The American Friends of the Israel Museum

What The American Friends of the Israel Museum does

The American Friends of the Israel Museum (AFIM) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1972 and headquartered at 545 Fifth Avenue, Suite 920, New York, with the stated mission of supporting The Israel Museum in Jerusalem. AFIM raises funds and cultivates a donor community for the museum's exhibitions, art acquisitions, educational and outreach programs, and curator training, and has cumulatively raised over $450 million for those purposes since inception. It operates through four marquee annual fundraising events in Manhattan, Palm Beach, and Los Angeles—anchored by a flagship fall Gala in New York—supplemented by art-centric international travel programs including the annual Jerusalem International Council and post-Council trips to European destinations.

The organization does not sell a product or service; revenue is generated entirely through charitable giving streams, including individual major gifts, corporate giving, exhibition sponsorship, art gifts, and event-related contributions processed via the Donorbox online donation platform. Its core "technology" is the relational and experiential infrastructure connecting high-net-worth art collectors, philanthropists, and cultural enthusiasts to the Israel Museum's encyclopedic collection of nearly 500,000 objects—including the Dead Sea Scrolls—through curator-led tours, private collection visits, artist studio access, and global travel.

AFIM sits within a broader ecosystem of 16 international friends organizations that follow its pioneering model and converge annually in Jerusalem, and it maintains a younger-supporter network (Israel Museum Jerusalem Internationals). Its go-to-market is event-driven and community-led, distributed through a small staff of 11-50 employees and a large volunteer board led by President Lori Spector and Co-Chairs Stephen Lash and Jill Bernstein, with Honorary Chairmen Michael and Judy Steinhardt. There is no proprietary technology platform, AI/ML capability, or recurring SaaS revenue model; the business is relationship-driven philanthropy centered on a single cultural institution.

Name

The American Friends of the Israel Museum

Legal name

The American Friends of the Israel Museum

Website

https://afimnyc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The American Friends of the Israel Museum (AFIM) is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1972 that raises funds and cultivates donors for The Israel Museum in Jerusalem through annual galas, international travel programs, and major gift campaigns, having raised over $450 million cumulatively.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Cultural Philanthropy and Museum Fundraising

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Museum fundraising
• Charitable donations
• Cultural philanthropy
• Benefit galas
• Art travel programs

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

Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: AFIM raises funds through individual charitable donations, major gifts, and planned giving. Since inception in 1972, the organization has raised over $450 million for the Israel Museum's exhibitions, art acquisitions, educational programs, and outreach initiatives.
2. Event Revenue: The organization generates revenue through ticket sales and sponsorships for its marquee events including annual galas, spring luncheons, and benefit dinners held in New York, Palm Beach, and Los Angeles.
3. Travel Programs: AFIM offers art-centric international trips to supporters, including trips to Jerusalem for the International Council and post-Council trips to European cities and other destinations worldwide.
4. Corporate Giving: Corporate sponsorship and giving programs for exhibitions and organizational support.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AFIM is a non-profit fundraising organization that raises and channels charitable contributions from US donors to The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, supporting exhibitions, art acquisitions, educational programs, and curator training. Beyond financial support, AFIM delivers exclusive cultural experiences for donors including the annual Fall Gala and benefit events in Manhattan, Palm Beach, and Los Angeles, plus art-centric international travel programs centered on the annual International Council in Jerusalem.

