British Friends of the Hebrew University

What British Friends of the Hebrew University does

British Friends of the Hebrew University (BFHU) is a UK-registered charity (No. 209691) founded in 1926 and headquartered in London that exists to raise funds in the United Kingdom in support of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The organization channels donor contributions into student scholarships, bursaries, academic collaboration, and the global promotion of the university's research and achievements, operating as the UK node of a broader Friends Worldwide network of parallel country-level fundraising affiliates. BFHU marked its 100th anniversary in 2026 alongside the 89th Board of Governors meeting in Jerusalem.

BFHU's core offerings are donation and engagement services rather than technology products: single (one-time) gifts, regular/monthly recurring gifts, planned legacy giving via bequests, and exclusive donor programs such as the Legacy Mission to Israel and the annual Board of Governors. Legacy-giver qualification requires a minimum £15,000 per person / £25,000 per couple commitment and an age of 60+, formalizing a high-value planned-giving pipeline. The organization also disseminates Hebrew University research stories (e.g., plant molecular farming, public-health studies) as content marketing to inspire donor support.

The business model is community-led philanthropy: BFHU acquires and retains UK-based individual donors, Hebrew University alumni, and legacy planners through its website, email/newsletter, publications, and in-person events in Jerusalem. Revenue is generated entirely from donations (single, recurring, legacy bequests) and event participation, with no commercial product revenue, no government contracts, and no disclosed enterprise or institutional donor base. Payment processing runs on PayPal and Stripe. The organization is governed by trustees, overseen by the UK Charity Commission, and has a 7-person staff, making it a small but high-trust intermediary in cross-border academic philanthropy.

Name

British Friends of the Hebrew University

Legal name

British Friends of the Hebrew University

Website

https://bfhu.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

British Friends of the Hebrew University is a London-based UK charity (founded 1926) that raises funds from individual donors, alumni, and legacy givers to support scholarships, bursaries, and academic programs at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Higher-Education Fundraising

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships (EDAIAOAH), Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

Keywords

• Charitable fundraising
• University donations
• Legacy giving
• Planned giving
• Higher education philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Single and regular donations from individuals supporting the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The organization collects these through their website using secure payment processors.
2. Legacy Gifts: Bequests and legacy donations left in wills, requiring a minimum commitment of £15,000 per person or £25,000 per couple for qualification to their Legacy Mission program to Jerusalem.
3. Event Participation Fees: Revenue generated from event registrations, including Board of Governors meetings and Legacy Missions to Jerusalem and the Hebrew University.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BFHU is a UK-registered charity that raises funds from individuals to support the Hebrew University of Jerusalem through single donations, regular monthly gifts, and legacy/bequest giving. It also organizes exclusive engagement events — including the Board of Governors meetings in Jerusalem and Legacy Mission group visits — that connect UK donors with university leadership, students, and researchers.

Product overview

British Friends of the Hebrew University (BFHU) operates as a charitable organization supporting the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The organization does not offer a technology product platform but rather provides donation and fundraising services including single gifts, regular/monthly gifts, and legacy giving programs. BFHU also organizes events including Board of Governors meetings and Legacy Missions to Jerusalem, facilitating connections between supporters and the university.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Single Gifts One-time charitable donation option allowing supporters to make individual contributions to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
• Regular Gifts Monthly recurring donation programme enabling ongoing financial support to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
• Leave a Legacy Planned giving programme allowing supporters to include a bequest to the Hebrew University in their will.
• Board of Governors Events Annual governance meetings held in Jerusalem connecting supporters with university leadership, students, and global scholars.
• Legacy Mission to Jerusalem and the Hebrew University Guided group visits to Israel and the Hebrew University for supporters aged 60 and older who commit to legacy gifts of at least £15,000 per person.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supporting students and academic collaboration through scholarships and bursaries at Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• +1 more outcomes

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

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• MirukuminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMiruku is a New Zealand-based company collaborating with researchers at Hebrew University of Jerusalem on plant molecular farming research. The partnership focuses on developing sustainable dairy proteins produced in plants, with Hebrew University scientists engineering plant seeds to produce bovine beta-casein proteins. Miruku provides commercial expertise while Hebrew University provides research capabilities.
• Hebrew University of JerusalemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem is the primary beneficiary of BFHU's fundraising activities. BFHU supports student scholarships, bursaries, academic collaboration, and promotes the university's achievements. The relationship involves BFHU raising funds in the UK and channeling them to support university programs and initiatives.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• World Jewish Relief: UK-based Jewish humanitarian charity with broader remit beyond education. Comparable as a UK-registered Jewish charitable organization raising funds from similar donor demographics, though serving different beneficiaries.
• Jewish National Fund UK: Much larger UK-registered Jewish/Israel-affiliated charity with broad fundraising remit. Overlaps in donor base (UK supporters of Israel) but is significantly larger and operates across multiple beneficiaries, not a single university.

Direct peers

• American Friends of the Hebrew University: Direct peer as the US-based sister 'Friends' organization supporting the Hebrew University of Jerusalem through fundraising. Operates the same beneficiary model and donor relationship structure, just in a different geography.
• Technion UK: UK charitable arm of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Operates the same model of UK-based fundraising, legacy giving, and events to support an Israeli academic/research institution.
• British Friends of Bar-Ilan University: UK-based fundraising arm for Bar-Ilan University in Israel. Directly comparable as a UK-registered charity raising funds for an Israeli university via donations, legacy giving, and events.
• Weizmann UK: UK fundraising organization for the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. Comparable in mission (UK charity raising funds for an Israeli research institution), donor segments, and revenue model.

Regional players

• British Committee for Yad Vashem: UK-based fundraising arm for the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial. UK-registered charity supporting an Israeli institution via similar donation, legacy, and event-based fundraising structures, though focused on a different Israeli institution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bfhu1925

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about British Friends of the Hebrew University