Volunteers assemble schnitzel sandwiches

Israel Giving

Civil Society Response

It has been over 625 days (and counting) since Israel has been in an ongoing state of emergency. During this time, members of civil society in Israel – Jews, Arabs, Druze, and Bedouins are coming together to meet the every changing needs of their friends, families and neighbors. Organizations have stretched themselves beyond capacity to include programs and services beyond their normal scope to support their communities.

Below you will find the most pressing issue areas, with vetted organizations who are providing response, resources, and care, while dealing with their own state of grief, fear and trauma.

Please reach out to us if there are Israeli organizations close to your heart that you would like us to consider adding. Your compassion, solidarity, and generosity matters deeply.

Contact Us

The hostage families continue to fight for the return of their loved ones and an end to the war, as priorities shift. Advocacy and support remains an essential need.

  • The Hostages and Missing Families Forum is a civil, volunteer-based organization focused on the safe return of all Israeli citizens held hostage by the terrorist organization Hamas. Please direct to PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc. & enclose a note with Hostage Families Forum, I.D. number 58-0775674

  • Soroka Medical Center, EIN 13-5866593:  In the early hours of June 19, an Iranian ballistic missile struck Soroka Medical Center’s central campus, causing significant structural damage. The blast led to the collapse of department floors, pharmacies, and laboratories, injuring nearly 100 patients and staff, and forcing the suspension of most medical services. The hospital has launched the Soroka Rebuilding Emergency Fund to restore and strengthen the hospital’s essential operations and infrastructure in the wake of this attack. Gifts should be sent to American Friends of Soroka Medical Center.

 

 

 

 

  • Rambam HospitalEIN 23-7049727: Located in Haifa, is an academic medical center which is a hub for healthcare in the country’s north including for the IDF Northern Command. Gifts should be sent to American Friends of Rambam.

 

  • ZAKA,  EIN:52-236197: Israel’s dominant search, rescue and recovery nonprofit NGO, with 3,000 volunteers ready 24/7 to respond to any disaster. Operating globally, ZAKA provides swift, professional humanitarian aid, honoring all lives with dignity.

 

  • United  Hatzalah,  EIN 11-3533002: Combines a network of over 8,000 volunteers with the latest technology and a fleet of emergency medical vehicles to respond to more than 2,000 emergencies daily, achieving an average response time of under two minutes. Hatzalah is at the forefront of every emergency in Israel, including all trauma and crisis responses to attacks from Iran. They are currently raising funds to purchase equipment for first responders. Please direct gifts to Friends of United Hatzalah.

Agricultural terrorism was a key, but little highlighted part of the October 7th attacks. In the aftermath the combination of people being called into reserve duty and the reduction in migrant workers due to safety concerns has greatly impacted food access for vulnerable communities across the country.

  • Leket Israel EIN 20-8202424: is the leading food rescue organization in Israel. The organization collects surplus food and distributes it to populations in need through partner organizations. It is paying struggling farmers for their produce and mobilizing volunteers to assist farmers in the labor shortage as the foreign agriculture labor market has completely paused through the war. Please direct gifts to American Friends of Leket.

 

  • Pitchon-Lev is one of Israel’s largest humanitarian organizations and directly assists over 200,000 individuals and families every year, distributing thousands of food parcels, clothes, home equipment, and much more to needy families on a weekly basis. During the emergency, Pitchon-Lev has greatly expanded its humanitarian aid deliveries to meet the needs of the homebound and displaced.  Please direct to PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc. & enclose a note with Pitchon Lev, I.D. number 58-0328839.

 

  • Al Sanabel is a public benefit corporation that provides thousands of daily, hot meals to schoolchildren from Arab-Bedouin communities in southern Israel. Al-Sanabel aims to  promote women’s employment among Bedouin, especially single mothers, in an area where the unemployment rate among Bedouin women is near 80%. Please direct to PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc. & enclose a note with AJEEC-NISPED, Al-Sanabel, I.D. number 58-0359073.

Services are desperately needed for the millions of Israelis who are experiencing ongoing trauma and loss. Mental health professionals are tasked with caring for the needs of their community during a surge in requests for services, while navigating their own states of grief and trauma.

