Keren Hayesod – United Israel Appeal (the Foundation Fund)
Since 1920, Keren Hayesod (the Foundation Fund) has been at the forefront of Israel's growth and progress. Its history has been inextricably intertwined with that of the State of Israel and the Zionist movement.
In its early years, with the help of donations raised throughout the Jewish world, Keren Hayesod brought tens of thousands of Jews fleeing Europe to Eretz Yisrael, helped absorb them, established over 900 urban and rural settlements while providing the newcomers with homes and jobs, and developed the economic, industrial, educational, and cultural framework for the state-on-the-way.
After the establishment of the State, Keren Hayesod – United Israel Appeal became one of the country’s “National Institutions”. The 1956 "Keren Hayesod Law" recognized the organization’s unique status as the official fundraising arm for the State of Israel.
Today, in partnership with the global Jewish community, and in close co-ordination with the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel and the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Hayesod, a non-profit corporation, continues to work to further the national priorities of the State of Israel and world Jewry.
Keren Hayesod has continued to grow and expand. Today, as the linchpin of a global, Israel-centered partnership, it operates over 60 campaigns in more than 45 countries around the world. Many of these campaigns enjoy active Women's Divisions and Young Leadership campaigns. In addition to fundraising through annual donations, donors also have the option of planned giving through gifts in wills and endowment fund gifts.
For over a century, Keren Hayesod has turned vision into a flourishing reality. With the help of outstanding lay leaders, Keren Hayesod - United Israel Appeal continues to be a unique network that connects Jewish communities on five continents, serving as a bridge to our ancestral homeland.
The Head Office in Jerusalem, under the leadership of the World Chairman, the Director General and other officers, is responsible for the overall management of the organization, including worldwide campaigns that engage in the entire spectrum of fundraising activities.