A Joint Philanthropic Initiative Supporting Connecting for Impact
US-based foundations are invited to participate in the Collaborative Fund for Gender Equity in Israel, a collective investment dedicated to strengthening Israel’s social resilience, advancing a vibrant civil society, and supporting the country’s long-term stability.
Why a Collaborative Fund?
At this time of profound challenge and uncertainty in Israel, gender equity and social justice organizations are playing a crucial role in bringing new opportunities and increased stability to individuals and entire communities. At the same time, these nonprofit entities are operating with sparse resources, while simultaneously facing political instability, ongoing conflict, and the impacts of war. Many have also experienced significant cuts in government funding or are unable to access public support, making philanthropic support increasingly critical.
Meeting today’s challenges requires not only the dedication of individual organizations, but also greater collaboration, investment, evaluation and innovation. By investing collectively, participating foundations can help strengthen the philanthropic and organizational ecosystems necessary to create transformative change.
About the Fund
The fund’s goals are to pool resources for greater impact, foster peer learning and dialogue across the field, and increase coordination to minimize duplication of efforts.
Contributions to the fund will support Connecting for Impact (CFI), a pioneering field-building initiative convening women’s rights leaders and organizations located throughout Israel to drive collective impact. Founded by National Council of Jewish Women, CFI focuses on:
- Advocacy and Awareness – Building awareness of policies that affect women and girls, advancing gender-equitable policymaking, and promoting diverse representation in leadership and decision-making spaces.
- Resilience Amid Trauma – Providing state-of-the-art gender-sensitive and trauma-informed training for professionals leading the services and systems that support women and girls at risk.
- Scaling Impact – Equipping organizations with the knowledge, tools, and partnerships needed to expand, replicate, and sustain successful gender equity initiatives.
Learn more about these initiatives and their participants in the Brief Overview of Connecting for Impact.
Watch a recording of a March 2026 webinar about Connecting for Impact, cosponsored by Hadassah Foundation, Jewish Funders Network, and National Council of Jewish Women.
Participation and Giving Levels
Foundations are invited to participate through a contribution pledged before Sept. 1, 2026 and paid out by Dec. 1, 2026. Participation as a supporting partner begins at $10,000, and a leading partner at $20,000 or more. The entirety of each fund’s contribution will be allocated to Connecting for Impact.
Leading partners will receive special recognition in public-facing materials, while all participants, regardless of their contribution amount, will have access to the same information, education
programs, and networking opportunities.
To maximize the Fund’s impact and expand the total resources available to the field, participating foundations are encouraged to make contributions that are in addition to their existing grantmaking commitments to gender equity organizations and initiatives.
Grant Cycle and Learning Opportunities
The Fund will make a one-year, unrestricted grant to Connecting for Impact that begins on Sept. 1, 2026 and goes through Aug. 31, 2027. Information sharing and learning opportunities available to collaborative participants include:
- Winter 2026: A virtual meet and greet and update with NCJW’s Israel director, Kalela Lancaster, and advisors for CFI’s three initiatives.
- March 2027: An in-person meeting in Israel (also made available by Zoom) preceding Jewish Funders Network’s 2027 conference in Tel Aviv on March 14-17, 2027. The program will include discussion of accomplishments and learnings to date. Date to be finalized by Aug. 1, 2026.
- Spring 2027: Networking and relationship building with JFN’s gender lens working group in Israel, leading Israeli philanthropists and experts committed to gender equity.
- Summer/Fall 2027: A year-end report sharing progress, lessons learned, and future plans.
The educational programs will also aim to provide participating foundations with a deeper understanding of the issues, opportunities, and organizations shaping the field, helping to inform and strengthen their grantmaking in Israel. In addition, these programs will create opportunities for inspiration and new thinking, and will allow for relationship- building among funders and nonprofit leaders, fostering greater collaboration and collective impact.
How to Participate
If you would like to participate or have questions about the Collaborative Fund for Gender Equity in Israel, contact Stephanie Blumenkranz, Director of the Hadassah Foundation, at sblumenkranz@hadassah.org.
About the Hadassah Foundation
Exemplifying feminist and Jewish values, the Hadassah Foundation maximizes collective giving, relationship-building, and education to increase the resources and expand the impact of organizations advancing gender equity in Israel and the United States. The Hadassah Foundation has led and co-led collaborative giving initiatives including the Jewish Women’s Collective Response Fund in 2024 to support and elevate Israeli women after October 7th, and the Covid-19 Response Fund in 2020 and 2021 to address the dramatic increase in domestic violence during the pandemic. Learn more about these collaborative processes and their grant recipients here.