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Developed in partnership with the Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah, with additional support from the Templeton Foundation, the guide draws on Jewish wisdom to help individuals and organizations thrive and shape a better world. Learn more about Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah at LKFLT.org.

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This free, downloadable guide provides an in-depth exploration of gender lens philanthropy, offering clear definitions, actionable strategies, and case studies from around the world. As part of JFN's Guidebooks for Intelligent Giving series, the guide emphasizes the importance of integrating gender equity into philanthropic efforts—not only as an ethical imperative but as a strategic approach to maximizing social impact. It also features a growing list of gender-focused resources, grants, and funding opportunities to help funders align their giving with gender equity goals.

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Gender Lens Philanthropy is part of JFN's broader effort to integrate gender equity into Jewish philanthropy. The network has been actively supporting initiatives that focus on advancing gender justice through giving, including the Gender Giving Forum in Israel, which provides a platform for funders to learn, network, and collaborate on strategies for promoting gender equality.

JFN's efforts also include:

• Hosting webinars and roundtables for funders to deepen their knowledge of gender lens philanthropy.
• Mapping the field to understand how funders are engaging with gender equity.
• Partnering with organizations that are advancing gender justice and equity in global contexts.

The guide also explores how Jewish funders can support gender-focused initiatives in Israel and across the globe. It offers actionable strategies that can be used by those new to gender lens philanthropy or those looking to deepen their existing efforts.

Gender lens philanthropy is a rapidly growing field, and this guide is designed to support Jewish funders as they engage with these important issues and take meaningful steps to create a more just and equitable world.

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To share feedback on Gender Lens Philanthropy, or to learn more about JFN's gender equity work, email Sharon Dwek.

Authored by Third Plateau Social Impact Strategies and funded by Crown Family Philanthropies, the new guide offers a comprehensive look at participatory grantmaking (PGM), a practice that seeks to make philanthropy more inclusive of and responsive to the needs of communities being funded. JFN’s new guide details the philosophy, mechanics, and benefits and dilemmas of PGM, exploring its relevance for all grantmakers, with a particular focus on its potential role in Jewish philanthropy. It also offers cases studies, as well as extensive resources for those considering incorporating elements of PGM into their work.

• Watch "Participatory Grantmaking in Action"
• Watch "Exploring Participatory Grantmaking in the Jewish Community"
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Increasingly popular in the mainstream philanthropic world, yet not widely known in the Jewish funding community, PGM offers a range of opportunities for grantmakers to incorporate and empower community voices in philanthropic decisions. PGM is a spectrum, ranging from integrating perspectives of those with lived experience to shifting decision-making power to the communities that grantmakers seek to support. It continues to gain attention from many corners of the philanthropic landscape.

“At a moment in time when many organizations and foundations are examining their roles in complex systems of power, it is our hope that the knowledge and ideas shared in the pages ahead will help grantmakers reflect on their own practices and explore the benefits and challenges of sharing power,” the guide’s authors wrote in its preface.

“In publishing this guide, we are neither championing nor dismissing PGM,” said Andrés Spokoiny, JFN’s President and CEO. “Rather, we are affirming that it is an important innovation in philanthropy, one that funders can use to varying degrees, and one that offers many potential benefits. In particular, PGM has the potential for strengthening grantmaker-grantseeker relationships and leading to more informed funding decisions, ones that incorporate the perspectives of the people and communities most affected by these decisions.”

In researching this guide, Third Plateau’s staff studied the extensive existing literature on PGM and interviewed a wide range of leaders and thinkers in the philanthropic community. They also consulted with a committee of expert reviewers, composed of leaders from the Jewish and general philanthropic communities.

JFN’s Guides for Intelligent Giving (previously called Greenbooks) are topical, user-friendly research reports for funders, published by JFN. Each volume highlights a different funding challenge or practice Jewish funders may wish to explore. Recent guides in this series include “A Guide to Jewish Impact Investing” (published in June 2021) and “Young Adults at Risk in Israel” (published in 2019). The entire series can be downloaded for free at www.jfunders.org/guidebook

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This free, downloadable guide provides a brief overview of impact investing concepts and defines and characterizes what makes Jewish impact investing unique. The guide, part of JFN's Guidebooks for Intelligent Giving series, also features illustrative case studies and a list (one that will be updated on an ongoing basis) of various Jewish impact investing resources and specific investment options.

