Draft:Friends of the IDF

Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces, more commonly known as Friends of the IDF or FIDF, in Hebrew, ארגון ידידי צה״ל בארה״ב, is an organization created by Holocaust survivors for the benefit of servicemen and servicewomen of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), disabled military veterans of the IDF, and the families of Israel’s fallen soldiers. The organization began operations on April 1, 1983, and was incorporated under the laws of the State of New York on December 15, 1981. FIDF is a not-for-profit tax exempt 501(c)(3) charitable organization. FIDF’s Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 133156445, and its New York State Registration Number is 03-01-07.

Mission and goals
The mission of the FIDF organization, as described in IRS Form 990 filings, is to "offer educational, cultural, recreational, social services programs, and facilities that provide hope, purpose, and life-changing support for the soldiers who protect Israel and Jews worldwide". The FIDF website states that its mission is to “transform the lives of young men and women of the IDF through empowering education, financial, well-being, and cultural initiatives".

National and regional offices
FIDF operates a national office in New York City and maintains twenty-six (26) regional offices across the United States.

Financial assets
FIDF’s primary source of operating revenue are private contributions and income generated by special events. In 2021, the organization received approximately $81 million in contributions and grants, and had total assets of approximately $174 million.

FIDF asserts that it is "the single organization authorized to collect charitable donations on behalf of the IDF in the United States, as designated by Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, IDF Chief of the General Staff, in March 2017, and by Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, IDF Chief of the General Staff, in February 2019 and April 2021".

FIDF’s financial statements are audited by Grant Thorton LLP, an independent certified public accounting firm.

Charity Navigator, a charity assessment organization, has awarded FIDF a 98% score and its highest “Four-Star” rating for eleven years in a row. Charity Watch has designated FIDF as a “Top-Rated” charity.

Education and scholarship programs
FIDF has initiated various scholarship and educational programs during the past four decades. Recent and ongoing FIDF programs include the following:
 * IMPACT! Scholarships. This program grants full 4-year scholarships to underprivileged servicemen and servicewomen who have completed their mandatory military service in the IDF. Each scholarship recipient is required to complete 130 hours of community service every year during the full term of the scholarship.  In the 2020-2021 academic year, FIDF funded approximately 4,225 scholarships of college or university study.  In 2020, FIDF had granted approximately $17 million of scholarship assistance.
 * Educational Programs. In 2020, FIDF sponsored approximately $6.4 million of educational programs focused on helping servicemen and servicewomen continue their education and enter the job market. Programs include seminars, workshops, and other specialized in-person activities.  Approximately 28,000 current and former soldiers participate in these programs annually.

Wellbeing and recreational programs
FIDF has also introduced numerous programs focused on improving the wellbeing, health, and welfare of servicemen and servicewomen. Recent programmatic activities have included:
 * Financial Support. Provides economic relief to soldiers who are in financial distress with cash subsides. It also provides, holiday gift packages, food vouchers and other assistance. During 2020, FIDF provided approximately $5.4 million of assistance to 11,500 soldiers.
 * The Lone Soldiers Program. The program provides material and financial assistance, including the defrayment of air travel costs, to IDF volunteers that have no immediate family in Israel. During 2020, FIDF provided approximately $5.5 million to assist over 6,700 Lone Soldiers through this program.
 * Bereaved Families Program. The program is focused on helping the families (including children and siblings) of fallen IDF soldiers. Activities include workshops, entertainment, sports activities, and summer camps. During 2020, FIDF provided approximately $900,000 for such activities, aiding approximately 2,435 members of bereaved families.
 * The Wounded Veterans Program. This program provides wounded servicemen and servicewomen with access to advanced medical and rehabilitation services, including therapy and service dogs and emotional support. In 2020, FIDF assistance for approximately 1,050 wounded veterans totaled $2.2 million.
 * The Spiritual Needs Program. This program is in cooperation with the IDF Military Rabbinate, (Hebrew, חיל הרבנות הצבאית, Heil HaRabanut HaTzvait), and provides for Judaica and ritual articles, holiday celebrations and activities and other educational and social activities. During 2020, FIDF provided approximately $3.5 million for this program.

Construction projects
FIDF is also an important contributor to construction projects throughout the State of Israel. The organization has sponsored the construction and refurbishment of recreational, sports and fitness centers; synagogues; auditoriums; soldier housing; and cultural and educational facilities. In September 2023, The Jerusalem Post reported that FIDF, in partnership with The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ), and Ha’aguda Lema’an Hachayal (Association for the Wellbeing of Israel’s Soldiers, or AWIS), had begun construction on an eight-story housing complex, which when completed in December 2024, would provide housing for 222 Lone Soldiers. In 2020, FIDF reported on IRS Form 990 that it had expended approximately $32 million on 14 projects that were then “under construction,” and an additional $19.4 million on 9 projects that were in the “design and bidding stage.”

FIDF Response to the Hamas-Israel War
Following the surprise terrorist attack on Israeli civilians and soldiers on October 7, 2023, FIDF initiated a series of emergency fundraising campaigns focused on IDF’s soldiers’ urgent humanitarian needs. On October 30, 2023, The Jerusalem Post reported that FIDF had raised $60 million in support of IDF soldiers, and had transferred over $34.5 million to the IDF in support of “humanitarian assistance for the numerous IDF soldiers and 360,000 reservists summoned to duty". The newspaper further reported that the FIDF projected that an additional $100 to $150 million may be required to assist the IDF with their escalating humanitarian costs if the conflict continued.

FIDF Live Briefings: Updates on the Hamas-Israel War
Other activities that were initiated by FIDF after October 7, 2023, have included online “Live Briefings” for the media, potential donors, and other interested parties. These online briefings, typically moderated by Rabbi Steve Weil (Chief Executive Officer, FIDF), have featured Jonathan Schanzer (Former U.S. Treasury Finance Terror Analyst), Sfc. Fay Goldstein (IDF Spokesperson), Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus (IDF Spokesperson), Arsen Ostrovsky (CEO, International Legal Forum), Avi Melamed (Former Israeli Intelligence Official), as well as other U.S. and Israeli military and defense professionals.