Charities and nonprofits in Israel
Israel has a dense nonprofit sector built around amutot (non-profit associations), public-benefit companies (chevrot le-toelet ha-tzibur), and foundations operating across social welfare, education, religion, health, the environment, conflict-related humanitarian response, immigrant absorption, and Arab-Jewish coexistence. Whether you are searching for a comprehensive list of Israeli charities, an amutot register lookup, a section 46(a) tax-deductible directory, a Midot ratings reference, or a single verified Israeli nonprofit to donate to, GiveRadar consolidates official registration data, financial information, news coverage, and an independent integrity score for every Israeli nonprofit. Read about how GiveRadar works before you give.
How charities are registered in Israel
Israeli amutot are governed by the Israeli Associations Law and registered with the Registrar of Amutot, an authority within the Corporations Authority of the Ministry of Justice. Every amuta receives a registration number and must file annual reports including financials, member lists, and a written report of activities. Public-benefit companies register with the Registrar of Companies and operate under the Companies Law amendment for not-for-profit entities. To allow Israeli donors to claim a tax benefit, an amuta must obtain Section 46(a) status from the Israeli Tax Authority, which is granted to entities advancing public-benefit purposes. The independent organization Midot rates Israeli nonprofits on effectiveness and transparency, providing one of the strongest external benchmarks for the sector. The Knesset's Foreign-Funded NGO Transparency Law also requires reporting on foreign-government funding.
Major causes and well-known Israeli charities
The Israeli nonprofit sector is unusually dense and globally connected:
- Social welfare and poverty relief: Latet, Yad Eliezer, Pitchon-Lev, Leket Israel (food rescue), and Meir Panim.
- Children and youth: Yad Sarah, Save a Child's Heart, ALYN Hospital, and Variety Israel.
- Health and medical: Magen David Adom, ZAKA, Alyn Pediatric Rehab, Ezer Mizion, and Sheba Medical Foundation.
- Religion and education: yeshiva networks, religious-Zionist education, Hadassah Israel, and Pardes Institute.
- Arab-Jewish coexistence and shared society: Givat Haviva, Sikkuy-Aufoq, Hand in Hand bilingual schools, and the Abraham Initiatives.
- Immigrant absorption: Jewish Agency partner organizations and Nefesh B'Nefesh.
- Conflict-related humanitarian response: United Hatzalah, IsraAID, and PEF Israel Endowment Funds.
- Environment and climate: Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI), Adam Teva V'Din, and EcoOcean.
Compare two organizations side by side with our charity comparison tool, or browse best health charities in Israel and best social services charities in Israel to narrow by cause.
How to evaluate an Israeli charity before donating
Israel has strong baseline transparency for amutot, but the sector is dense and donor diligence still matters. Things to check before giving to any Israeli charity:
- Amutot registration: verify the registration number on the Registrar of Amutot's public records.
- Section 46(a) status: required to issue tax-deductible receipts in Israel; verify on the Israeli Tax Authority list.
- Niul Takin (Proper Management) certificate: a basic governance signal issued by the Registrar.
- Midot rating: the strongest independent effectiveness and transparency benchmark for Israeli nonprofits.
- Foreign funding disclosures: review for context, particularly for advocacy organizations.
- Sanctions and watchlists: use our free charity checker tool to cross-reference every Israeli charity against OFAC, EU, and UN watchlists automatically.
Each Israeli charity profile on GiveRadar combines amuta registration, Section 46(a) status, governance signals, financials, and third-party signals (including Midot where available) into a single 0-100 integrity score. Read our integrity score methodology for the full weighting.
Israel charity explorer: browse, filter, compare
This page works as an Israel charity explorer: every Israeli amuta, public-benefit company, and foundation we hold data on, ranked and filterable by cause area, district, Section 46(a) status, financial transparency, presence of a website, and size. Use the filters on the left to narrow by category (social welfare, children, health, religion, education, coexistence, immigrant absorption, environment, advocacy, and more), and the search bar to find a specific organization by name or amuta number. The directory updates daily as we ingest new Registrar of Amutot data and enrich existing records with contact details, financials, programs, and news coverage. To compare Israeli giving against other markets, browse all countries or jump straight to social services charities globally.
Donating to charities in Israel
Most Israeli charities accept credit-card, bank-transfer, and Bit donations directly through their websites or via platforms like Jgive and Round Up. Section 46(a)-approved organizations issue receipts that allow Israeli donors to claim a 35% tax credit on donations of NIS 200 or more (capped per fiscal rules). International donors typically give through US 501(c)(3) intermediaries (such as PEF Israel Endowment Funds or American Friends organizations) or via European fiscal sponsors. GiveRadar links to each charity's official donation channel where available and flags fundraising pages that look unverified. For a structured donor walkthrough, read our donor due-diligence guide.