Birthright Israel Foundation

What Birthright Israel Foundation does

Birthright Israel Foundation is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, established in 2004 to serve as the primary U.S. fundraising arm of the Birthright Israel program. Founded in 1999, Birthright Israel sends Jewish young adults ages 18 to 26 on a free 10-day educational trip to Israel valued at approximately $5,000 per participant. The Foundation raises approximately $57 million annually in North America toward a total program cost of $172 million, with the balance funded by the Government of Israel, The Jewish Agency for Israel, and Jewish Federations of North America. The donor base comprises nearly 40,000 North American individual contributors annually, accepting gifts via website portal, donor-advised funds (Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable), stock transfers, wire/ACH, and planned giving vehicles through the Fund for the Jewish Future.

The Foundation's core product is the Classic 10-Day Birthright Israel Trip, supplemented by three post-trip engagement programs—Onward, Excel (a fellowship and business internship), and Volunteer—that extend alumni participation in Jewish communal life. The organization also publishes Journeys Magazine as a semi-annual donor and alumni resource and operates an Alum Ambassador Program in which alumni speak at galas and donor meetings for a $1,500 stipend. Distribution is multi-channel: website, email newsletter, social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, X, TikTok), in-person galas (e.g., New Jersey Gala, Boston and Long Island events), and partnerships with Hillel International, Moishe House, AIPAC, and Brandeis University's Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies. The organization does not rely on proprietary technology platforms.

Since 1999, Birthright Israel has sent 950,000+ Jewish young adults from 70 countries on free trips, with alumni located in 1,000+ North American colleges and universities. The Foundation's leadership includes President and CEO Elias Saratovsky and co-founder Charles Bronfman, with major donors including Leon and Toby Cooperman, Dr. Miriam Adelson, and Howard Kivell. The program reports substantial longitudinal outcomes—85% of alumni call the trip life-changing, 84% are raising Jewish children, and participants are 160% more likely to have a Jewish spouse—contributing $2.3 billion to the Israeli economy over the program's lifetime.

Name

Birthright Israel Foundation

Legal name

Birthright Israel Foundation

Website

https://birthrightisrael.foundation

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Birthright Israel Foundation is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises approximately $57 million annually from nearly 40,000 North American donors to fund free 10-day educational trips to Israel for Jewish young adults ages 18-26, as part of the broader $172 million Birthright Israel program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Educational Travel Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

Keywords

• Nonprofit fundraising
• Jewish education trips
• Donor cultivation
• Planned giving
• Educational travel

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The primary revenue stream comes from individual donors worldwide, with nearly 40,000 North American donors contributing annually. Donations range from one-time gifts to monthly recurring donations, with suggested amounts of $2,500, $1,000, and $500.
2. Government and Organizational Support: Funding also comes from the government of Israel, The Jewish Agency for Israel, and Jewish Federations, which co-sponsor the Birthright Israel trips.
3. Planned Giving / Legacy Gifts: The Fund for the Jewish Future offers planned giving vehicles including bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, endowments, retirement plan beneficiary designations, and life insurance policies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Birthright Israel Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises charitable funds to provide free 10-day educational trips to Israel for Jewish young adults ages 18-26. The foundation supports the broader Birthright Israel program portfolio, including the Classic Trip, Onward follow-up programs, Excel fellowship/internship program, and Volunteer program, as well as the Fund for the Jewish Future planned-giving initiative.

