Analysis of grants to Israeli NGOs, annual reports 2012-2016
Note: All grant details in this report are taken directly from publicly available annual report submissions to the Israeli Registrar of Non-Profits (a department of the Ministry of Justice). No changes were made to the sums. A number of the NGOs list the same donors with slightly different names. In order to create an accessible and understandable database, NGO Monitor adjusted some of these entries to establish uniformity. For this reason we have also corrected typos and other spelling mistakes.
Introduction
Given the central role played by politicized non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the public human rights discourse, transparency in NGO funding is required in order to bolster informed debate. The following analysis presents all grants reported annually by 39 Israeli NGOs in the years 2012-2016, organizing data according to the amount of the grant, the identity of the donor, the source of the grant (private, governmental, or non-transparent/ unclear) and whether the donor is recognized as a government or from church groups. (For the full list of grants see here.)
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Summary of Findings:
- In 2012-2016, the 39 NGOs received a total of NIS 515,804,616. Of this, 60.1% (NIS 310,032,692) came from governments (through direct and indirect funding) and 39.87% (NIS 205,686,924) from private donors. 0.02% (NIS 85,000) of NGO funding sources were unclear.
- Of the 39 groups examined, 28 receive more than 50% of their funding from governments. The three NGOs receiving the highest share of foreign government funding are Akevot (100%), Terrestrial Jerusalem (99.66%), and Who Profits (94.49%).
- 25 governmental and intergovernmental entities – including the EU, UN, and the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Secretariat (see below) – fund these 39 Israeli NGOs. Germany is the largest donor, providing NIS 49,688,588, followed by the EU and Norway.
- Of the NIS 205,686,924 in private funding provided to NGOs, the New Israel Fund (NIF) provides 13%, Sigrid Rausing Trust 10%, Open Society Institute 7%, Amnesty International 6%, Moriah Fund 4%, Social Justice Fund 2.59%, Rockefeller Brothers Foundation 2%, and the Galilee Foundation 2%.
- 20% of the total funding (NIS 101,099,846) is donated by Christian groups (churches and Christian humanitarian aid organizations). Most of these institutions receive large sums of government funding. A further 7% of total donations was provided by private religious institutions and/or individuals.
- A large percentage of the government-funded church bodies are themselves involved in anti-Israeli campaigns abroad, including BDS, lawfare, and other delegitimization campaigns against Israel.
Two Primary Donor Types:
Government Funders
- Foreign governments: Many Western countries see the promotion and upholding of human rights and providing of humanitarian aid as part of their foreign policy. Funding for these purposes is channeled through embassies, foreign ministries, departments and ministries of international aid and development, consulates, and aid agencies and programs.
- Regional/international bodies: The EU, UN, and the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Secretariat1 are fully funded by governments and have their own disbursal mechanisms for human rights and humanitarian aid purposes, which generously fund Israeli NGOs.
- Indirect government funding: Governments provide sums estimated in the range of hundreds of millions of euros per years to external bodies, including humanitarian aid organizations, Christian groups, and various funds and foundations for the non-governmental groups to promote human rights and humanitarian aid. In certain cases, these entities are also funded almost entirely by governments.
Private Funding
- Private foundations: Some non-profits that provide funds to NGOs have their own endowments, from which they disburse funds according to their objectives; others serve as a conduit for donations from private individuals.
- Private donors: Private individuals in Israel and abroad (including bequests) also directly donate to Israeli NGOs.
Methodology
The NGOs examined in this report are:
- Politically active in the Arab-Israeli conflict.
- Registered in Israel as a non-profit association (Amuta) or as a corporation for the public benefit, and therefore report their income annually.
- Conduct a considerable part of their activities abroad, including lobbying the ICC to prosecute Israeli officials and/or the State; lobbying the EU, US and UN (for example, involved in the Goldstone Report following the 2008-2009 Gaza war and/or the Schabas/Davis Report following the 2014 Gaza war); and participate and lead other delegitimization campaigns against Israel.
