What KKL-JNF does

KKL-JNF (Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael — Jewish National Fund) is a private nonprofit incorporated in Israel (founded 1901) that operates as the country's official state forester under the 1961 Covenant with the Israeli Government. It owns approximately 2.6 million dunams of land in the name of the Jewish people, manages 400,000 dunams of natural woodland plus 400,000 dunams of grazing pasture, and operates approximately 230 reservoirs that supply roughly half of Israel's agricultural water. Service lines span forestry and fire response (observation towers, Yaarit forest-fire trucks), water management (biofiltration, wetland treatment, Hula Valley rehabilitation), community development (community forests, 79 community gardens, 300 accessible recreation areas), research stations in five forests, tourism infrastructure (~1,000 recreation areas, Hula Lake Park, Ilanot Arboretum), and an Education & Youth Division with field centers in Tzippori, Lavi, Shuni, Nes Harim, and Yatir, plus KKL-JNF Houses of Excellence and Heritage Centers.

The organization's revenue model is donation-based, flowing through a network of 35 independent Friends' offices active in 55+ countries. Donation products include tree-planting contributions, Books of Honor memorial entries, general support, and program-directed giving, with each contribution tracked via personalized certificates. Customer segments are Jewish communities worldwide (primary), Israeli citizens and peripheral-region residents (Negev/Galilee), Jewish educators and youth, and international governmental/NGO bodies seeking arid-zone environmental expertise. Distribution channels blend digital (kkl-jnf.org donation platform, Books of Honor portal, email/newsletter) with physical assets (field and forest centers, visitor centers, recreation sites) and with the international Friends network acting as a global reseller layer.

Operationally, KKL-JNF maintains research partnerships with the Weizmann Institute (carbon capture at Yatir Forest), Volcani Institute, Hebrew University, MIGAL, and the Arava Institute, and government-mandate relationships with the Ministries of Agriculture and Defense. An AI-powered chat service using a third-party language model has been added to the website. Recent strategic actions include the opening of Hula Lake Park Visitor Center (2019), the COVID-19 vaccine equipment partnership with MIGAL (2020), international expansion into Kenya (Furrows in the Desert) and Ethiopia (Seeds of Hope), and the January 2026 election of Eyal Ostrinsky as Chairman.

Name

KKL-JNF

Legal name

Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund

Website

https://kkl-jnf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1901

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Founded in 1901, KKL-JNF is Israel's official state forester and a private nonprofit that manages 400,000 dunams of woodland and 230+ reservoirs on land owned for the Jewish people, funded by donations through 35 Friends' offices in 55+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Land Management and Forestry Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Timber Tract Operations (1131), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Public Lands Administration (State/National Forests) (BPAIAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD), Tree Planting & Establishment Services (Manual/Mechanized) (AFAMACAE), Watershed Protection & Water Quality Services (AFAMAMAB), Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

Keywords

• Afforestation services
• Water resource management
• Environmental land management
• Community forest development
• Ecological research programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Jerusalem

HQ country

Israel

HQ region

Middle East

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Primary revenue comes from donations worldwide through a network of Friends organizations in 55+ countries. Donors can contribute to specific programs including forestry, water management, community development, education, and environmental projects. Every donation receives a personalized certificate.
2. Books of Honor: Donors can purchase recognition entries in Books of Honor as a form of memorial or celebration, with proceeds supporting KKL-JNF environmental and community projects.
3. Tree Planting Donations: Individual donors can purchase trees to be planted in Israeli forests, with personalized certificates sent to recipients.
4. Government Partnership Funding: Per the 1961 Covenant with the Israeli Government, the state bears administrative expenses of the Development Administration while KKL-JNF focuses on reclamation, development and afforestation operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

KKL-JNF operates as Israel's official state forester, managing 400,000 dunams of natural woodland and 400,000 dunams of grazing pasture, and builds/maintains approximately 230 reservoirs that supply roughly half of Israel's agricultural water. It funds and delivers afforestation, water management, river rehabilitation, community forest development, ecological research, recreation infrastructure, and youth education programs through donations raised via a global network of 35 Friends' offices in 55+ countries.

Product overview

KKL-JNF is a century-old environmental organization serving as the operational arm of Zionism and Israel's official forester. The organization offers an integrated portfolio of environmental and community services organized into core divisions: Forestry & Ecology (managing 800,000 dunams of forests and pasture), Water Management (230+ reservoirs supplying half of Israel's agricultural water), Community Development (community forests, parks, accessibility programs), Research & Development (ecological research stations), Tourism & Recreation (1,000+ recreation areas, trails, visitor centers), and Education & Youth (field centers, Houses of Excellence, Heritage Centers). The digital offerings include a donations platform supporting tree planting, the Books of Honor memorial system, and an AI-powered information chat service. KKL-JNF operates across more than 55 countries worldwide with approximately 35 international offices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Forestry and Ecology Services
• Water Management Services
• Community Development Programs
• Ecological Research Stations
• Tourism and Recreation Services
• Education and Youth Programs
• Online Donations Platform
• Tree Planting Program
• Books of Honor Memorial Platform
• Hula Lake Park
• KKL-JNF Wings Birdwatching Network Nationwide birdwatching network with sites throughout Israel, educational activities, monitoring and research programs, and the annual Birdathon competitive birdwatching marathon during Sukkot, developed in collaboration with the Israel National Bird Database.

