AMERICAN COMMITTEE FOR THE TEL AVIV FOUNDATION
Raising the quality of life of each Tel Avivian through partnerships that enhance our city's values of openness, innovation, inclusion and opportunity.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The American Committee helps fund projects and programs serving the residents of Tel Aviv-Yafo by raising the quality of life of each Tel Avivian through partnerships that enhance the city's values of openness, creativity, innovation, inclusion and opportunity. By helping to create opportunities for all residents of Tel Aviv-Yafo, the Tel Aviv Foundation We deliver projects that inspire hope, embolden people, nurture ideas and create opportunities for inclusive growth in the city. We do this with our civic leadership, commitment to the community, and its values, passion, pride, and nonstop focus on the future. The Foundation is committed to securing a modern city of vibrancy and inclusion, enhancing the pluralistic and tolerant values of Tel Aviv – a city that embraces, welcomes, and empowers all, no matter who they are or where they’re from.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Hemda
HEMDA Center for Science Education, serves as the scientific arm to all high schools in Tel Aviv-Yafo. HEMDA has its own, specially designed campus for science education. HEMDA assumes the responsibility of teaching Physics, Chemistry and/or Computational Science to 9th to 12th grade students according to the Israeli curriculum, preparing them for Matriculation Examinations and much beyond.
HEMDA is not a high school – it is a science center that serves 18 high schools across the city. HEMDA is not an enrichment center – It teaches chemistry and physics for all advanced level students in a deeper, wider and more engaging way than any regular school. HEMDA is resting on highly qualified teachers (most of them Ph.D.s) in 18 cutting-edge, well equipped laboratories. The educational concept of HEMDA is built on integrating theoretical studies with experimental work. Traditional separation between classes and laboratories is broken: teacher's demonstrations and hands on experiments for students, many of them computer controlled implementing the results in models and simulations.
The unique model of HEMDA results in many advantages for the students: special program for 9th grades aiming at science-learning motivation and skills through specially designed experiments; worldwide unique program for excellent students named "computational Science"; excellence classes for in-depth physics; enrichment courses and special projects; a variety of workshops, books for the benefit of country-wide students and developing new experiments. During 2016-2017 academic year, 2000 students from 18 high schools attend HEMDA every week marking a record in its 25 years history.
High tech program for girls in grades 6
In Israel, the proportion of women in computer science academia is 20% -30%. The gender stigma about girls and science persists, and more needs to be done to lift female participation in this field. An important lever to address this is to expose girls to science and technology early and in a positive way so that they develop interest and motivation from a young age.
A new High Tech program for Grade 6 students has been designed in partnership between the Education Administration of the Municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel Ministry of Education, Wix.com, and the Tel Aviv Teachers Development Center. The program will create a continuous learning track from elementary school through to middle school.
The goal of the program is to engage girls at elementary school level in computational thinking and coding in order to develop competency in, and a positive attitude towards science and technology.
The program will run in 30 elementary schools and impact 1000 students. It will teach computational thinking, programming languages, team work, advanced creative thinking and problem solving skills in fun and interesting ways.
The Tel Aviv Foundation is seeking a philanthropic investment towards the first three years of the program, which creates a meaningful time period to measure its impact in terms of STEM subject uptake by girls in middle school.
Afternoon care for asylum seeker children
There are approximately 42,000 refugees, asylum seekers and migrant workers living in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Half of these are asylum seekers, the majority of whom are Eritreans with some Sudanese. This includes approximately 4,400 children of asylum-seekers, the majority of whom are aged 0-6. In Israel, asylum seekers lack basic rights. As a result, the risks and dangers faced by this community as a whole – and by the weaker members in particular – are extreme.
Many parents are absent due to the need to work long hours to survive. Once children finish kindergarten or school in the early afternoon, they often return to unsafe environments. In many cases, their home environments are unsafe as they share apartments or rooms with other adults who are abusive. Other children roam the streets and are exposed to the many dangers there: drugs, traffic, etc. Only a small minority of children of asylum seekers (approximately 800 out of 5,000) have afternoon care until 6.00pm.
The Municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo currently operates 25 afternoon care programs for children of asylum seekers. These facilities are staffed by professional educators and social workers to provide children with a safe and nurturing environment from after kindergarten or school ends until the evening. Critically, these programs help to address many of the key challenges faced by children of asylum seekers. They provide the enrichment, support and nutrition children need. However, the number of children far exceeds the number of afternoon care places available.
The Municipality is therefore seeking to expand afternoon care to an additional 1,200 kindergarten children (aged 3-6) in 35 classes and 2,045 school-aged children (in grades 1-4).
The Tel Aviv Foundation seeks a philanthropic investment towards afternoon care programs for children of asylum seekers. This requested donation is over three years to ensure continuity and consistency of care.
Lituf - Supporting caregivers of people with dementia
The Lituf program is designed to support caregivers of people with dementia.
After assessing the dementia patient and main caregiver’s needs, a treatment plan is developed for the caregiver and other relevant family members to equip them with practical tools to cope with dementia and information about other services available in the community. The program offers six 90-minute counselling sessions and follow-up telephone sessions.
Lituf is designed to:
Support people with dementia so that they can remain at home with caregivers rather than moving to an institution.
Reduce the emotional burden for caregivers and improve their capabilities to care for the person with dementia.
Improve caregivers’ preparedness and ability to manage crisis situations, thereby reducing the incidence of abuse and neglect.
The program has served some 260 families since it was initiated in 2016 and feedback has been very positive.
The Tel Aviv Foundation is seeking a philanthropic investment to continue and expand the Lituf program for caregivers of people with dementia living in the city.
Social finance to reduce loneliness & social isolation for the elderly
Improving well-being for a growing ageing population and tackling one of the biggest urban challenges today
Tel Aviv has the second largest population of over 65’s in Israel, a country with an above-average prevalence of loneliness. Loneliness among the elderly significantly impairs their quality of life, and has shown to have an adverse effect on both physical and mental health. Elderly people present with significantly higher rates of clinical depression and dementia, and a greater need for residential and medical care.
Consequently, loneliness among the elderly takes a considerable financial toll on public sector resources. And a growing ageing population due to the retirement of “baby boomers” and the increase in life expectancy creates a major new social and economic challenge.
Social Finance Israel is working with private investors, the Municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo and The Tel Aviv Foundation to develop the first Social Impact Bond in Israel aimed at reducing loneliness and social isolation. Social Impact Bonds (also commonly referred to as “pay for success” partnerships) are innovative financial instruments that utilizes capital from private investors to fund prevention programs and improve social outcomes.
This program will be run by a service provider which specializes in the field of loneliness and the elderly. It will offer a mix of digital and face-to-face experiences to connect elderly people with social and support services in their community. It aims to reduce loneliness and social isolation by 20% for elderly residents over 12 months.
Social support for refugee and asylum seeker children at risk and with special needs
There are approximately 42,000 refugees, asylum seekers and migrant workers living in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Half of these are asylum seekers, the majority of whom are Eritreans with some Sudanese. This includes approximately 5,000 children of asylum-seekers, the majority of whom are aged 0-6. In Israel, asylum seekers lack basic rights. As a result, the risks and dangers faced by this community as a whole – and by the weaker members in particular – are extreme.
Approximately 850 children per year are identified as at-risk and treated by social workers through the Municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo. This means 20% of children in the asylum seeker community face physical violence, sexual violence, extreme poverty and neglect. Approximately 66% come from families with a single mother; 25% of all children report physical abuse at home; 240 parents report physical disabilities or severe emotional distress; some suffer from a psychiatric disorder, and most do not have access to adequate support. None of these families or children are eligible for governmental social security allowances.
