01.25.2010
“A few days ago, for the first time ever, the Ministry of Welfare and Social Services made public the amount of shekels it contributes to Israel’s third sector.
While the announcement of the NIS 1.5 billion its spends on outsourcing projects to local non-profits was not newsworthy enough to make big headlines, the willingness of a government office to share information on the charity industry was a welcome change for a sector that is growing increasingly secretive about its inner workings.
In an attempt to encourage local media to publish this data, ministry officials pointed out that non-profits are very quick to cry poverty and bemoan a drop in their fund-raising but often very slow to acknowledge those who do support their activities.”
“One development that might force a change in the near future is the creation of the online portal GuideStar Israel (www.guidestar.org.il). A joint initiative by the Ministry of Justice, Yad Hanadiv (the Rothschild Foundation) and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee-Israel, GuideStar, which is not yet active, aims eventually to provide a forum for all non-profits in Israel to list their activities and share information, as well as reach out to donors.”