The Tel Aviv Foundation

What The Tel Aviv Foundation does

The Tel Aviv Foundation is a non-profit charitable foundation founded in 1977 that serves as the primary philanthropic arm of the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality. Its core function is to mobilize philanthropic capital from Israeli donors (approximately 50% of donations raised in Israel) and international Jewish diaspora communities through dedicated Friends Associations in the U.S., Canada, Germany, and the UK, and deploy that capital into urban projects across Tel Aviv-Yafo. A defining structural feature is the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality's matching program, which doubles the impact of every donation received. Since founding, the foundation has raised approximately $550 million in cumulative partnerships and enabled close to 1,000 projects across education, health and welfare, sports/arts/culture, public space development, and emergency response.

The foundation operates a project portfolio organized across six initiative categories — Education, Health & Welfare, Sports/Arts/Culture, Public Space, Emergency Funds, and welfare programs — implemented through partnerships with municipal departments and implementing NGOs. Flagship current projects include the Jusidman Rehabilitation Hospital in Sde Dov (~$390M total investment, anchored by a NIS 200M donation from the Jusidman Family Foundation — the largest single donation in foundation history), the Museum of Mathematics (with the Samueli Foundation), the Social Food Market (serving ~1,000 families monthly), the Great Synagogue preservation on Allenby Street, and the Health Pockets urban mental-health initiative. Beneficiary segments are diverse and include children and youth, asylum seekers, at-risk youth, the elderly, rehabilitation and trauma patients, Gaza-envelope community residents, and the general Tel Aviv-Yafo population.

The foundation's business model is donation-driven rather than commercial. Online donations start at $10.00 via a PCI-DSS compliant form, while large anchor gifts (e.g., NIS 200M Jusidman, NIS 107M Deri) are cultivated through direct CEO and international-chapter relationships. The organization employs 11–50 staff under CEO Dr. Hila Oren, with Mayor Ron Huldai serving as Chairman. There is no technology platform underlying the foundation; its work is urban philanthropy executed through relationship capital, project management, and grant distribution to partner NGOs and municipal departments. Major partners include Bloomberg Associates (urban design advisory), the German Federal Ministry for Housing, the Shapiro Foundation, the Goodman Foundation, the Samueli Foundation, Reuth Association, Rockefeller Foundation, and Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

Name

The Tel Aviv Foundation

Legal name

Tel Aviv Foundation

Website

https://telavivfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Tel Aviv Foundation, established in 1977, is the primary charitable arm of the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality. It mobilizes philanthropic capital from Israeli and international diaspora donors through a municipal matching program to fund education, health, welfare, culture, and public-space projects across Tel Aviv-Yafo.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Philanthropy and Community Development

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

Keywords

• Urban philanthropy
• Charitable foundation
• Municipal fundraising
• Community development
• Social impact bonds

Headquarters

HQ city

Tel Aviv-yafo

HQ country

Israel

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Donations: The foundation raises funds through donations from Israeli individuals, families, corporations, and international supporters. A distinctive feature of its model is the municipal matching program, under which the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality matches all donations received, effectively doubling the impact of contributions. Donations are raised both domestically (approximately 50% of donations raised in Israel) and from international Jewish communities.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Tel Aviv Foundation raises philanthropic capital from Israeli and international donors and deploys it as grants and project funding for urban, educational, cultural, health, welfare, and public-space initiatives in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Its operating model centers on a municipal matching program in which the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality matches every donation, effectively doubling donor impact across its six program verticals.

