The New Israel Fund (NIF) has met and exceeded a $40 million fundraising goal it set last year for the organization’s 40th anniversary and has now raised its goal to $50 million. The fundraising campaign was launched last year in conjunction with NIF’s 40th anniversary celebrations and focused on asking donors to consider including NIF in their estate plans. This success comes against the backdrop of a changing fundraising landscape and a time when many foundations face uncertainty about the future.

“The outpouring of generosity has been incredible” said Becky Buckwald, NIF’s Director of Planned Giving. “This campaign is a testament to the dedication of NIF donors, their trust in us as an organization, and their commitment to democracy and equality in Israel.” Funds raised will primarily go towards enhancing NIF’s endowment and will help ensure the organization is sustainable and effective for years to come.

“Supporting NIF was a natural extension of the values of our parents,” said Professor Louis Newman and Rabbi Amy Eilberg, longtime NIF supporters who committed to the campaign. “Here is an organization actively shaping Israel into the kind of society we all hope it will be–democratic, just and vibrant, a place in which all its citizens were treated equally regardless of religion, ethnic origin, gender or sexual orientation. When Israel someday becomes the country that its founders envisioned, we will know that our support for NIF helped make that possible.”

The $40 million goal was reached through a combination of commitments from supporters to include NIF in their wills, trusts, or other estate planning vehicles and bequests made directly to the campaign.

The New Israel Fund is the leading organization advancing and defending democracy in Israel. Widely credited with building Israeli progressive civil society, NIF has provided over $300 million to progressive civil society organizations in Israel since its inception in 1979.

For interviews or additional information, please contact Sharon Goldtzvik: 202.500.6362 / [email protected]