  • Staying Together: Kibbutz Nir Oz was the most impacted community in Israel’s South by the attacks of October 7th. Citing severe trauma, the majority of Kibbutz Nir Oz members (174 people) have decided they will not return to their original location.  The Nir Oz “Staying Together” project is looking to raise $25M to support the permanent relocation and rehabilitation of the community members. Please direct to PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc. & enclose a note with Staying Together, I.D. number 58-0797868

 

  • ERAN provides lifesaving emotional first aid services, offering initial response and emotional support on the phone and online, while maintaining strict confidentiality and anonymity. ERAN operates a 24-hour hotline in five languages. Please direct to PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc. & enclose a note with ERAN, I.D. number 58-0030047

 

  • Counseling Center for Women promotes the feminist psychological approach and a gender sensitive viewpoint in the field of mental health in Israel. The Center provides more than 10,000 hours of individual, group, couples and family therapy each year, along with training programs for professional women, educational programs and workshops in the community. Please direct to PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc. & enclose a note with The Counseling Center for Women, I.D. number 58-0130789.

 

  • Eden Association specializes in treating post-trauma among girls and women and has been operating since 1997 in the Gaza Envelope and the Negev. The association develops and implements programs, frameworks, and projects based on the Eden Model – a unique model for trauma treatment. Please direct to PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc. & enclose a note with Eden Assoc., I.D. number 58-0291359

 

  • The Nova Tribe Community Association,  EIN 23-7174183: Tribe of Nova is a non-profit organization initiated right after the atrocities on October 7th to support the long-term recovery from trauma for the 3,500 survivors and 2,500 members of the bereaved families. They provide a community-based support system that fosters post-traumatic growth, reduces isolation, enhances resilience, strengthens mental health, and mitigates the risks of trauma. Please direct to Jewish Communal Fund Attn: Tribe of Nova Fund (#1429) 

  • B’Shvil Hamachar operates early intervention therapy programs in a peer-to-peer setting that help combat units recover from the extreme dynamics they have experienced, prepare them to return to civilian life, help reduce the probability of onset of PTSD, and for some soldiers, ensure that they have a safe space to heal before returning to duty the After being released from the IDF, soldiers are often left to deal with the serious effects of combat events in their day-to-day lives. Please direct to PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc. & enclose a note with Bshvil, I.D. number 58-0512143.

 

  • Shishnitzel has given tens of thousands of schnitzel sandwiches to soldiers in the field across Gaza and Lebanon since it launched in February 2025. Volunteers meet every Thursday and Friday at Nir Galim to prepare kosher and delicious schnitzel challah for IDF soldiers. The “Shishnitzel” project was dedicated to the memory of the late Sergeant Roni Eshel who was killed in battle on October 7th. Every Friday is dedicated to a hero or heroine who fell defending the country. Each challah is sent with a special sticker that tells their story, so that their legacy lives on. Gifts can be made through Israel Gives’ Giving Tech platform.

 

  • Brothers for Life,  EIN 912105756: BFL is a non-profit organization – created and run by injured Israeli veterans – that gives critical and immediate help to other injured Israeli combat veterans who sacrificed their lives for the safety of the Jewish People. BFL is distributing short- and long-term personal needs for extended hospital stays – from personal hygiene items, bedding, and clothing to laptops and iPads, and helping families of injured soldiers living near the Gaza Strip with financial aid, short-term housing, and personal household goods.

 

  • Ruca’s Farm is a rehabilitative organic farm for Israeli military veterans battling post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and experiencing difficulty reintegrating into society. The rehabilitation space invites those dealing with PTSD from a military background, recognized and not recognized by the Ministry of Defense, to heal in a group setting. The group works in agriculture and beekeeping and experiences processes of growth and renewal. The activity provides access to and implements tools for emotional regulation that combine nature, body-mind work, and interpersonal skills. Please direct to PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc. & enclose a note with Ruca’s Farm, I.D. number 51-6460680.

 

  • Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF), EIN 13-3156445: provides critical support for the health, well-being, and education of Israel’s protectors. During the crisis gifts will fund expedited support requested by the IDF for search and rescue equipment, personal and medical supplies for active units.

  • The Parents Circle – Families Forum is a joint Israeli-Palestinian organization made up of more than 700 bereaved families. Their common bond is that they have lost a close family member to the conflict. But instead of choosing revenge, they have chosen a path of reconciliation. Please direct to PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc. & enclose a note with Parents Circle, I.D. number 58-0328995.

 

  • Women Wage Peace EIN 22-3684183: is the largest grassroots peace movement in Israel with over 50,000 active members. WWP enables women to unite and take the future of this small place into our own hands –from the political left, center and right, younger and older women, those from the center of the country and its periphery, religious and secular, Jewish, Arab, Druze and Bedouin. The movement continues to refine its non-hierarchical structure, distributing its work among thousands of volunteers who serve on regional and/or mission-specific teams including Government Engagement, Foreign Affairs, Digital Communication, Special Projects, and Strategy. Please direct to Middle East Peace Dialogue Network (MEPDN) & enclose a note with Women Wage Peace, 

 

  • AJEEC-NISPED (Arab-Jewish Center for Empowerment, Equality, and Cooperation – Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Economic Development) is an Arab-Jewish organization for social change that was established in the Negev in 2000. The organization is made up of a joint team of Arabs and Jews who work together to create an equal, shared society, which allows Arabs and Jews to coexist while preserving their identity and culture. After October 7th, AJEEC-NISPED led the establishment of a shared Emergency Center. There, Jewish and Arab volunteers work together across the Negev, placing shelters, running informal activities for children and parents, providing mental health support, packing food parcels, and more. Please direct to PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc. & enclose a note with AJEEC-NISPED, I.D. number 58-0359073.

