About the Aviv Foundation

The Aviv Foundation seeks to empower people with opportunities to better their lives. Founded in 2016 and with offices in Washington, D.C. and Tel Aviv, Israel, we are a private family philanthropy that invests in solutions with the potential to create systemic change. 

In the United States, we seek to pursue systemic change in the child welfare and educational systems, encourage bipartisan cooperation in government, and support meaningful connections to Judaism. In Israel, we are committed to safeguarding a Jewish and democratic state, and fostering an inclusive, respectful, and cohesive society. Across our investment areas, we strive to create strategic impact and are particularly open and embracing of budding, nascent ideas and programming.

We try to approach our work with humility, integrity, empathy, curiosity, and respect. We are open to untested ideas and aim to create meaningful impact. We hope to uplift our team and others, and work toward creating a better world.

UNITED STATES

• Child Welfare. We seek to make the child welfare system more effective and innovative in order to mitigate the effects of child neglect and abuse, improve the experience of children and families in the system, and support their long-term well-being. This includes our work to run the Springboard Prize for Child Welfare. 
• Education. We seek to make targeted improvements to the public education system that give students furthest from opportunity access to high-quality learning and a pathway to economic mobility.
• Bipartisanship. We seek to foster a less polarized and healthier American society by encouraging elected officials to work constructively within and outside of their political party. Ultimately, we want lawmakers to make collaborative decisions that reflect the desires of their constituents, and model and encourage citizens to engage across lines of difference. 
• Liberal Jewish Orthodoxy. We seek to expand the size and influence of Open Orthodoxy in the American Jewish community, reflecting the desires of people who hold liberal values, especially on the role of women and the LGBTQ community, and also want to affiliate with a traditional community.
• Jewish Content. We seek to be supportive of organizations that bring greater depth to the experience of American Jews by enriching their lives with Jewish texts, ideas, and values that are relevant to contemporary life. We expect this work to enhance people’s lives by connecting them to robust individual spiritual practices and vibrant Jewish communities.

ISRAEL 

• Israeli Judaism. We seek to foster an Israeli Judaism that is inclusive, compelling, and accessible to all Israeli Jews. This Judaism is firmly rooted in Jewish texts, values, traditions, Zionism, and the land of Israel. Our aspiration is for Israeli Judaism to serve as a unifying force in Israel, connecting Israeli Jews to one another and to their shared Jewish heritage.
• Social Cohesion. We seek to foster a vibrant and cohesive Israeli society in which each sector sees itself as part of a broader collective; develops bridges to other sectors; and upholds values of responsibility, respect, and equality.
• Israeli Democracy. We seek to ensure Israel is a thriving democracy, upheld by strong democratic institutions, practices, values, and leaders manifesting liberal democratic values.
• Conflict Transformation. We seek to achieve a more peaceful, stable, and secure future for Palestinians and Israelis to live alongside each other.
• Jerusalem. We seek to foster a vibrant, inclusive, sustainable Jerusalem that attracts and retains a diverse population.

Given our desire to save potential partners and leaders valuable time, and our continual work seeking out partners who work is closely aligned with our goals, we do not accept unsolicited funding proposals. Thank you for your understanding.

For those interested in connecting with our team for other purposes, please contact info@avivfoundation.org.