Israel Institute

What Israel Institute does

The Israel Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2012 by former Tel Aviv University President Professor Itamar Rabinovich with the support of Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies. Headquartered remotely in Washington, D.C., it operates with a small staff (1-10 employees) and does not accept government funding. Its mission is to expand access to rigorous, in-depth university coursework about modern Israel by facilitating the academic exchange of Israeli scholars to American and international universities.

The Institute administers four interconnected grant programs: the Visiting Faculty Program, which places Israeli professors at U.S. universities during sabbatical (grants $4,000-$21,000 per course depending on format and school tier); the three-year Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship, which embeds Israeli postdocs at top American universities (with grants covering average postdoc salaries of $45,000-$70,000); the Israel Studies Teaching Supplement, which funds Israeli adjunct instructors; and Faculty Development Grants of up to $10,000 for American and Canadian faculty developing new Israel-focused courses. The organization has built a network of 235 partner universities across 45 countries, supporting 1,860 courses and 43,878 students to date.

The revenue model is philanthropic rather than transactional. The organization is funded by charitable donations, with disclosed support from Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies (founding) and the Jim Joseph Foundation ($487,500 in 2015 and $850,000 in 2019). Go-to-market is community-led: Israeli scholars apply through online portals and are matched with host universities, while American universities invite scholars through formal partnership processes. Distribution relies on the website (israelinstitute.org), email newsletters, Instagram, and direct outreach through academic networks. Reported student outcomes include a 40% knowledge increase among course-takers and 96% expressing desire to learn more.

Name

Israel Institute

Legal name

Israel Institute

Website

https://israelinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Israel Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds academic exchange programs placing Israeli scholars at 235 partner universities across 45 countries, enabling in-depth university coursework about modern Israel through grants and fellowship programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Academic Exchange Programs

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Inbound Exchange Hosting & Visiting Student Administration (EDAIABAK), Degree-Level Scholarships (Undergrad/Masters/PhD/Postdoc) (EDAIAOAE)

Keywords

• Academic exchange programs
• Faculty development grants
• Visiting faculty programs
• Postdoctoral teaching fellowships
• Israel studies education

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropic Support: The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by charitable donations. It was founded with support from Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies and does not accept government funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Israel Institute administers grant-funded academic exchange programs that place Israeli scholars and faculty at American and international universities, enabling the development and delivery of university-level courses about modern Israel, Israeli society, history, politics, economics, literature, and culture. The organization functions as a grant-making intermediary, handling program design, scholar matching, visa and placement logistics, and funding disbursement in collaboration with 235 partner institutions across 45 countries.

Product overview

The Israel Institute operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a unified portfolio of academic grant and exchange programs designed to expand access to in-depth university coursework about Israel. The organization administers four interconnected programs: the Visiting Faculty Program (enabling Israeli professors to teach at U.S. universities for a semester or year during sabbatical), the Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship (supporting three-year postdoctoral placements of Israeli scholars at American universities), the Israel Studies Teaching Supplement (providing grants for Israeli academics teaching Israel or Hebrew courses as adjuncts), and Faculty Development Grants (funding U.S. and Canadian faculty to develop new Israel-focused courses). These programs work together to facilitate academic exchange between Israeli and American institutions, with the Institute serving as the grant provider and facilitator while host universities coordinate hiring and course delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Visiting Faculty Program Grant program enabling full-time Israeli faculty at Israeli colleges and universities to teach courses about Israel at American universities during sabbatical. Grants range from $4,000 to $21,000 per 3-credit course depending on course length and school type (public top-125 vs. private top-100). 15-week semesters, 10-week quarters, and 4/6/8-week intensive formats are supported.
• Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship Three-year grant program supporting Israeli postdoctoral scholars in multi-year placements at top American universities. Fellows teach at least four courses per year, with at least three focused on Israel, and speak at four public or academic events annually. Grants cover up to average postdoc salary plus health insurance (typical postdoc salaries range $45,000–$70,000/year with average around $60,000).
• Israel Studies Teaching Supplement (ISTS) Grant program supporting courses about modern or ancient Israel or modern Hebrew taught by Israeli scholars at U.S. colleges and universities. Grants range from $2,800 to $10,500 depending on course format and duration, supporting in-person ($10,500 for 15-week), online, or hybrid courses ($4,500 for all online and hybrid courses with minimum 10 weeks).
• Faculty Development Grants Grant program providing up to $10,000 to faculty members at American and Canadian universities to develop new Israel-focused courses or add Israel-related content to existing courses. Funds may be used for research, travel to Israel, or Hebrew language skills development; lesser amounts are awarded for partial course revisions or development without Israel travel.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% increase in knowledge for students who took Institute-supported courses
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and founding.

