Tmura – The Israeli Public Service Venture Fund has announced a record-breaking level of proceeds during 2013, generated from deals including Google’s acquisition of Waze, and Cisco’s acquisition of Intucell. Since its inception in 2002, Tmura has generated more than NIS 35,000,000 for Israeli nonprofits.

In addition, Tmura added a record number of companies that donated options, with 54 new high-tech companies signing up to Tmura’s innovative corporate giving program in 2013. This brings the total number of donor companies to 319, with new participants including Tipa, ScoreOID, Sqream, TawkOn, Parko, Tag’by, Medisafe, FTB Pro, MetaView, Big Blue Parrot, Ubimo, RotaryView, and enVerid.

Tmura uses proceeds from exit events to make grants to Israeli youth and education organizations, including, most recently, repeat grants to the following recipients:

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Israel – provides adult mentors for nearly 500 children of single-parent families in six areas around the country.
• Machshava Tova – operates computer centers in peripheral areas to teach computer skills and “narrow the digital gap.” Currently operates six centers as well as two mobile units. Recently selected to run a new youth center in Lod, together with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (“The Joint”), the municipality, and other strategic/funding partners.
• Sifriyat Pyjama – a pre-literacy and values program, based on a successful model operating in the United States. Currently distributes over 1,600,000 books to 210,000 pre-school aged children in 155 communities. In January, will begin a pilot for a similar program in the Arab sector.
• Tovanot B’chinuch – a program to empower elementary and high school principals. In just two years, has already grown its network to 14 schools in nine different communities, and also engages more than 900 volunteers.
• ValueSports – a program that utilizes sports activity to teach sportsmanship, values and character-building. Currently works with twelve youth sports clubs around the country and is piloting a project with Beer Sheva municipality to operate on a city-wide level. Also partnering with Wingate to implement this unique model on a national level.

“Tmura’s expansion in 2013 shows that our donation model provides an attractive giving option for high-tech companies,” said Yadin Kaufmann, Tmura’s founder and chairman, “as Tmura enabled 54 new start-ups and their teams to become involved in philanthropy.”

Founded in 2002, Tmura offers companies a unique way to contribute. Rather than soliciting cash donations, Tmura receives grants of stock from companies and uses the proceeds from successful “exits” to fund education and youth related charities in Israel.