Product overview

Birthright Israel Foundation is a non-profit organization that raises funds to support Birthright Israel programs, the world's largest educational initiative in the Jewish community. The core offering is the Classic 10-Day Birthright Israel Trip—a free educational journey to Israel for Jewish young adults ages 18-26. The organization operates a portfolio of four immersive educational programs: the Classic 10-Day Trip, Onward (follow-up programs), Excel (fellowship/business internship), and Volunteer programs. Additionally, the Fund for the Jewish Future provides planned giving options including bequests, charitable gift annuities, and endowments. The organization also publishes Journeys Magazine as a semi-annual resource. All programs are designed to strengthen Jewish identity and connection to Israel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Birthright Israel Classic 10-Day Trip Flagship educational trip program offering young Jewish adults ages 18-26 a free 10-day immersive journey to Israel, featuring visits to historical sites (Western Wall, Masada, Yad Vashem), cultural experiences (Shabbat in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv exploration), and encounters with Israeli peers through the Mifgash program. Fully donor-funded at an average cost of $5,000 per participant.
• Birthright Israel Onward Follow-up programs for Birthright Israel alumni that provide continued engagement opportunities in Israel after the initial 10-day trip, supporting sustained Jewish identity and Israel connection.
• Birthright Israel Excel A fellowship and business internship program for Birthright Israel alumni that offers professional development and continued Jewish engagement opportunities.
• Birthright Israel Volunteer Volunteer programs enabling Birthright Israel alumni to engage in meaningful service opportunities in Israel.
• Fund for the Jewish Future Planned giving and legacy giving program offering vehicles such as bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, endowments, and retirement asset gifts to ensure long-term support for Birthright Israel.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of alumni feel the trip was life-changing
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supportive.

• The Jewish Agency for IsraelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Jewish Agency for Israel is a key organizational partner that helps facilitate the Birthright Israel program and its educational components.
• Hillel InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to help alumni continue their Jewish journey after returning from Birthright Israel trips through campus engagement.
• Moishe HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting post-trip engagement for Birthright Israel alumni to continue Jewish community involvement.
• Brandeis University Maurice & Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish StudiessupportiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner conducting longitudinal studies on Birthright Israel's impact on Jewish identity, providing data-driven credibility to program outcomes.
• AIPACsupportiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to help Birthright Israel alumni continue engagement in pro-Israel advocacy after their trip experience.
• Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContinued partnership supporting ongoing engagement and programming for Birthright Israel alumni.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hillel International: The largest Jewish campus-based student engagement organization, serving a closely overlapping demographic (Jewish young adults at 1,000+ North American colleges) and explicitly partnering with Birthright to continue alumni engagement post-trip.
• Jewish Federations of North America: A core financial and strategic partner of Birthright Israel Foundation that also independently funds Jewish identity, education, and community programs for a largely overlapping donor and beneficiary base.
• The Jewish Agency for Israel: Co-funder and core operational partner of Birthright Israel trips that independently runs Israel-engagement and Jewish-identity programs targeting the same young-adult demographic globally.
• Moishe House: Post-college Jewish community-residence nonprofit explicitly partnered with Birthright to provide ongoing Jewish engagement for alumni, serving the same young-adult cohort.
• Hadassah, The Women's Zionist Organization of America: Large U.S. Jewish nonprofit of comparable fundraising scale that supports Israel-related education, Zionist identity, and community programs targeting overlapping Jewish-American donor segments.
• American Jewish Committee (AJC): Major U.S. Jewish advocacy and identity organization with overlapping major-donor base and parallel mission of strengthening Jewish communal and Israel engagement.
• UJA-Federation of New York: The largest local Jewish federation in North America, funding overlapping Jewish identity, education, and Israel-engagement programs while sharing many major donors with Birthright Israel Foundation.
• Development Corporation for Israel (Israel Bonds): Sells Israel-linked bonds to U.S. Jewish investors and philanthropists, raising capital for Israeli priorities from a substantially overlapping high-net-worth Jewish donor base.
• March of the Living: International nonprofit running subsidized educational trips to Holocaust sites in Poland and Israel for Jewish young adults, directly competing for the same participant demographic and donor dollars.

Broad incumbents

• AIPAC: Largest pro-Israel advocacy organization in the U.S., explicitly partnered with Birthright to channel alumni into Israel-advocacy engagement; shares much of the major-donor infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BRIFGiving
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/BirthrightIsraelFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/BirthrightIsraelFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/birthright-israel-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/birthrightisrael_foundation
• TikToktiktok.com/@birthrightisraelfdn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds13 records

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Birthright Israel Foundation