Product overview

The American Friends of the Israel Museum (AFIM) is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of fundraising programs and cultural experiences supporting The Israel Museum in Jerusalem. The organization's core offerings include four annual marquee events (annual Fall Gala, benefit events in Manhattan, Palm Beach, and Los Angeles), international travel programs including annual Jerusalem International Council visits and post-Council European trips, and multiple donation/sponsorship programs including Major Gifts, Exhibition Support, Corporate Giving, and Art Gifts. AFIM also provides virtual tour access through a partnership with Google Arts & Culture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Fall Gala AFIM's flagship annual fundraising gala held in New York, recognized as one of New York's premier annual social functions and a key driver of donations for The Israel Museum.
• Marquee Benefit Events Three additional marquee benefit events held annually in Manhattan, Palm Beach, and Los Angeles to complement the Fall Gala, supporting The Israel Museum through ticket sales and sponsorships.
• International Council Trips Annual four-day visits to The Israel Museum in Jerusalem where supporters from 16 Friends groups worldwide come together for curator-led exhibition tours, artist talks, and private collection visits.
• Post-Council International Travel European and international art-centric trips following Jerusalem International Council visits, including private collection viewings and cultural experiences for supporters.
• Donation and Sponsorship Programs A structured set of charitable giving programs including Group Support, Major Gifts, Exhibition Support, Corporate Giving, and Art Gifts — the primary mechanism by which AFIM channels donor funds to The Israel Museum.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $450 million raised for the Israel Museum since 1972
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Google Arts & CulturecoreTechnology or IntegrationThe Israel Museum partners with Google through the Google Arts & Culture platform, enabling anyone worldwide to virtually tour the museum, examine art works, and learn about artifacts through online digital experiences.
• Israel Museum Jerusalem Internationals (IMJI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA network group of younger international supporters who participate in International Council events and travel programs, extending AFIM's reach and engagement with the Israel Museum.
• 16 International Friends OrganizationsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSimilar support organizations established in 16 countries following AFIM's pioneering model. These organizations participate in the annual International Council at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, bringing supporters together from around the world.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Friends of the Hermitage Museum: US fundraising nonprofit for the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, operating the same 'friends of' model—major gifts, galas, and cultural travel—to support a major foreign museum.
• American Friends of the Royal Academy of Arts: US support organization for a London-based art institution (Royal Academy), cultivating collectors and high-net-worth donors through trips, events, and exhibition underwriting—directly analogous to AFIM's model.
• American Friends of the Louvre: US-based 501(c)(3) fundraising arm for an iconic international art museum (the Louvre), operating on the same 'American Friends of' model as AFIM to support exhibitions, conservation, and educational programs through major gifts and events.
• American Friends of the National Gallery (UK): US nonprofit dedicated to supporting the UK's National Gallery through major gifts and donor engagement; same HNW collector cultivation and international-trip model as AFIM.
• American Friends of the Musée d'Orsay: US-based nonprofit supporting a major foreign museum (Musée d'Orsay) through HNW philanthropy, exhibitions, and cultural travel; runs the same 'American Friends of' play book as AFIM.
• Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums: US fundraising organization for the Vatican Museums running a similar major-gift and international-trip driven model with a global membership base; directly comparable to AFIM as a 'friends-of' nonprofit for a premier cultural institution.
• American Friends of the British Museum: Closely comparable US nonprofit that supports the British Museum through HNW philanthropy, marquee events, and international travel programs; mirrors AFIM's model of converting US-based supporters for a major foreign museum.
• American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra: US 501(c)(3) supporting an Israel-based cultural institution (the IPO) through major gifts, galas, and travel; shares AFIM's Israel-focused fundraising mission, donor profile, and event-driven GTM.

Broad incumbents

• The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Corporate and Individual Giving): While not a 'friends of' nonprofit, the Met operates a much larger US-based museum fundraising operation spanning major gifts, corporate giving, and galas; provides a benchmark for comparable cultural-fundraising scale and programming within the same philanthropic market.

Emerging players

• Friends of the Israel Museum Jerusalem Internationals (IMJI): AFIM's own younger-supporter auxiliary within the broader AFIM ecosystem; relevant as an emerging peer segment targeting next-gen donors for the same beneficiary institution, offering insight into AFIM's pipeline-stretching tactics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCuQl6bAyWKCuY4NajoV7QjQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/americanfriendsisraelmuseum
• Instagraminstagram.com/americanfriendsisraelmuseum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-friends-of-the-israel-museum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 The American Friends of the Israel Museum