Quantifiable outcome

• 400,000 dunams of natural woodland managed as state forester
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Weizmann Institute of SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term research partnership with Prof. Dan Yakir's team establishing monitoring stations in Yatir Forest to investigate forest influence on environment and climate, leading to development of innovative methods for evaluating terrestrial photosynthesis effects on global climate
• Volcani Institute Agricultural Research OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership with Dr. Yagil Osem investigating long-term implications of sustainable forest management, natural rejuvenation, and biological diversity at Martyrs' Forest station
• United States Forest Service (USFS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration on forestry expertise, firefighting techniques, and forest management practices
• International Arid Lands Convention (IALC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on combatting desertification and sharing knowledge on arid zone forestry and environmental solutions
• International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal network partnership for advancing forest research and knowledge sharing
• Australian Forest ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on firefighting techniques and forest management, following devastating wildfires
• Fair Planet OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeeds of Hope initiative examining suitability of tomato varieties to Ethiopian agro-climatic conditions and developing agricultural techniques for local farmers
• Haramaya University (Ethiopia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading agricultural university partnership for the Seeds of Hope agricultural development project in Ethiopia
• Arava Institute for Environmental StudiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in Furrows in the Desert project for agricultural development in Turkana, Kenya
• MCSPA Kenya (Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostle)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Furrows in the Desert project providing agricultural development plan for northern Turkana
• Caritas Lodwar (Kenya)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitarian organization partner in Furrows in the Desert project in Turkana region
• MIGAL Galilee Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch institute in Kiryat Shmona that KKL-JNF supported for COVID-19 vaccine development equipment; previously developed vaccine against bird flu
• Shamir Research InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch institute supported for COVID-19 vaccine development equipment purchase
• Israel National Bird DatabasecoreTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration with database that collects bird sighting data from amateur birdwatchers and contains information about birds in Israel, supporting KKL-JNF Wings birdwatching program
• Israel Nature Photography AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Birdathon event selecting winning photographs during annual birdwatching competition
• Friends of JNF AustraliacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustralian Friends organization funding Adopt an Acacia project, Hula Lake Park visitor center, Sderot medical clinic (Ezra LeMarpe), pre-military academies, and Jordan River Village accessibility garden
• Friends of JNF CanadacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanadian Friends organization providing major funding for Hula Lake Park visitor center dedication in 2019
• Friends of JNF NetherlandscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDutch Friends organization funding Ben-Gurion Park lake construction, Adopt an Acacia project, and ongoing forest projects
• Friends of JNF FrancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench Friends organization supporting Beit Assaf pre-military academy in Mizpe Ilan named after Ilan Ramon
• World Betar MovementminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJewish youth movement partnership for activities to encourage immigration from Russian-speaking communities
• Government of IsraelflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormalized through 1961 Covenant where government and KKL-JNF coordinate land administration, with Israel Lands Administration managing state lands and KKL-JNF handling reclamation and afforestation
• UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive participation at UN conferences on desertification with KKL-JNF booth presenting knowledge on combatting desertification
• Ministry of AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordination on agricultural development schemes and implementation of Forestry Ordinance 1926 through Development Administration
• Ministry of DefensecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation on security-related forestry surrounding Gaza border, planting trees to conceal settlements from Gaza Strip
• Hebrew University Faculty of AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for growing drought-resistant cypress cuttings from specimens found in KKL-JNF forests, creating gene pool for future generations

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Global environmental NGO operating in 100+ countries with a network of national offices raising donations, funding habitat conservation, and partnering with governments on forestry and water programs. Closely comparable fundraising-plus-operational model to KKL-JNF.
• Trust for Public Land: U.S. nonprofit focused on conserving land for public use, creating parks, and protecting natural resources through government partnerships and philanthropic funding. Directly comparable community-land-and-parks mandate.
• Conservation International: Global nonprofit that combines science, partnership with governments, and corporate/foundation fundraising to protect forests and water resources. Comparable scope to KKL-JNF's land, water, and research portfolio.
• The Nature Conservancy: One of the world's largest environmental nonprofits, managing millions of acres of forest and natural land across 80+ countries through a donation-driven model with scientific research partnerships. Directly comparable to KKL-JNF as a land-managing conservation nonprofit with global donor infrastructure.
• Arbor Day Foundation: U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to tree planting and forest stewardship, funded largely through individual donations and symbolic tree-certificate programs. Closely analogous to KKL-JNF's Plant-a-Tree and forestry-donor engagement model.
• American Forests: Oldest U.S. nonprofit (founded 1875) dedicated to forest conservation, urban tree planting, and climate-focused reforestation. Directly comparable century-old forestry nonprofit with donor-driven tree-planting programs.
• JNF Canada / American Technion Society: One of KKL-JNF's 35 independent national Friends organizations, raising donations in Canada to fund KKL-JNF projects in Israel. Directly comparable as a fundraising arm operating in diaspora markets.

Regional players

• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN): Switzerland-based global conservation organization with government and NGO members focused on biodiversity, forest protection, and arid-zone ecosystems. Comparable to KKL-JNF's UNCCD/IUFRO-style international partnerships and arid-zone expertise.

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Club Foundation: Large U.S. environmental foundation supporting conservation, climate, and education programs through donor funding. Comparable as a large environmental foundation with diversified program portfolio and donor-driven revenue.
• National Wildlife Federation: Large U.S. environmental nonprofit with broad public engagement, education programs, and habitat conservation — overlapping KKL-JNF's recreation, education, and community-engagement activities.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/KKLJNFWorldwide
• Facebookfacebook.com/KKL.JNF.EN
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kkl-jnf-int

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about KKL-JNF