In the Spring issue of Sapir, philanthropist Linda Mirels offers some sharp insight in her article “Reimagining Philanthropy for the Start-Up Nation.” Global engagement is crucial for Israel’s survival, she argues, and Israel’s fate is intertwined with international Jewry’s welfare, so donating to Israel should be seen as a strategic investment benefiting both Israel and the broader Jewish world.

While it saddens me that this argument needs to be articulated in print these days, it isn’t surprising. The idea of increased investment in everything from improving Israel’s military systems to its agribusiness sector cannot be repeated often enough. The outpouring of support in a post-Oct. 7 world has been one of the few bright spots in a time of darkness that has illustrated, spectacularly, how “othered” American Jewry is in the minds and hearts of much of the world. While philanthropy is a laudable pursuit regardless of the sector it supports, there is currently a vacuum effect in the area of what I would argue is Israel’s most important asset: its citizens.

Israel has one of the largest civil society sectors in the world in terms of registered organizations per resident; and among the country’s 20,000 active civil society-focused nonprofits, 400 are nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) focused specifically on human rights, humanitarian aid, coexistence and peace. These organizations currently lack critical investment in fields like education (the numbers are dismal); marginalized communities; poverty (about 20% of Israelis live at or below the poverty line); and the most vulnerable, the very future of Israeli society —  the children. 

I want to present what I think is a strong case for heavy investment by family foundations and private citizens in Israel’s civil and shared society organizations.

Of course, Birthright and its peers are all important organizations to support, as are the various universities and cultural institutions, the IDF and the hospitals whose names grace the social calendars of the Jewish world with their $1000 per plate dinners. If you choose to focus your Israel investments and resources in these arenas, may all blessings be upon you, as you are doing wonderful work. Nevertheless, we should be more or at least equally concerned with the organizations that support the country’s most vulnerable citizens — those who will create Israel’s future — which are being crushed under the slashed budgets and increased needs of wartime.

A survey conducted by The Center for Jewish Impact (CJI) showed 59% of the Israeli public believe that civil society organizations contributed more significantly to the victims of Oct. 7 and the Swords of Iron War compared to the Israeli government and its institutions. Another survey conducted by Hebrew University found data that, while not shocking, is sobering: Since Oct. 7, 87% of Israeli NGOs have expanded their offerings to add new services, largely because they were experiencing an 84% rise in requests for support by Israel’s citizens. The same study revealed that 83% of Israeli NGOs have been unable to provide even their most basic assistance since the war began. 

Finally, the most impactful number to support my argument: Only 35% of all NGOs surveyed have seen increased support from private philanthropic foundations and individual donors and investors, which lies in stark contrast to the established investment across military, governmental, medical, academic and technical slices of society that has doubled since Hamas’ brutal invasion. 

The organizations I propose we pivot toward are not start-ups. In most cases, they have been doing the work for decades — and are now doing five times the work on one-third of their budgets. Here are three examples of Israeli nonprofits you have never heard of that are supporting and, in some cases, creating Israel’s future, though I could easily list 50:

Alumot Or operates nine schools for special needs students throughout Israel, and cooperates closely with six more. I had the privilege of visiting a school three a few weeks ago. As the mother of a neurodivergent child, these kids hold a personal meaning for me that they should for all of us: That any society is only as strong as how they raise their most vulnerable citizens. 

These children are from every corner of Israeli society and include the panoply of races, ethnicities, and religions that make Israel such a diverse country. The care these children receive is like nothing I’ve witnessed previously. Some of these kids have been displaced since October 2023, and yet despite how difficult transition and change can be for an autistic child, they are flourishing. 

Each school has a list of capital projects that will directly and positively affect the learning environment. They are not expensive in the grand scheme of things and would contribute exponentially to their education, growth and future. 

For instance, Alumot Or, is committed to creating the Noya Dan Experiential Center for Autism in the Eshkol Regional Council in southern Israel (Dan, a 12-year-old autistic child, was murdered alongside her grandmother on Oct. 7). This project, planned and executed in cooperation with Dan’s family and Eshkol Regional Council, will cost less than $1 million. Try to create a center of that magnitude of importance under that price tag anywhere else.

SASA Setton is a leading social-educational organization dedicated to supporting the 41 schools located within hospitals across Israel. Since the enactment of a law in 2001, which mandates every hospital in Israel to include a school, Sasa Setton has been at the forefront of ensuring that no child among the 140,000 hospitalized annually is deprived of educational opportunities during one of the most challenging periods of their lives. 

In close collaboration with the Israeli Ministry of Education, SASA Setton is committed to delivering cutting-edge technology, state-of-the-art learning environments and a comprehensive, innovative curriculum tailored to children from diverse backgrounds, regardless of race, religion or socioeconomic status.

The organization’s success is built on its exceptional educational team, which includes national service volunteers and skilled instructors. They work closely with hospitalized children, providing emotional support and moments of joy and relief amidst the complexities of their medical situations. SASA Setton views education as a powerful tool for healing, helping children maintain a constructive routine and promoting overall well-being during their hospital stay also preparing for the day after. This is another compelling example of how practical donations can yield immense, far-reaching benefits.

Ma’agalim is partnered with the Ministry of Education in 80 schools throughout Israel to catch the most at-risk youth in eleventh grade, when they are on the precipice of joining the army and pursuing higher education and a career. For 25 years, through a simple mentorship program (in which the professional mentors are paid), Ma’agalim’s youth are heard and encouraged to dream of their futures. For most, this program may be the first time in their young lives they have been given the opportunity to focus on their future.

The return on investment from this program is stunning: Before Ma’agalim, less than 50% of these kids would have graduated from high school and signed on for public service (either through the IDF or in another capacity); instead, they would likely have spent their lives repeating the cycles that brought them to Ma’agalim in the first place. After the program, the number of graduations from high school and enlistment in public service skyrockets to 86%. To date, Ma’agalim has touched 43,000 students over its 25-year lifetime. Those numbers move the needle in a country like Israel, a nation still small and community-oriented enough to catch the kids that fall through the cracks.

If the global Jewish community fails to invest in Israel’s people, then all of Israel’s achievements will have been in vain. Investment in people living out their day-to-day lives may not be as sexy as what we have come to imagine modern philanthropy to be; nevertheless, we must understand that until we begin to concentrate our investment on Israelis, not just the State of Israel, we will continue to neglect Israel’s best resource: the individuals and families who made the desert bloom and became leaders of global innovation.

How can you get involved? Ask any Jewish donor advised funds to provide a vetted list of NGOs that work person-to-person. Contact the federation in your city to see what they support that fits this niche. Pick an area that resonates with you — homelessness, poverty, addiction, education — and then find the NGO in Israel doing the work and reach out.

The history of the Jewish people is predicated on the tikvah, the hope, for a country that can be a beacon of innovation, support and safety for all its citizens. Today, it is Israel’s people who define the very principle of the Start-Up Nation, and they deserve our whole support if they are to endure this current crisis. If not now, when? If not us, then who?

Rachel Lithgow has 30 years of experience as the CEO and executive vice president of legacy Jewish cultural institutions in the United States and Israel. She is a writer and the founder of the Noga Agency, which works in civil/shared society around the world.