Yael Foundation

What Yael Foundation does

The Yael Foundation is a private nonprofit organization founded in 2020 by Uri and Yael Poliavich and headquartered at Hartom Street 16, Jerusalem, Israel. Its stated mission is to ensure equitable access to high-quality Jewish education for children regardless of location or community size. The foundation deploys a $42M annual budget (FY2024) through a multi-program portfolio: Core Grants, Bright Start Grant, Community Grant, and a VIP "Yael+" mentorship track for Jewish day schools, kindergartens, and informal Jewish educational programs. Distribution is run as a rolling online grant-application process with six-month response windows and ongoing grantee engagement (calls, reporting, site visits, impact assessments), supplemented by founder-led regional managers across Europe and Latin America. Geographic eligibility currently excludes schools in North America and Israel.

Beyond grant-making, the foundation operates several owned programs that function as ecosystem-builders: the annual Yael International Summit (170 educators from 38 countries in 2025), the International Leadership Program for educators with European conferences, Israel learning sessions and seed funding, the Yael Camp summer program (250 youth from 13 countries in Cyprus), and the annual Yael Award of Excellence. Its most ambitious capital project is the Cyprus Jewish Academy of Excellence (Yael Private School of Limassol), a €50M+ wholly-owned flagship school opening 2027 with planned capacity for 1,500 students. The foundation co-invests with peer institutions, including an €18M partnership with the Lauder Foundation for Rome (and a $15.45M grant to the Lauder day school in Riga) and a December 2024 security initiative with Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs.

The business model is philanthropic, not commercial: Yael Foundation generates no product or service revenue. It is funded by donations from founders (Uri Poliavich is also Founder/CEO of Soft2Bet, a 600-employee, 12-country iGaming technology company) and co-funding from peer foundations. The foundation employs 11–50 staff across functions including grants, finance, legal, events, partnerships, and regional management, with a lean operating structure relative to its grant-deployment scale. Headcount of 11–50 sits well below the scale implied by a $42M outflow, consistent with most spending flowing directly to grantees and capital projects rather than internal opex.

Name

Yael Foundation

Legal name

Yael Foundation

Website

https://yaelfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Yael Foundation is a Jerusalem-based nonprofit founded in 2020 that strengthens Jewish identity worldwide by funding schools, kindergartens, and informal Jewish education across 31+ countries via grants, flagship programs, and a $42M annual budget.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Jewish Education Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Jewish education grants
• Educational philanthropy
• School funding programs
• Jewish school support
• Education foundation grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Jerusalem

HQ country

Israel

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Grant-Making: As a philanthropic foundation, Yael Foundation generates no commercial revenue. It operates through donations and allocates funds to Jewish educational institutions worldwide through a structured grant program.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Yael Foundation is a philanthropic grant-making foundation that funds Jewish schools, kindergartens, and informal Jewish educational programs worldwide through structured 12-month grant plans. The foundation also operates complementary programs including an annual summer camp, an international educator summit, a leadership development program with mentorship, an annual award of excellence, and is building a flagship Jewish school in Limassol, Cyprus. Schools apply directly through an online application and are supported via financial grants, mentorship, and ongoing impact assessments.

Product overview

Yael Foundation operates a multi-faceted portfolio of programs supporting Jewish education globally. The foundation's offerings include grant programs (Core Grants, Bright Start Grant, Community Grant, Yael+) providing financial assistance to Jewish schools; flagship initiatives (Yael Camp summer program, Yael International Summit annual conference, International Leadership Program for school principals); recognition programs (Yael Award of Excellence); and the Cyprus Jewish Academy of Excellence (Yael Private School of Limassol) - the foundation's first wholly-built school opening in 2027. Programs serve Jewish communities across 31 countries with educational opportunities spanning formal schooling, after-school programs, community engagement, and leadership development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Yael Private School of Limassol: Flagship Jewish school project in Limassol, Cyprus, representing a €50+ million investment, set to open in 2027 with capacity for 1,500 students.
• Yael International Summit
• Yael Camp
• Yael International Leadership Program
• Yael Award of Excellence

