The AVI CHAI Foundation

What The AVI CHAI Foundation does

The AVI CHAI Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation endowed by Zalman C. Bernstein in 1984, dedicated to the perpetuation of the Jewish people, Judaism, and the centrality of the State of Israel to the Jewish people. Over its operating history the foundation deployed approximately $1.2 billion globally in support of Jewish education, including roughly $350 million in North American day school education and around $140 million in partnership-funded programs with other foundations. Its core products are not commercial offerings but grant-funded initiatives: Hebrew language curricula (Bishvil Ha-Ivrit for grades 6–12 reaching ~20,000 students in 175+ schools; iTaLAM, a digital blended-learning curriculum in 350 schools reaching ~30,000 students; TaL AM in ~400 schools; and the Ivriyon summer Hebrew immersion program), teacher training and leadership programs (Pardes Educators Program, Jewish New Teacher Project, Hadar Educators Institute), and educational content initiatives (Ayeka, Legacy Heritage Instructional Leadership Institute, Pardes Tefilah Education Initiative, Starter Jewish Libraries, and the Text to Relationship funder collaboration).

The foundation's business model is philanthropic grantmaking rather than commercial revenue generation. Its go-to-market motion is community-led, focused on field-building through direct grants to day schools, overnight summer camps, and educational organizations across North America, Israel, and the Former Soviet Union, supplemented by co-funding partnerships with peer foundations. Pricing, licensing, and SaaS economics do not apply. Following founder Zalman C. Bernstein's death, the foundation made a deliberate decision to spend down its endowment, publicly announced in 2010, and concluded general grantmaking on December 31, 2019. In its current legacy phase, AVI CHAI operates its website as a knowledge repository, publishing annual spend-down reports (2009–2019), research, case studies, and blog retrospectives to share field-building lessons with the broader philanthropic and Jewish education communities.

Name

The AVI CHAI Foundation

Legal name

The AVI CHAI Foundation

Website

https://avichai.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The AVI CHAI Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation, endowed in 1984 by Zalman C. Bernstein, that has deployed approximately $1.2 billion in grants supporting Jewish day schools, overnight camps, and educational organizations across North America, Israel, and the Former Soviet Union. It concluded general grantmaking on December 31, 2019, and now operates as a legacy knowledge site.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Grantmaking Agencies & Education Program Grants Administration (EDADAHAD), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB), Degree-Level Scholarships (Undergrad/Masters/PhD/Postdoc) (EDAIAOAE), Need-Based Grants & Bursaries (EDAIAOAB)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Jewish education funding
• Foundation grant programs
• Educational capacity building
• Spend-down foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Endowment: AVI CHAI is a private foundation endowed by Zalman C. Bernstein. The foundation makes grants to support Jewish education, day schools, overnight camps, and related educational initiatives. The foundation concluded its general grant making on December 31, 2019 and is in spend-down mode, documenting its experiences for other foundations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The AVI CHAI Foundation is a private foundation endowed by Zalman C. Bernstein that makes grants to support Jewish education. Its core offering consists of philanthropic grantmaking to Jewish day schools, overnight summer camps, and educational organizations across North America, Israel, and the Former Soviet Union, funding teacher training, curriculum development, leadership development, affordability initiatives, and blended learning programs. The foundation concluded its general grantmaking on December 31, 2019, and now operates as a legacy site documenting its spend-down journey.

Product overview

The AVI CHAI Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation (not a technology company) that supports Jewish education through multiple grant programs and initiatives rather than a unified technology product. Its educational offerings include Hebrew language programs (Bishvil Ha-Ivrit for grades 6-12, iTaLAM for grades 1-5 with digital blended learning, TaL AM for grades 1-5 integrating Hebrew with Judaic studies, and Ivriyon immersion program), teacher training programs (Pardes Educators Program, Jewish New Teacher Project, Hadar Jewish Day School Educators Institute), and educational content initiatives (Ayeka Soulful Education, Legacy Heritage Instructional Leadership Institute, Pardes Tefilah Education Initiative, Starter Jewish Libraries). These programs serve Jewish day schools across North America, Israel, and the former Soviet Union with no commercial technology product or SaaS offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bishvil Ha-Ivrit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 schools constructed or renovated with AVI CHAI support
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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, secondary and historical.

• Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAVI CHAI helped broker the merger of five day school networks into Prizmah, the national day school organization providing conferences, services, networking and programs. AVI CHAI continues as a partner and Yossi Prager serves on Prizmah's board.
• The Bridgespan GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAVI CHAI hired Bridgespan Group to guide the foundation through its transition from go-it-alone philanthropy to partnership-based funding models as part of the spend-down strategy.
• Jewish Funders Network (JFN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAVI CHAI staff engaged with JFN for partnership building, sharing learnings about transitioning from go-it-alone philanthropy. Deena Fuchs later joined JFN as Executive Vice President.
• Foundation for Jewish CampsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization focused on Jewish overnight camping. AVI CHAI has supported capacity building initiatives for camp directors and programs related to deepening Jewish content in camps.
• Center for Educational Technology (CET)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBishvil Ha-Ivrit Hebrew language program operates as a program of CET in Israel. iTaLAM was also developed through partnership with Compedia, applying advanced technologies for digital learning.
• Hebrew CollegesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBishvil Ha-Ivrit program is administered by Hebrew College in Boston and developed by Hebrew language curriculum specialists from Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
• Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education (PEJE)historicalStrategic or Co-development PartnerPEJE was a key predecessor organization that AVI CHAI worked with. PEJE's Donor Assemblies evolved into the North American Jewish Day School Conference, which ultimately yielded the merger creating Prizmah.
• Pardes Institute of Jewish StudiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAVI CHAI has funded the Pardes Educators Program (PEP) since 2002, a two-year teacher training program combining Torah and pedagogy study with a Masters from Hebrew College. The foundation also supports the Pardes Tefilah Education Initiative.
• Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Legacy Heritage Instructional Leadership Institute was established at JTS's Melton Research Center. Ivriyon program was developed by the Department of Hebrew Language at JTS. PEP program offers MJEd from Hebrew College in partnership with JTS.
• New Teacher Center (NTC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Jewish New Teacher Project (JNTP) is a division of NTC in Santa Cruz, CA. NTC has provided comprehensive mentoring and professional development since 1998.
• CompediasecondaryTechnology or IntegrationiTaLAM was produced through partnership with Compedia, a world leader in software development applying advanced technologies used in corporate training and education.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Jim Joseph Foundation: Large Jewish education grantmaking foundation that has been AVI CHAI's closest co-funding partner, including joint funding of the Jewish New Teacher Project strategic planning. Direct peer in mission, scale, and grantmaking focus on Jewish education and identity.
• William Davidson Foundation: Jewish education-focused foundation funding day schools, teacher training, and Jewish literacy programs in North America and Israel; highly comparable mission and grantee profile to AVI CHAI.
• Kohellet Foundation: Co-funder of the 'Text to Relationship' project alongside AVI CHAI and Mayberg Foundation; Jewish education grantmaker focused on Jewish thought and identity programs.
• Crown Family Philanthropies: Major Jewish-affiliated foundation with significant grantmaking to Jewish day schools and Israel education, overlapping with AVI CHAI's core focus areas in Jewish educational infrastructure.
• The Steinhardt Foundation: Jewish philanthropic foundation with major commitments to Jewish day school excellence, Jewish education innovation, and Israel engagement. Directly comparable mission and grantee base to AVI CHAI.
• Mandel Foundation: Jewish philanthropic foundation focused on Jewish education, leadership development, and Israel engagement. Operates similar grantmaking programs targeting Jewish continuity and educational excellence.
• Mayberg Foundation: Co-funded AVI CHAI's 'Text to Relationship' project for Jewish Day School text teaching. Operates in the same Jewish education grantmaking space at smaller scale.

Emerging players

• Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools: The national umbrella organization for Jewish day schools, created in 2016 through a merger of five organizations that AVI CHAI helped broker. Functions as both a successor institution and an indirect operational extension of AVI CHAI's field-building strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Klarman Family Foundation: Major philanthropic foundation with significant Jewish-focused giving including education and Israel-related causes; broader investment portfolio but overlapping interest in Jewish communal institutions.
• Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust: One of the largest Jewish-affiliated charitable trusts, with grants spanning health, education (including Jewish education), and conservation. Wider portfolio than AVI CHAI but overlapping beneficiary populations.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AVICHAINA
• Xx.com/avichaifdn
• Facebookfacebook.com/avichaifoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-avi-chai-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about The AVI CHAI Foundation