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"A Guide to Jewish Impact Investing” is one piece in JFN’s broader strategy to promote impact investing in the Jewish community. For the past year, JFN has hosted a monthly impact investing roundtable series; it has also twice partnered with the Edmond de Rothschild Foundation on a matching grant program designed to expand Israel’s impact investing ecosystem. 

Acting on the recommendations of an impact investing task force, JFN’s board recently voted to expand its work in impact investing. Specifically, JFN will:

• Continue our successful monthly Impact Investing roundtable series, a networking and information-sharing spot for members who are active in this field.
• Develop intro-level webinars/trainings for JFN members who are new to impact investing or are considering getting into it.
• Map the field — collect information about our members’ involvement in this sector.
• Seek partnerships with other organizations that are promoting impact investing.
• Share a variety of impact investing information and resources on our website.

“We see impact investing as an important tool to supplement more traditional grant-making – while it can’t and shouldn’t replace traditional philanthropy, it can be more effective and more financially sustainable in certain cases,” says JFN President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny. “Impact investing can also help ensure that funders’ endowments/philanthropic assets are being invested in ways that align with and are not counter to the foundation’s mission and goals.”

Impact investing is an area of increasing interest in the general and Jewish world. Many individuals who are active in this sector, whether as entrepreneurs or investors, are Jewish, and the State of Israel boasts a large and growing impact investment sector.

The sector is wide-ranging and at times confusing, however, encompassing a variety of financial vehicles, goals and metrics. Furthermore, until now there has been a lack of consensus about how to define Jewish impact investing. This guide seeks to both explain and define the sector, with the goal of encouraging more Jewish funders and foundations to invest in both general and Jewish impact ventures.

Impact investing is “not replacing philanthropy, it is augmenting philanthropy,” explains Lustig, the guide’s author.

The guide also encourages Jewish leaders to explore impact investing vehicles for advancing Jewish communal goals, such as peoplehood and Jewish literacy.

“Philanthropy has a significant role to play but with some creativity there’s no shortage of ways we could be thoughtful about starting businesses and developing financial vehicles that would address a lot of social challenges in the Jewish community and do it more efficiently than we’re doing with philanthropy right now,” says Vanessa Bartram, an impact investor and JFN board member who facilitates JFN’s monthly roundtable series.

“Impact investing used to be something people would look at you and say, ‘Oh that sounds really nice and I’m going to lose all my money,’” Bartram adds. “It’s only in the past few years that we’ve started to have data that we can actually prove in an empirical way that impact investments can generate equal if not superior returns to traditional investments. That’s the tipping point that allows it to go mainstream and for people to make this decision with their investment pocket and not their philanthropic pocket.”

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To share feedback on "A Guide to Jewish Impact Investing," or to request more information about JFN's impact investing work, email bethcb@jfunders.org

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Guidebooks are topical research reports for funders, published by Jewish Funders Network. Each volume highlights a challenge facing the Jewish community, maps out the history and background, and details a wide range of approaches to solving the problem.

This volume tackles at-risk adults in Israel, offering up-to-date information on the target population, the role of the government, the NGO sector, and opportunities for philanthropic investments to create real change. It explains what approaches are already underway, what is being funded, and where the gaps, challenges, and opportunities lie.

Guidebook, Volume 6: Youth at Risk in Israel was written with generous support from the Mozes-Wolfowitz Foundation.

Author: Itamar Yakir

Editor: Ariel Adiram

Translation (English version): Tami Shamir and Maya Kasir, Legal Transliteration Ltd.

Advisory Committee:

• Barak Dotan
• Anna Erez
• Natan Gelman
• Dr. Chaim Lahav

As part of JFN’s Guidebooks for Intelligent Giving series, this report highlights the potential for Jewish funders to leverage impact investing to generate social and environmental returns alongside financial ones, especially in Israel’s growing but still underdeveloped impact investing ecosystem. The guide outlines the Israeli market landscape, compares global best practices, and shares strategies for building investor confidence, supporting social ventures, and aligning values with financial tools.

