Jerusalem Foundation

Established in 1966 by West Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek, it has contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to the city's budget and established parks, gardens, forests, recreational sites, theaters, and museums; restored ancient sites, synagogues, mosques, and churches; funded community and social centers, preschool centers, and health clinics; and sponsored archeological excavations, scholarships, and cultural events.

[2][3] The Jerusalem Foundation is unique in its structure and mission, as it funds municipal projects with private donations from international sources.

[6] The Jerusalem Foundation's first initiative was the establishment of public parks in a few of the city's poorest neighborhoods, with funds donated by New York supporters.

[6] Politically, Kollek viewed the Foundation as a tool for pushing projects past a city council that was unable or unwilling to support them.

[7][8] While the Foundation is chaired by the mayor of Jerusalem, it is independent of the Finance Ministry and state-related charities such as the Jewish Agency and World Zionist Organization.

Unlike state-sponsored charities like the United Jewish Appeal, for example, in which donations are funneled directly into Finance Ministry coffers, donors know exactly what they are supporting with their contributions to The Jerusalem Foundation.

[8] The President of the Jerusalem Foundation in Israel is Shai Doron, formerly the Director General of the Tisch Family Zoological Gardens and the head of Mayor Teddy Kollek's office during his last term.

[19] It has sponsored restorations of ancient and historic sites – notably the Jewish Quarter in the Old City – and renovated synagogues, mosques, and churches.

As mayor, Kollek often solicited overseas donors through The Jerusalem Foundation to pay for projects in the Arab sector that the city could not sponsor and the national government refused to fund.