 

  • The Social Venture Fund for Jewish-Arab Equality and Shared Society (SVF) is a philanthropic collaborative that brings together individuals, foundations, and federations who support an equal and inclusive shared society in Israel for the benefit of all of its citizens. Donations can be made through Jewish Federations of North America and enclose a note with Social Venture Fund. 

More than 30% of Israelis lack easy access to shelters effective against ballistic missile strikes. Arab Israeli towns, and unrecognized Bedouin communities are disproportionately less likely to be able to access a shelter during a siren or red alert (60% of these municipalities have no public shelters). NGOs, intermediaries, and community groups are working together to purchase materials and install shelters for increased safety during ballistic missile attacks, so that all Israelis are able to find shelter in a timely manner. A single shelter ranges between $25,000 to $80,000 US.

  • Standing Together is a progressive grassroots movement organizing Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel for peace, equality, and social justice. Standing Together organizes national and local campaigns across the country and holds workshops and seminars on building power and community organizing. Standing Together is currently fundraising to procure shelters to be placed in Bedouin communities in the Negev. Please direct to PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc. & enclose a note with Standing Together, I.D. number 51-5495067

 

  • International Christian Embassy Jerusalem,  EIN  62-1279378: As Israel’s security threats have increased over the years, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem has responded by providing portable bomb shelters to vulnerable Israeli communities along Israel’s borders with Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria. From Kerem Shalom in the south to Misgav Am in the Golan Heights, there are now over 236 ICEJ donated shelters in place to protect Israeli civilians in times of crisis.

 

  • Ofakim LeAtid aims to drive social change, reduce disparities within the Druze community and with other sectors, while emphasizing the preservation of Druze and universal values. Ofakim Le’Atid has launched a critical initiative to enhance the safety of Druze communities. Leveraging their deep community ties and backgrounds in government and the military, they aim to install upwards of 55 fast-deploy shelters in high-risk villages in Northern Israel. Please direct to PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc. & enclose a note with Ofakim LeAtid, I.D. number 58-0513943.

  • The Dinah Project EIN 46-4198975: is composed of a team of leading academics, legal experts,
and former senior civil service members  who have built a comprehensive knowledge base and become a leading resource in Israel and the world in the call for recognition and justice for the victims of sexual crimes on October 7 and for the hostages. Gifts should be sent to American Friends of Bar-Ilan University under category General Support with note to Rackman Center, Dinah Project. 

 

  • Bonot Alternativa is a non-partisan women’s movement and the largest grassroot organization defending women’s rights and promoting democracy in Israel. With over 100,000 activists across 80 locations, they develop women leaders, and provide education to advance the status of women. They have been instrumental in increasing the number of women running for office across the country. Please direct to PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc. & enclose a note with Bonot, I.D. number 58-0764959.

 

  • Itach Ma’aki (Women Lawyers for Social Justice), was established in 2001 to give voice to women subject to social, geographic, national, ethnic, and economic discrimination in Israeli society. To achieve its goal, Itach Ma’aki provides free legal aid and representation for women in various areas of the law at each of its branches in Tel Aviv, Beer Sheva, and Haifa. Please direct to PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc. & enclose a note with Itach Maaki, I.D. number 58-0375582.

 

  • Yozmot Atid helps underprivileged women establish and develop small businesses in order to improve their economic situation, earn a decent living, and achieve financial independence. Their work has become especially crucial during a time in which many women are shouldering the entire financial burden of caring for their families as partners are being called into the reserves. Please direct to PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc. & enclose a note with Yozmot Atid, I.D. number 58-0602258.

 

  • WePower promotes the representation of women in decision-making positions in Israel, particularly in the public and political sectors. WePower collaborates nationwide with governmental ministries, local government centers, academic institutions, municipalities, private sector partners, and civil society organizations. Our activities center on identifying and empowering potential women leaders, preparing them for leadership positions through training, promoting gender-aware legislation to break down barriers, and overall benefitting society by increasing gender equality. Please direct to PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc. & enclose a note with WePower, I.D. number 58-0357929.