Table 1 – NGOs Analyzed Per Year (According to Above Methodology)
Year | NGOs Analyzed Per Year |
---|---|
2012 | 36 |
2013 | 36 |
2014 | 39 |
2015 | 39 |
2016 | 39 |
Chart 1 – Annual Funding to Political Israeli NGOs, 2012-2016
Chart 2 – Donation to NGOs: Government, Private, and Unclear Funding
Table 2 – Funding to Israeli NGOs, 2012-2016
NGO | Government (NIS) | Percentage of Government Funding | Private (NIS) | Percentage of Private Funding | Unclear (NIS) | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Al Marsad | 2,398,790 | 72.9% | 893,145 | 27.1% | 0 | 3,291,935 |
Sabeel | 2,529,009 | 46.7% | 2,884,940 | 53.3% | 0 | 5,413,949 |
Al Qaws | 853,387 | 29.2% | 2,067,992 | 70.8% | 0 | 2,921,379 |
Amnesty Israel | 0 | 0 | 13,123,255 | 100% | 0 | 13,123,255 |
Baladna | 1,452,083 | 29.9 % | 3,398,565 | 70.1% | 0 | 4,850,648 |
Bimkom | 16,677,914 | 76.8% | 5,027,140 | 23.2% | 0 | 21,705,054 |
B'Tselem | 29,232,190 | 64.7% | 15,936,574 | 35.3% | 0 | 45,168,764 |
Gisha | 13,466,218 | 69.6% | 5,871,928 | 30.4% | 0 | 19,338,146 |
ACRI | 17,048,048 | 36.7% | 29,435,161 | 63.3% | 0 | 46,483,209 |
The Social TV | 2,062,618 | 48.5% | 2,188,623 | 51.5% | 0 | 4,251,241 |
Hamoked | 27,879,810 | 85.3% | 4805536 | 14.7% | 0 | 32,685,346 |
Public Committee against Torture in Israel | 10,835,682 | 86.5% | 1,686,513 | 13.5% | 0 | 12,522,195 |
Alternative Information Center | 3,826,856 | 93.3% | 274,087 | 6.7% | 0 | 4,100,943 |
Human Rights Defenders Fund | 2,594,914 | 48.7% | 2,725,850 | 51.3% | 0 | 5,320,764 |
Zochrot | 7,292,276 | 79.0% | 1,937,950 | 21.0% | 0 | 9,230,226 |
Parents Circle Families Forum | 12,238,629 | 66.8% | 6,076,100 | 33.2% | 0 | 18,314,729 |
Terrestrial Jerusalem | 3,403,788 | 99.7% | 11,618 | 0.3% | 0 | 3,415,406 |
Yesh Din | 21,455,110 | 92.9% | 1627737 | 7.1% | 0 | 23,082,847 |
Kerem Navot | 1,017,167 | 78.8% | 273127 | 21.2% | 0 | 1,290,294 |
Combatants for Peace | 865,988 | 36.7% | 1,492,970 | 63.3% | 0 | 2,358,958 |
Mada al-Carmel | 1,253,783 | 18.7% | 5,460,570 | 81.3% | 0 | 6,714,353 |
Molad | 707,147 | 6% | 10,990,434 | 94% | 0 | 11,697,581 |
Who Profits | 2,399,708 | 94.5% | 140,032 | 5.5% | 0 | 2,539,740 |
Mossawa | 9,506,378 | 74.1% | 3,322,500 | 25.9% | 0 | 12,828,878 |
Sadaka Reut | 9,751,033 | 88.2% | 1,305,551 | 11.8% | 0 | 11,056,584 |
Adalah | 13,944,347 | 56.9% | 10,571,423 | 43.1% | 0 | 24,515,770 |
Ir Amim | 9,764,010 | 65.3% | 5,195,614 | 34.7% | 0 | 14,959,624 |
Emek Shaveh | 4,172,547 | 89.4% | 497,022 | 10.6% | 0 | 4,669,569 |
Akevot | 997,286 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 997.286 |
Negev Coexistence Forum | 2,912,218 | 61.3% | 1,835,872 | 38.7% | 0 | 4,748,090 |
New Profile | 1,434,963 | 63.6% | 821,810 | 36.4% | 0 | 2,256,773 |
Coalition of Women for Peace | 4,758,914 | 68.7% | 2,170,175 | 31.3% | 0 | 6,929,089 |
Comet Me | 13,000,619 | 82.3% | 2,800,973 | 17.7% | 0 | 15,801,592 |
Women's Fund for Human Rights (Machsom Watch) | 1,694,392 | 29.7% | 3,994,785 | 30.3% | 0 | 5,689,177 |
Physicians for Human Rights - Israel | 18,783,000 | 49.1% | 19,417,000 | 50.9% | 85,000 | 38,285,000 |
Breaking the Silence | 16,779,889 | 59.9% | 11,230,707 | 40.1% | 0 | 28,010,596 |
Rabbis for Human Rights | 12,060,771 | 44.7% | 14,912,485 | 55.3% | 0 | 26,973,256 |