Products and services

• Core Grants Financial assistance program providing vital funding to Jewish communities to enhance educational opportunities, foster stability, and support sustainable growth, empowering institutions that nurture Jewish identity and create lasting positive change.
• Bright Start Grant Specialty grant funding essential renovations, equipment upgrades, and beautification projects to help schools start the new academic year with a fresh and revitalized approach.
• Community Grant Grant program for community programs centered around educational institutions, promoting community engagement and encouraging schools to be inclusive of families, alumni, and the broader community.
• Yael+ VIP grantee support program providing advanced mentorship, strategic planning, and support to substantially enhance financial planning, marketing, enrollment, and curriculum development.
• Yael Camp Annual summer camp program for Jewish children and teenagers from diverse backgrounds. Held in a different country each year, offering young individuals the chance to bond with peers from diverse cultures and languages while exploring and celebrating their Jewish identity and community — at no cost.
• Yael International Summit Annual three-day event bringing together Jewish educators from 31 countries to focus on advancing Jewish education and addressing challenges. Features the Yael Awards presentation and provides networking opportunities.
• International Leadership Program International Program for Leadership and Innovation in Jewish Education offering visionary educators strategic leadership skills, cutting-edge tools in innovation and entrepreneurship, and ability to drive meaningful change. Includes European leadership conference, learning sessions in Israel, mentorship, and seed funding for educational initiatives.
• Yael Award of Excellence International celebration of excellence in Jewish education, community involvement, and innovative practices. Awards presented annually across categories including Education, Innovation, Continuity, and Community. Features Legacy of Impact Award and recognizes outstanding achievements globally.
• Cyprus Jewish Academy of Excellence (Yael Private School of Limassol) Flagship institution providing Jewish families with premier education while preserving their Jewish identity. €50+ million investment in new school set to open in 2027 with capacity for 1,500 students. First school built entirely by the foundation, serving as a model for future initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100 projects reached in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Ministry of Diaspora AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024Following October 7th, Yael Foundation partnered with the Ministry of Diaspora to enhance global Jewish community security and education. The Ministry co-funds infrastructure and trains local personnel, while the Foundation provides armed guards. A new security initiative was launched to combat rising antisemitism across Europe.
• Lauder FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Partnership with Lauder Foundation to elevate Rome's Jewish education landscape. Co-founder Uri Poliavich and President Ronald Lauder finalized an €18 million plan to benefit 1,000 children with top-tier education and strong connection to Jewish heritage. Ronald Lauder stated: 'I have been waiting decades to partner with people like Uri and Yael, and this partnership represents the best news for Jewish schools in Europe over the past 20 years.'
• Ronald S. LauderflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Ronald S. Lauder, President of the Lauder Foundation, partnered with Yael Foundation on the €18 million Rome Jewish school project and €15.45 million for revamping Rome's Jewish school.
• Start-Up ClassroomscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024Start-Up Classrooms is a new program ensuring Jewish students choose Jewish schools. Yael Foundation partnered on this initiative to provide resources and support to make Jewish schools the preferred option for parents.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC): The largest Jewish humanitarian aid organization globally, with material programs in Jewish education and community continuity across dozens of countries. Overlaps with Yael in diaspora Jewish education but is broader in mandate (relief, welfare, resilience).
• The Jewish Agency for Israel: Israel's quasi-official body for the Jewish diaspora; runs flagship Jewish-identity programs including Birthright, Masa, and emissary networks. Compares to Yael's International Leadership Program, Camp, and global school engagement.
• Jewish National Fund (JNF / KKL): One of the largest Jewish philanthropic organizations globally, with growing education and community-identity programs alongside land-focused work. Operates as a global Jewish foundation donor with overlapping supporter communities.

Others

• Birthright Israel Foundation: Funds the Birthright Taglit experiential program connecting young diaspora Jews to Israel. Adjacent to Yael's mission of Jewish identity-strengthening, with overlapping funder base and several former Birthright/Masa staff now at Yael.
• Hillel International: Largest Jewish campus organization, focused on Jewish identity education at the university level. Adjacent to Yael's K-12 and informal Jewish education footprint with shared funder audience and movement ecosystem.
• Chabad-Lubavitch: Operates thousands of Jewish schools, kindergartens, and programs globally — Yael is also a direct funder of multiple Chabad institutions (Zaporizhia, Nuremberg, St Maur, etc.). Comparable ecosystem player but operational, not grantmaking.

Direct peers

• Lauder Foundation: Private foundation of Ronald S. Lauder focused on Jewish education, culture, and heritage. It is Yael's largest disclosed co-investment partner (€18M+ in Rome), pursuing an overlapping mission in European Jewish schooling.
• Russell Berrie Foundation: Private foundation with deep programs in Jewish education, culture, and community across the US, Israel, and Europe. Directly comparable as a mid-sized Jewish education-focused grantmaking foundation.
• The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life: Private philanthropy with Jewish education and identity as a principal mission area, including day-school funding. Same single-donor family foundation structure and K-12 Jewish education focus as Yael.
• AVI CHAI Foundation: North American private foundation dedicated exclusively to Jewish education — historically the largest single-purpose Jewish education funder in the US/Israel. Closely comparable in mission and grant-making model, though its geographic focus is narrower than Yael's.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/YaelFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/yael.foundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yael-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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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 Yael Foundation