Over 330 children with special needs from 180 families receive treatment through the Municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo each year, for conditions including autism spectrum disorder, physical and mental disabilities, various diseases, developmental cognitive disabilities, and Down syndrome. There is a significant challenge as many parents are not able to identify or respond appropriately to their child’s condition.
The Tel Aviv Foundation is seeking a philanthropic investment towards support services for children and families at risk and/or who have special needs. The requested donation extends over three years to ensure continuity and consistency of support for this high distress community.
Respite center for people with disabilities
Every child or adult with a disability who lives at home with their parents (or in a foster home) is entitled to short-term stays in a supported environment in case of a family emergency, personal crisis, family vacation, or following medical treatment.
Over 15,000 residents of Tel Aviv-Yafo receive disability support through social security, of which 2,000 are under the age of 18. This represents some 4,000 households in the city with a family member with a disability.
There are no respite facilities in Tel Aviv-Yafo, which means families must access facilities elsewhere in the country. They face waiting lists and the need to travel places an additional burden on these families.
Respite is a very important contributor to family well-being. It enables parents to go on vacation abroad or deal with illnesses or other crises with the confidence that their child/adult with a disability is being well looked after; it reduces stress and burnout for parents who care for a child/adult requiring a high level of care; and it creates opportunities for parents who have multiple children to spend quality time with those who do not have a disability.
The Municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo is planning to build a two-story rehabilitation center on an 850 square meter plot of land in the HaMashtela neighborhood in north Tel Aviv. The rehabilitation center is designed for children aged 0-3 with physical and developmental disabilities.
There is a unique opportunity to leverage this project and build an additional floor to create a respite center to serve people with a disability in the city.
The respite center is designed to comprise five bedrooms with bathrooms and showers to accommodate 10 people, a multi-purpose room, kitchen and living room. The respite center will include a program to teach young adults independent daily living skills during their stay at the center, in order to prepare them for adulthood and future independent or supported living.
The Tel Aviv Foundation is seeking a philanthropic investment to build and equip the first and only Respite Center in the city.
City Artist Project
The City Artist program is designed to showcase the work of an important iconic artist who grew up in Tel Aviv. It aims to cultivate a love and appreciation of historic Israeli cultural figures among new generations of Israelis who may not be familiar with the artist’s work. Each year, a new artist who is central to Tel Aviv’s cultural heritage will be selected for the program. The first year will focus on the work of Natan Alterman.
Natan Alterman is a beloved poet, playwright, journalist, and translator. This project will help to ensure his impact on Tel Aviv’s cultural heritage lives on for future generations. Thirty different public events and activities will be developed over a 12 month period. Some will be one-off events while others will run over a period of months (e.g. educational activities in city libraries). The artist’s work will be explored in a variety of ways: from literature to visual art, video art, theater, dance, and children’s activities.
The Tel Aviv Foundation is seeking a philanthropic investment in the City Artist program. The requested donation is over three years to ensure growth and continuity of the program.
Tuned Tune music program for children at risk
The Tuned Tune program offers singing and musical instrument lessons to children at risk who live in boarding schools and foster families. The program is run by the Israel Conservatory of Music, Tel Aviv, a leading and well-recognized educational institution for music in Israel.
Research shows that music can have a therapeutic influence and contribute to individual development and empowerment. Playing music contributes to children’s self-confidence; offers a means of expression and a support structure they would not otherwise have; and cultivates important skills and qualities like persistence and team work.
This is especially the case for at-risk groups. One Israeli study of at-risk children showed that music had a significant positive impact on their cognitive development and social skills; that the children benefited from the connectedness provided in one-on-one lessons; and that performing gave them feelings of success and satisfaction.
Given the impact to date and the importance of music education, The Conservatory aims to give every at-risk child who is interested the opportunity to participate in the Tuned Tune program.
In order to expand the program and deepen its impact, the Tel Aviv Foundation and Israel Conservatory of Music seek additional funding.
