence of the state of Israel as a Jewish homeland.
NIF will not fund global BDS activities against Israel nor support organizations that have global BDS programs.
However, NIF opposes the occupation and settlement activities. NIF will thus not exclude support for organizations that lawfully discourage the purchase of goods or use of services from settlements.
Jewish Nation-State Basic Law
More: Get a snapshot of NIF’s work from our Annual Report, and view NIF’s financial information »
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