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Impact investing allows funders to move beyond binary thinking about philanthropy versus profit. This guide offers actionable strategies for foundations at every stage of readiness—whether you're curious about PRIs and MRIs, actively exploring investment opportunities, or working to build a supportive ecosystem.

JFN’s work to catalyze impact investing in Israel includes:

• Hosting educational webinars, conferences, and learning groups tailored to funders at various stages of engagement

• Mapping the Israeli impact investment landscape and convening stakeholders to share best practices

• Exploring the creation of the first Israeli Donor Advised Fund (DAF) with an embedded impact strategy

• Advocating for improved infrastructure, measurement tools, and government policy to support social enterprises and investors

Whether you're a funder based in Israel or the diaspora, this guide will help you understand the opportunities, challenges, and next steps for turning capital into meaningful change.

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To share feedback on the report or learn more about JFN’s work advancing impact investing in Israel, email jfn@jfunders.org.

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Guidebooks are topical research reports for funders, published by Jewish Funders Network. Each volume highlights a challenge facing the Jewish community, maps out the history and background, and details a wide range of approaches to solving the problem.

Guidebook, Volume 5: Arts as a Driver for Social Change in Israel was written with generous support from five partners:

• Angelica Berrie, Russell Berrie Foundation
• Wendy Fisher, Kirsh Family Foundation
• Irith Rappaport, Bruce and Ruth Rappaport Foundation
• Rivka Saker, Zucker Foundation
• Lynn Schusterman, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation

The guide was researched and written by Diti Ronen.

Free to download, the guide walks funders through key stages of collaboration—from identifying shared goals to designing structures, governance, and communication plans. It also provides tested templates, checklists, and sample agreements, helping both new and experienced funders avoid common pitfalls and build stronger, more sustainable partnerships.

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This resource is part of JFN’s Guidebooks for Intelligent Giving series and reflects the network’s deep experience supporting funder collaboratives across issue areas and geographies. Whether you are responding to urgent crises, tackling systemic challenges, or experimenting with collective impact, the handbook offers insights on how to build trust, share risk, and align strategies.

JFN supports funder collaboration through:

• Facilitating the launch and management of collaborative philanthropic initiatives

• Hosting convenings where funders can meet potential partners and explore synergies

• Providing coaching and advisory support for funder groups at all stages

• Offering a platform for shared learning, evaluation, and field-wide knowledge exchange

Funder collaboration can be challenging, but with the right tools and guidance, it is also one of the most effective ways to drive large-scale change. This handbook helps Jewish funders do it thoughtfully and well.

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To learn more about how JFN supports funder collaborations or to request a consultation, email info@jfunders.org.

Developed and written by Sigal Yaniv Feller, JFN Israel

Translated and edited by Fray Hochstein

This free guide demystifies PRIs and shows how they can amplify impact while preserving charitable intent. It includes real-world case studies, step-by-step guidance for implementation, and a detailed FAQ addressing common concerns. Whether supporting affordable housing, education, climate solutions, or Israeli social ventures, PRIs offer a powerful way to put more capital to work for good.

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Part of JFN's Guidebooks for Intelligent Giving series, this publication is designed to help Jewish funders navigate the legal and financial considerations of PRIs. It walks through the IRS requirements, outlines different PRI structures, and offers tips for working with legal and investment professionals.

JFN’s commitment to promoting smart, values-aligned financial tools includes:

• Educating funders on the full spectrum of impact investing strategies

• Offering workshops and peer learning opportunities for those exploring PRIs

• Collaborating with experts like MIE to tailor guidance to the Jewish philanthropic context

• Supporting U.S.-based and Israeli foundations interested in integrating mission and investment

For foundations looking to move beyond grantmaking, PRIs present an opportunity to recycle charitable dollars, support market-based solutions, and bring new leverage to the work they care most about.