Marva
Approximately one in five elderly people in Israel suffers from elder abuse (physical, emotional or economic) and neglect by a person they trust, such as family members or caregivers. the phenomenon of self-neglect, a behavioral state in which an individual neglects to attend to his/her basic needs, is also common among elderly. Most seniors do not know how, or are unable to defend and protect themselves. These situations pose a real danger to their physical and mental well-being.
As the elderly population in Tel Aviv-Yafo grows (approximately 69,000 people), the phenomena of elder abuse and neglect – and the need for legal assistance to address it – have increased. However, seniors can face significant difficulties in obtaining legal assistance, due among other things to the high cost of legal services, confinement to their home, language difficulties. In addition, due to family or other ties with the abusers, many seniors find it emotionally difficult to act legally against the abusers. Therefore, addressing the problem often requires a combined legal and therapeutic approach.
Where we work
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of clients assisted with legal needs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Age groups, Social and economic status, Family relationships
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The American Committee for The Tel Aviv Foundation raises funds to support projects and programs with four principal goals:
1) Providing precise and time-specific solutions to communities in need and the city at large.
2) Fulfilling ‘The Lighthouse City’ vision, strengthening the city’s core values and the Tel Avivan DNA.
3) Advocating and strengthening a culture of giving, generosity, social responsibility, and local philanthropy.
4) Preserving the fund’s stability while promoting equality and professionalism.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
For over four decades the Tel Aviv Foundation has been the City of Tel Aviv’s main philanthropic agent, creating long-term global partnerships that have delivered over 800 projects throughout the city, including some of Tel Aviv’s most important cultural, educational and social initiatives and icons – reshaping the physical and human landscape of the “Nonstop City”.
We do this with our civic leadership, commitment to the community, and its values, passion, pride, and nonstop focus on the future.
All projects and programs are developed and executed in full partnership with the Municipality, thus offering a unique “city matching program” – with the Municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo matching each contribution dollar-to-dollar – a partnership that ensures accountability, promotes cooperation between donor and recipient, and strengthens the bond between Israel and the United States.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Focusing on innovation and positive change, together with our partners, The Tel Aviv Foundation strives to create a future of cutting-edge infrastructures and a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem.
A team of professionals working with the Foundation and its partners, along with social workers and experts throughout Tel Aviv working with the Municipality ensuring that our resources are utilized as effectively as possible and have a profound and long-lasting impact on the city and its people.
Our networks and expertise are the foundation of the committed, long-lasting partnerships and transparency that guides our efforts and ensures our success.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In 2020, the American Committee focused its efforts in response to the Covid-19 pandemic on raising support for the Tel Aviv-Yafo Mayor's Emergency Relief Fund. The Fund has raised more than $4.4 million from supporters around the world to provide immediate and vital assistance to the most marginalized populations in Tel Aviv-Yafo: Holocaust Survivors and the Elderly, Welfare Families and the Homeless, Asylum Seekers and Work Immigrants, Jaffa and the Arab Community, Women Suffering Domestic Violence and Prostitution, Students at Risk, Artists and the Creative Community, and Small Business Owners.
In 2021, the American Committee refocused its efforts on existing projects and programs that were delayed or unable to be conducted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as new projects and programs that were already in the pipeline and developed throughout 2020. Numerous projects in various areas are now under construction, including: The Educational Surfing Center, The Beit Tami Cultural Center, The Great Synagogue, The Ironi Hey Spacebook Library, The Tel Aviv Green Initiative, HaMakom, Batsheva Arts Complex, The Gagon Homeless Center, and more.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
AMERICAN COMMITTEE FOR THE TEL AVIV FOUNDATION
Board of directorsas of 06/12/2023
Stuart Kurlander
Josh Weston
Jose Galicot
Nathan Hevrony
Steven Hirth
Bernard Kossar
Walter Lieber
Nahal Nellis
David Weinstein
Tzili Charney
Seth Greenberg
Talia Day
Joanne Moore
David Sable
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Not applicable -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 05/20/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.