Shatil

SHATIL, the New Israel Fund’s empowerment and training center was established in 1982 to promote democracy, tolerance, and social justice in Israel. Recognizing the need for building a strong civil society in Israel, SHATIL, Israel’s leading capacity building center for social change organizations, provides over 1000 non-profit organizations with consulting and training in organizational development, advocacy, media and PR, coalition building, resource development and volunteer management each year.

SHATIL has been promoting civil society and helping Israeli society put democratic principles into practice for the past 20 years.

It is building whole new sectors of non-profit organizations committed to addressing neglected issues, like environmental justice, vast socioeconomic needs in the Negev and the rights of new immigrants, the Arab community and other disadvantaged communities.

It is working to ensure that isolated population groups and geographic regions are brought into the broader public debate on issues that affect all Israeli citizens. And every time SHATIL helps community groups and coalitions advance their agendas, that success encourages additional communities and other groups to seize the initiative for making further change. In short, SHATIL is one of Israel’s most powerful vehicles for strengthening Israeli democracy.

With offices in Haifa- serving the northern periphery, Beersheva- serving the southern periphery, and Jerusalem in the center of the country, SHATIL's multi-cultural staff has a broad understanding of Israeli society and is in the position to help the third sector mobilize to promote civil society in Israel.
Who do we serve?

While a healthy number of civil society organizations are founded each year, they lack the professional skills required to sustain their organizations, develop clear goals and objectives and raise funding. To encourage and sustain the growth of civil society organization in Israel and encourage the empowerment of peripheral populations, SHATIL provides organizations each year with direct consulting, training workshops and coalition coordination. Specifically, SHATIL works with organizations that:

* Defend civil and human rights
* Promote Jewish-Arab equality and coexistence
* Advance the status of women
* Foster tolerance and pluralism
* Bridge social and economic gaps
* Pursue environmental justice, and
* Encourage government accountability

In addition to providing grassroots organizations with the professionals skills they need to successfully achieve their goals, SHATIL targets weak populations with the aim of teaching them to claim their democratic, human and civil rights and play an active role in determining the policies that effect their lives. Specific programs focus on outreach, community organizing and leadership development for specific target communities such as new immigrants from the Former Soviet Union and Ethiopia, Beduin residents in the Negev periphery and residents of development towns. It is only through active participation of all sectors of Israeli society, that a true civil society can be achieved.
What projects do we run?

* Community Organizing in Low-Income Neighborhoods: reaching out and empowering urban and development town residents to mobilize and work together to gain improved public services, quality education, affordable housing, employment and single-parent rights.
* Equal Access: working with Arab-Israeli citizens and networking among them to gain equal access to government services and resources, particularly education and housing.
* Negev Initiative: nurturing the development of fledgling community-based citizen organizations, particularly those from Bedouin backgrounds, in Israel’s neglected southern region.
* Environmental Justice: educating and empowering grassroots environmental organizations and community groups to assert their rights to clean, healthy surroundings and promoting public involvement in the building and planning process.
* Coexistence: As a result of the intensifying conflicts in this region, SHATIL is placing special emphasis upon rejuvenating Jewish-Arab coexistence dialogue and programs, which halted following the October 2000 riots.
* Empowerment of New Immigrants from Ethiopia: Recognizing that education is the key to social and economic mobilization, SHATIL coordinates a variety of efforts to improve education for children of Ethiopian descent. These efforts also include the coordination of the Ethiopian Student Union and a special empowerment program for Ethiopian women.
* Democracy Education for New Immigrants from the FSU: Familiarizing new immigrants from the FSU with Democratic principles and issues in Israeli society and Guiding them in establishing programs and organizations that address the needs of their community.
* Religious Pluralism: Assisting and coordinating among religious pluralism and civil rights organization to promote freedom of religious expression and practice and the right to civil marriage in Israel.

What consulting and training do we provide?

* Organizational Development and Management: identifying and resolving problems typically found in nonprofit organizations, working with volunteer and paid staff, assessing decision-making processes and improving organizational structure and effectiveness. SHATIL consultants have helped civil society organization articulate their goals and develop strategies to realize them.
* Advocacy: identifying and formulating advocacy objectives and strategies, arranging meetings with policy-makers, organizing public awareness campaigns and negotiating effectively for change.
* Media and Public Relations: generating media interest and attention, writing press releases, conducting effective press conferences, improving public speaking abilities and developing overall public relations strategies.
* Resource Development and Marketing: access to SHATIL’s fundraising library, and instruction on how to approach foundations, write proposals, obtain funds from Israeli and foreign sources and fundraise within their respective communities.

How can you help?

SHATIL's assistance to organizations and other projects are implemented through the generous support of donors, foundations and federations. We welcome inquries regarding donor opportunities.

For more information, please contact:

Naomi Schacter,
Director of Development
Email: naomis@shatil.nif.org.il

Also see the website of the New Israel Fund.