By JDC Israel and The Agudah: The Israeli National LGBT Task Force
This first-of-its-kind mapping report was created to give funders the opportunity to structure collaborations that support the LGBTQ field in Israel.
This report is a joint initiative of Israel’s LGBTQ organizations, led by the Aguda – Israel's LGBTQ Task Force, and JDC Israel (the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee). The mapping was written for, about, and in full collaboration with Israel's LGBTQ non-profits. The collaborations involved in creating this mapping demonstrate the community's unique spirit, which is one of its strengths.
There are myriad LGBTQ nonprofit organizations in Israel establishing, promoting, and supporting various activities and services, such as: fostering LQBTQ community life, sponsoring activism and promoting equal rights, establishing sport groups and leisure activities as a safe sphere for LGBTQ, creating meaningful social and educational spheres for LGBTQ youth and young adults, educating toward tolerance and promoting an accepting discourse and tolerance in the Israeli education systems, the religious community and society at large, leading support groups for LGBTQ their parents and families, training professionals working with LGBTQ, promoting LGBTQ various identities, providing health, social and mental support, and more.
The goal of the report is to map the LGBTQ field in Israel, focusing on the nonprofit organizations that provide services to the community and act on its behalf. The report is designed to allow both organizations and supporters to identify potential areas of investment and to support strategic planning and operations. The mapping was undertaken with the recognition that Israel's strong LGBTQ sector can be further strengthened through a better understanding where these organizations can maximize their strengths and points of collaboration.
With this in mind, the mapping offered recommendations for future steps including:
- Professionalization of organizations, and stabilizing their infrastructure and financial base;
- Supporting and strengthening mechanisms for coordination and collaboration among all organizations;
- Creating frameworks for structured inter-organizational dialogue on fundamental issues relevant to the LGBTQ community;
- Strengthening the visibility of the organizations, both within the LGBTQ community itself and in the general public, in order to reach wider spheres and new audiences;
- Strengthening connections with systems, organizations, associations, and individuals both within the LGBTQ community and in the general public.