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To share feedback or learn more about using PRIs in your foundation’s work, contact the JFN team at info@jfunders.org.

To do so, the book offers funders:

• A survey of past, present and possible initiatives that aim to extend the reach and effectiveness of Jewish overnight camps.
• A catalyst to the sharing of innovative ideas with other funders, lay leaders and practitioners.
• A menu of opportunities to leverage investments in the field of Jewish overnight camps; and

Links and citations to other resources, further information and deeper research.

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Guidebooks are topical research reports for funders, published by Jewish Funders Network. Each volume highlights a challenge facing the Jewish community, maps out the history and background, and details a wide range of approaches to solving the problem.

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Over the past two decades, philanthropic foundations—in partnership with civil society—have been instrumental in forging a vision of social environmental change in Israel, and in dramatically raising public awareness of environmental concerns. Looking at the emerging social environmental field today, it is clear that investing in the environment is no longer about nature conservation alone, but more broadly about investing in social justice, equality, education, and societal-environmental health. This shift has opened up wide channels in philanthropic potential. 

The key to harnessing the powerful philanthropic potential in this field is to plan your investment wisely, to be creative and knowledgeable, and to develop a holistic approach to your funding. We at JFN are here to help you with precisely that. To that end, this Greenbook aims to serve as a guide to help you:

• Learn from the failures and successes of the past two decades of funding initiatives
• Collaborate effectively
• Take calculated risks
• Pose the right sorts of questions to the right people
• Reach out to experienced professionals in the field, both in Israel and elsewhere
• Use Israel as a testing ground for global projects in this field
• Import best practices from other countries to Israel

Although philanthropy in this field is relatively young, it has already made significant change in building a field and creating a movement. In that sense, this Greenbook couldn’t be more timely. Now is the time to support environmental change in Israel. Never has the Israeli public been as primed to act. As calls for social justice, sustainable planning, and a higher quality of living grow ever louder, philanthropists are uniquely positioned to shape Israel's today and tomorrow.  So as you consider your involvement in this unique field at this unique time, we hope you will find our resources and expertise helpful.

Guidebooks are topical research reports for funders, published by Jewish Funders Network. Each volume highlights a challenge facing the Jewish community, maps out the history and background, and details a wide range of approaches to solving the problem.

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This Guidebook highlights the multi-faceted nature of Hitchadshut Yehudit,  which is:

• Israeli — Hitchadshut Yehudit reflects the evolution of Jewish Israeli identities in the context of contemporary Zionism and Jewish sovereignty.
• Young — Amid a well-established field of activists, organizations and programs, most organizations are in 'start-up' mode, still in search of financial security and broad public awareness.
• Diverse — It is an amalgam of hundreds of programs and organizations with diverse political and ideological commitments. It touches Israelis in schools, the army, on the Internet and through the media.
• Complex — Striving to understand Hitchadshut Yehudit raises a host of contentious but significant questions: What should Jewish life and identity look like in the Jewish State? In what ways should the government promote and support pluralistic Jewish expression? How can Hitchadshut Yehudit foster dialogue between Israeli and Diaspora Jews?

Rather than providing answers, this Greenbook aims to present varied opinions on these questions and stimulate conversation. It aims to give funders, both those new to the field and those with experience, the tools they need to understand Hitchadshut Yehudit and make effective grant making decisions.

Guidebooks are topical research reports for funders, published by Jewish Funders Network. Each volume highlights a challenge facing the Jewish community, maps out the history and background, and details a wide range of approaches to solving the problem.

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Guidebooks are topical research reports for funders, published by Jewish Funders Network. Each volume highlights a challenge facing the Jewish community, maps out the history and background, and details a wide range of approaches to solving the problem.

Webinars about this Guidebook:

This book is an attempt to provide some guidance to funders seeking to invest in this important area. Commissioned by our peer network of funders committed to disabilities and special needs, it is, we believe, a valuable step to creating a more informed and more impactful philanthropy in this important area. We hope it serves as a tool, for those already investing in this field, to help fine-tune your grantmaking, and equally important, inspires others to delve into this challenging and rewarding area.

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