Achieve equality for all the citizens of the state regardless of religion, national origin, race, gender or sexual orientation; Realize the civil and human rights of all individuals and groups through the protection of Palestinian citizens and other marginalized minorities, including the advancement of collective rights, and opposition to all forms of discrimination and bigotry; Recognize and reinforce the essential pluralism of Israeli society and tolerance for diversity; Protect the access of minorities to democratic channels for the expression of their interests and identities and the promotion of their rights; Empower civil society in Israel as the fundamental vehicle of an open society; Build and maintain a just society at peace with itself and its neighbors.

New Initiatives for Democracy: Our Strategies Liberal forces in Israel — intellectuals, activists, political leaders, and members of the public who share progressive values — are currently struggling to influence the national discourse on the issues of the day and mobilize support for progressive approaches to addressing them. It is the right wing narrative, emanating from the political echelon, from the media, or from new media campaigns, — which shapes too much of the current “conventional wisdom. ” The power of the right in advancing its own agenda has been amplified through a set of coordinated functional organizations — think tanks, media centers, and organizing vehicles — which they have built and funded over the past two decades. The ability of progressive forces to effectively advance our agenda depends on our ability to create a much stronger set of organizations that cross-cut individual issues and unite and expand our sector. NIF has identified a set of strategies to build the infrastructure and game-changers that Israel needs now: Change the discourse and advance our values with new partners who can articulate a progressive vision and policy. Change Israelis’ day-to-day lives for the better by promoting solutions at the local level. Enlist activists in progressive campaigns by using online engagement to build an activist community. Build bridges to new constituencies by reaching out to less liberal communities in ways that emphasize shared values. Build bridges to communities outside the progressive camp with whom we share values by partnering with a think-do tank that creates new alliances and possibilities. Move policy from military to political solutions by reclaiming national security to include progressive ideals. Engage the next generation in revitalizing Israeli democracy by refining training and engagement to create progressive leadership. Challenge growing right-wing bias in the media with sophisticated Media Monitoring and Rapid Response to misinformation.

Grantmaking: NIF has granted more than $250 million to more than 850 organizations in 35 years. Ranging from large grants to organizations like the Association of Civil Rights in Israel, our flagship grantee, to small grants to community organizations working on social change at the local level, our grantmaking procedure is rigorous, transparent and based on collaborative partnerships with our grantees. Empowerment: We know that it takes more than money to make lasting change. That’s why we invest in people. We find and train people who can be leaders and activists in all sectors of Israeli society – among veteran Israelis and new immigrants; Palestinian Arabs and African asylum-seekers; women, the disabled and LGBT; ultra-Orthodox, traditional and secular. SHATIL, NIF’s action arm, employs more than 100 Israeli professionals in our offices in Jerusalem, Haifa and Beer-Sheva. Through trainings, consulting and capacity-building, we empower social change agents: non-profit staff, social entrepreneurs, activists, students, public sector professionals and others. We also work with local authorities, academia, business representatives and others who share our commitment to create a more just and democratic society. Coalitions: We believe in the power of collaboration. NIF funds, and SHATIL organizes and provides professional services to, a broad range of coalitions and forums in Israel in a variety of issue areas including social justice, human rights, and religious pluralism. Advocacy: As a proudly progressive organization, the New Israel Fund advocates for a liberal, democratic and inclusive Israel. From social media to the mainstream media to local municipalities to the halls of the Knesset, we speak out and empower others to speak so that the voices of marginalized Israelis are heard. And we speak out in favor of inclusive and free discourse in the Diaspora as well; we think Israel is a strong democracy capable of withstanding debate about its most serious and controversial issues. Fellowships: NIF Invests in the Next Generation of Leaders with the Law Fellowship, NIF/SHATIL Social Justice Fellowship, Everett Fellowship, The New Generations Tzedek Fellowship (SF Bay Area).

Policy Indicators: policies debated in Israel will reflect pluralistic and progressive values. Societal Indicators: An increasing proportion of the Israeli population engages with civil society voluntary groups. Discourse Indicators: The discourse in Israel on topics such as the minority rights, race relations, religious freedom, gender equality, and human rights will shift in a more inclusive direction. This will be measured by public opinion research and media presentation.

Recent NIF successes include: Israel Funds Non-Orthodox Rabbis In a landmark victory for religious pluralism, the government announced that it will now allow rabbis from the Reform and Conservative movements to serve as state-salaried community rabbis. The decision follows a seven-year legal struggle by veteran NIF grantee Israel Religious Action Center. Knesset Raises Minimum Age of Marriage The Knesset raised the minimum age of marriage from 17 to 18. The vote followed a ten-year campaign by NIF grantee the Working Group for Equality in Personal Status Issues. The legislation is an important safeguard for girls’ rights to education and equal opportunity, with particular impact among Arab and ultra-Orthodox communities. Ofakim Celebrates New Overnight Medical Center Thanks to the efforts of NIF grantee Ahuzat Negev, the residents of Ofakim are celebrating the announcement that a 24/7 urgent care center will be opened in their town. This decision follows a two year campaign focusing on the lack of medical facilities on Israel’s geographical periphery, particularly when it comes to emergency services. Success for Arab Women in the Municipal Elections The number of female representatives of Arab municipalities nearly doubled in Israel’s municipal elections. This follows a major NIF grant to five organizations – led by grantees Mossawa and Women against Violence – for the purpose of increasing female representation from all parties on local councils. Breakthrough for Movement for Freedom of Information Transferring government resources to private companies must now be made public. The decision follows a number of cases, such as the building of express lanes on the Tel Aviv highway and the discovery of offshore natural gas, in which the state passed control of public resources over to private for-profit companies without outside scrutiny. The ruling is the result of a concerted campaign by NIF grantee the Movement for Freedom of Information. Consequences for Discrimination against Arabs In a precedent-setting ruling, the Haifa Magistrate Court approved a settlement against a real estate developer who discriminated against Arab buyers. Flagship NIF grantee the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) played an important role in this case fighting discrimination in land allocation.