+972 Magazine | 282,442 | 13.3% | 1841757 | 86.7% | 0 | 2,124,199 |
Peace Now | 9,777,423 | 60.6% | 6,360,748 | 39.4% | 0 | 16,138,171 |
Total | 310,823,921 | 60.2% | 200,112,163 | 39.8% | 85,000 | 515,804,616 |
Chart 3 – Government and International Organizations Funding to Israeli NGOs, 2012-2016
Table 3- Government and International Organizations Funding to Israeli NGOs, 2012-2016
Government/International Organizations | Total |
---|---|
European States (including outside the EU) | 241,065,234 (77.5%) |
European Union | 45,044,122 (14.4%) |
United States | 11,760,571 (3.77%) |
United Nations | 11,466,826 (3.68%) |
Other (Canada, Israel. New Zealand, among others) | 1,948,021 (0.62%) |
Total | 311,284,774 |
Chart 4 – Government Funding to Israeli NGOs
Table 4 – Government Funding to Israeli NGOs
Country/International Body | Total |
---|---|
Germany | 49,688,588 |
European Union | 45,044,122 |
Norway | 33,851,900 |
Netherlands | 30,443,364 |
Switzerland, Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark | 25,016,556 |
United Kingdom | 18,974,586 |
Switzerland | 18,087,482 |
Multiple Governments | 12,878,865 |
United States | 11,760,571 |
United Nations | 11,466,826 |
Ireland | 11,257,925 |
Sweden | 10,591,131 |
Spain | 8,996,940 |
Belgium | 8,860,470 |
France | 5,216,877 |
Denmark | 3,556,257 |
Finland | 1,942,114 |
Austria | 600,864 |
Israel | 530,181 |
Scotland | 485,360 |
Canada | 307,699 |
Unclear | 87,069 |
Japan | 52,719 |
New Zealand | 22,098 |
Luxembourg | 20,830 |
Taiwan | 3,872 |
Total | 309,745,266 |
Chart 5 – Private Funding to Israeli NGOs
Table 5- Private Funding to Israeli NGOs
Foundation | Total |
---|---|
New Israel Fund | 27,225,275 (13%) |
Sigrid Rausing Trust | 19,915,459 (10%) |
Open Society Foundation | 14,131,438 (7%) |
Amnesty International | 11,981,413 (6%) |
Moriah Foundation | 7,784,199 (4%) |
Social Justice Fund | 5,191,405 (2%) |
Galilee Foundation | 3,910,320 (2%) |
Rockefeller Foundation | 3,844,522 (2%) |
Other | 111,990,319 (54%) |
Total | 205,974,350 |
Chart 6 – Church Affiliated Donors – Government and Private
Table 6 – Government Funded Church Aid Societies that Fund Politicized Israeli NGOs, 2012-2016
Church Aid Society | Government Donor | Total (NIS) |
---|---|---|
Bread for the World/EED | Germany | 17077443 |
Misereor | Germany | 9,014,275 |
EED | Germany | 6,714,774 |
Diakonia | Sweden | 6,580,500 |
Broederlijk Delen | Belgium | 5,308,462 |
Christian Aid | United Kingdom | 5,124,948 |
Cordaid | Netherlands | 4,972,224 |
Heks Eper | Switzerland | 4,952,679 |
Catholic Relief Services | United States | 4,598,850 |
Trocaire | Ireland | 3,827,227 |
DanChurchAid | Denmark | 3,817,228 |
ICCO | Netherlands | 3,776,828 |
CCFD | France | 3,174,560 |
Kerk in Actie | Netherlands | 2,839,659 |
Norwegian Church Aid | Norway | 2,082,837 |
Caritas | Belgium | 1,334,127 |
CAFOD | United Kingdom | 1,136,629 |
Finn Church Aid | Finland | 910,648 |
Church of Sweden | Sweden | 612,172 |
Diakonie Austria | Austria | 600,864 |
Christian Aid Ireland | Ireland | 579,449 |
Church of Scotland | Scotland | 485,360 |
The United Church of Canada | Canada | 307,699 |
Stichting Het Solidariets Fonds | Netherlands | 265,943 |
Det Norske Menneskeretting Hetspond | Norway | 249,580 |
World Vision | United States | 162,577 |
Total | 93,981,616 |