Friends of the Israel Defense Forces
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| Motto | Their job is to look after Israel. Ours is to look after them. |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1981 |
| Type | Nonprofit organization |
| 13-3156445 | |
| Legal status | 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 40°45′14″N 73°59′11″W / 40.7539128°N 73.9864173°WCoordinates: 40°45′14″N 73°59′11″W / 40.7539128°N 73.9864173°W |
| Meir Klifi-Amir | |
| Arthur Stark | |
| Peter Weintraub | |
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Revenue (2013)
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$73,349,614 |
| Expenses (2013) | $60,507,994 |
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Employees (2013)
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126 |
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Volunteers (2013)
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70 |
| Mission | To provide for the education and well-being of the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces |
| Website | www |
Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) (in Hebrew ארגון ידידי צה״ל בארה״ב) is an organization established in 1981 dedicated to the men and women serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), wounded veterans, and the families of fallen soldiers. Headquartered in New York City, Friends of the Israel Defense Forces is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that operates fifteen regional offices in the United States and Panama. Friends of the Israel Defense Forces initiates and supports educational, social, cultural and recreational programs and facilities in an effort to ease the burden that the Israel Defense Forces' soldiers and their families carry on behalf of the Jewish community worldwide.
Friends of the Israel Defense Forces sponsors an array of programs and construction projects to improve the well-being of Israel Defense Forces' soldiers both in their day-to-day routine and after their military service.
The IMPACT! Scholarship Program grants full academic scholarships to former combat soldiers who come from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. The students receive full tuition towards an academic degree and give back to their communities with an annual 130 community service hours. IMPACT! students have completed more than 3 million hours since 2002, making it the number one program in providing community service in Israel.
Friends of the Israel Defense Forces initiates and supports various educational programs designed to broaden the soldiers' horizons, further strengthening their Jewish, Zionist, and Israeli identity. These programs include:
FIDF works to provide for the well-being of the Israel Defense Forces' combat soldiers through a variety of programs. The Adopt a Brigade Program allows Friends of the Israel Defense Forces' communities to create an extraordinary bond with Israel Defense Forces' combat soldiers by supporting the well-being of a specific combat brigade. Brigades currently sponsored through this program include:
The Adopt a Battalion Program also supports approximately 50 combat battalions a year. Funds are used for fun/sports days, events celebrating outstanding soldiers, celebrations of Jewish holidays, and general recreation needs. Friends of the Israel Defense Forces' SPIRIT Program gives active duty combat soldiers a much-needed break from their daily responsibilities and duties by providing each combat unit with a week of recuperation and fun. In 2013, 13,000 combat soldiers enjoyed weeks of rest and recuperation through Friends of the Israel Defense Forces' SPIRIT Program. The DIGNITY Program aims to assist the soldiers who serve on the front lines proudly, while privately they are struggling financially, worrying for their families who often count on them as providers. Critical aid provided through this program includes basic appliances and furniture, food vouchers, special grants, and holiday gift coupons that help the soldiers through difficult economic times. In 2013, Friends of the Israel Defense Forces provided over 8,000 soldiers in-need with necessities such as furniture and appliances, Special Aid, Chanukah Friendship Vouchers and Food Vouchers.
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