• Harvard UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution hosting Israeli scholars through visiting faculty and postdoctoral teaching fellowship programs.
• Yale UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution hosting Israeli scholars through visiting faculty and postdoctoral teaching fellowship programs.
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution hosting Israeli scholars through visiting faculty and postdoctoral teaching fellowship programs.
• Stanford UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution hosting Israeli scholars through visiting faculty and postdoctoral teaching fellowship programs.
• Columbia UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution hosting Israeli scholars through visiting faculty and postdoctoral teaching fellowship programs.
• University of ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution hosting Israeli scholars through visiting faculty and postdoctoral teaching fellowship programs.
• Georgetown UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution hosting Israeli scholars through visiting faculty and postdoctoral teaching fellowship programs.
• Cornell UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution hosting Israeli scholars through visiting faculty and postdoctoral teaching fellowship programs.
• Brandeis UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution hosting Israeli scholars through visiting faculty and postdoctoral teaching fellowship programs.
• Tel Aviv UniversityfoundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe organization was founded in 2012 by former Tel Aviv University President Professor Itamar Rabinovich.
• 235 Partner Universities WorldwidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe organization partners with 235 colleges and universities in 45 countries to advance academic study of Israel through international exchange programs. Partners include top-ranked institutions in the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life: Largest Jewish campus organization in the world, serving students at 550+ universities. It is a broad incumbent that overlaps with the Israel Institute's university audience and Israel-engagement mission, though it operates a much wider student-life scope.
• Institute of International Education (IIE): Major nonprofit that administers the Fulbright Program and hundreds of other academic and cultural exchange programs globally. It is a broader incumbent in the same international academic exchange space in which the Israel Institute operates, but at much greater scale and with government funding.
• Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies: Israel-focused family philanthropy and the founding sponsor of the Israel Institute. It operates as a much larger grantmaker with a broader portfolio spanning education, Jewish life, and Israel engagement, making it the most directly comparable funder and the Institute's most important strategic relationship.

Direct peers

• Masa Israel Journey: Nonprofit that subsidizes long-term study, volunteer, and career programs in Israel for young adults, with overlapping funders (including Schusterman). It is comparable as an Israel-focused educational nonprofit and a downstream consumer of the same scholar pipeline.
• The Covenant Foundation: Jewish education grantmaking foundation that funds innovation in Jewish learning, often in academic and supplementary settings. It is a directly comparable peer in the Jewish education philanthropy space with similar funding patterns.
• Jim Joseph Foundation: Jewish education-focused grantmaking foundation that has funded the Israel Institute via disclosed rounds of $487,500 (2015) and $850,000 (2019). It is one of the largest U.S. foundations dedicated to Jewish education and is a directly comparable peer in scope and mission.
• Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC): Coalition of 33+ organizations working to promote Israel education and combat BDS on North American college campuses. It is a closely related peer addressing the same audience and subject matter, focused on advocacy and education rather than academic exchange grants.
• Birthright Israel Foundation: Nonprofit that funds educational trips to Israel for young Jewish adults, with a similar donor base, mission, and 501(c)(3) structure. It addresses the post-college segment of the same Israel-engagement pipeline that the Israel Institute serves in the academic setting.
• The AVI CHAI Foundation: Private foundation historically focused on Jewish education and Israel engagement. Highly comparable as a grantmaking peer with similar mission focus on Jewish and Israel education, although it has wound down its original U.S. programming.

Regional players

• DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service): Germany's national academic exchange agency, comparable in function (hosting visiting faculty and supporting course development) but operating in a different national context. It is a useful model peer for how a country-specific academic exchange program operates at scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/israelinstitute
• Xx.com/israelinstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Israel Institute