Product overview

The Tel Aviv Foundation serves as the primary charitable arm of Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, operating as a philanthropic foundation rather than a traditional product company. The Foundation manages a portfolio of urban initiatives organized across six main categories: Education (scholarships, summer camps, school programs), Health & Welfare (mental health, elderly care, food security), Sports, Arts & Culture (theaters, museums, sports facilities), Public Space Development (parks, accessibility), and Emergency Funds. Its flagship initiative is the Jusidman Rehabilitation Hospital project, a major healthcare development in Sde Dov. The Foundation connects municipal vision with philanthropic resources, implementing projects through strategic partnerships rather than selling standalone products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jusidman Rehabilitation Hospital A planned flagship rehabilitation hospital in Sde Dov, Tel Aviv, established as Israel's largest rehabilitation facility with approximately 540 inpatient beds, a trauma clinic, and expanded rehabilitation capacity, intended to address Israel's shortage of rehabilitation beds for war casualties, trauma victims, and other patients.
• Education Initiatives Education programs supporting students, schools, and lifelong learning across Tel Aviv-Yafo, including student scholarships, housing scholarships, the Camp Tel Aviv-Yafo summer leadership camp for incoming 9th-grade students, school infrastructure improvements, and youth delegations such as the Shamir High School delegation to the Concordia Summit.
• Health & Welfare Programs Healthcare and social welfare initiatives including the elderly loneliness reduction program delivered through Social Impact Bonds, mental health support programs, food security services, and community health interventions such as the Health Pockets urban mental health spaces.
• Sports, Arts & Culture Projects Cultural and artistic initiatives supporting theaters, museums, dance centers, sports facilities, and cultural events across Tel Aviv-Yafo, including the Museum of Mathematics (the first of its kind in Israel, supported by the Samueli Foundation at approximately 1,200 square meters) and the preservation of the Great Synagogue on Allenby Street in partnership with the Deri Foundation.
• Public Space Development Urban development projects focused on public spaces, parks, accessibility improvements, environmental enhancements, and inclusive city design, supported through a three-year advisory partnership with Bloomberg Associates led by Janette Sadik-Khan and through programs such as Urban95 (family-friendly urban design) with the Bernard van Leer Foundation.
• Emergency Funds Rapid-response funding for urgent community needs, including support during conflicts and crisis situations such as Operation 'Roaring Lion' and ongoing Iranian attacks affecting Tel Aviv-Yafo.
• Social Food Market Community food market providing food security and nutritional guidance to asylum seekers, refugees, and work immigrants through dignified food distribution, serving approximately 1,000 families monthly in partnership with implementing NGOs Leshuva and Mesila.
• HaGal Sheli Surf Education Center Surf education center in Jaffa (the Australia–Tel Aviv-Yafo Surf Education Center) that the foundation built and supports, providing at-risk youth from all communities and religions in Tel Aviv-Yafo with educational programs and empowerment through surfing activities.
• Health Pockets Program Urban health initiative establishing community-based spaces for mental health activities, counseling, and social support to reduce loneliness and strengthen community bonds across Tel Aviv-Yafo neighborhoods.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 1,000 projects delivered across Tel Aviv-Yafo since 1977
• +5 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Reuth AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2026The Reuth Association leads the Jusidman Rehabilitation Hospital project in partnership with the Tel Aviv Foundation. Reuth Rehabilitation Hospital (under Dr. Orit Stein Reisner) will relocate to the new Sde Dov campus to become Israel's largest rehabilitation hospital. Chairman Prof. Nachman Ash, former Director General of the Ministry of Health, manages the partnership. The foundation serves as the fundraising and strategic partner for this flagship national health initiative.
• Bloomberg AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBloomberg Associates, led by Janette Sadik-Khan, provides a three-year advisory partnership to the Tel Aviv Foundation and Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, promoting better, innovative public spaces and a pluralist, safe, and equal city. Their team visits project sites and advises on urban design and public space strategy.
• German Government / Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and BuildingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe German Government (via its Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building) partnered on the renewal of the Liebling Haus-White City Center (supporting it for 10 additional years) and on rebuilding the Be'eri Gallery in Kibbutz Be'eri (investing approximately 7 million euros). Frankfurt's Mayor Mike Josef also serves as Chairman of the Tel Aviv Foundation in Germany, reflecting a deep bilateral partnership.
• Bernard van Leer FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Bernard van Leer Foundation's Board met with Tel Aviv Foundation and Municipality partners to discuss progress on Urban95 — a family-friendly urban design program encouraging planners to design for young children and families.
• Stravos Niachos FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Stravos Niachos Foundation co-hosted a 2023 mental health conference with the Tel Aviv Foundation and Municipality on combating loneliness across all ages, featuring CEO Dr. Hila Oren and municipal welfare director Sharon Melamed Bloom.
• Tel Aviv-Yafo MunicipalitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality is the foundation's core governmental partner. The Mayor (Ron Huldai) serves as Chairman of the foundation. The municipality operates a unique matching program, matching all donations made to the foundation, and provides project execution infrastructure through its various departments (Education, Welfare, Social Services, Public Health, Planning).
• Leshuva and MesilaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLeshuva and Mesila are implementing partners for the Social Food Market (approximately 1,000 families served monthly), providing food security and nutritional guidance to asylum seekers, refugees, and work immigrants.
• HaGal Sheli (Surf Education Center)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHaGal Sheli is the at-risk youth surf education program in Jaffa (Australia-Tel Aviv-Yafo Surf Education Center) that the foundation built and supports, serving youth from all communities and religions.
• ALUT (Israeli Society for Autistic Children)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerALUT operates 'Beit LaChayim' (Home for Life), a residential facility for 24 adults on the autism spectrum, established by the Tel Aviv Foundation in partnership with the municipality.
• Concordia SummitminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Tel Aviv Foundation sponsored a youth delegation from Shamir High School to the Concordia Summit in New York (2024), an international conference featuring heads of state, government officials, and nonprofit leaders.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Jewish National Fund (JNF): JNF is a leading Jewish philanthropic organization raising capital globally for Israeli land development, environmental, and community projects; it competes with the Tel Aviv Foundation for international Jewish donors but operates across Israel rather than in a single city.
• Birthright Israel Foundation: Birthright Israel Foundation is a major U.S.-based 501(c)(3) raising philanthropic capital for Israeli programs; it is comparable as a diaspora-driven fundraiser for Israeli civic and educational outcomes and competes for the same donor base.
• Jewish Agency for Israel: The Jewish Agency for Israel is a major global Jewish nonprofit that channels philanthropic capital into Israeli society, education, and immigration; it is comparable to the Tel Aviv Foundation as a diaspora-funded vehicle supporting Israeli civic development, though it operates at a national rather than municipal scope.

Direct peers

• New York City Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheTelAvivFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-tel-aviv-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/tel.aviv.foundation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Tel Aviv Foundation