Often foreign philanthropists who fund in Israel are discouraged by what they perceive as the inability

of grassroots activists to affect change and decide themselves to take on the role of advocacy. SAY A
LITTLE MORE ABOUT THIS WHATS THE SO WHAT?
Philanthropists have a great deal of power; this has inherent advantages and disadvantages.
Philanthropists frequently act as catalysts for creating programs or provide the energy for creative
start-up ventures. They can promote attention to the needs of specific constituencies, and offer
solutions to pressing issues. An equally important role for philanthropists is to say to the government:
This is your job. We, as philanthropist are prepared to be of assistance, but you must agree to take
the lead. DO YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING MORE ABOUT THIS? IE, SOME
PHILANTHROPISTS ARE RELUCTANT TO TAKE THIS ROLE?
Another potential danger when foreign funders take on an advocacy role is that they may come to
believe that they know the field better than the involved NGOs or their constituents. Funders can find
themselves competing with NGOs for recognition. More cause for concern is the fact that this
threatens to prevent the voice of the constituents from being heard. For those interested in promoting
democratic participatory practices in Israel, this is something to be avoided.

Policy Change and Advocacy

How YEDID turned into one of the most influential organizations in the field of social
policy change.
In 2007 YEDID became the largest and most active organization in the field of advocacy
and policy change. Initiatives from YEDIDs Legal and Policy Change Departments led
to five new laws, more than any one Knesset member succeeded in passing this year.
Among the bills passed with YEDIDs help:
Affordable Electricity: Discounts on electricity bills for low-income families and
senior citizens.
Affordable Hot Water for Public Housing Residents: Installing solar water heaters
for public housing residents so that they can take advantage of one of the
countrys most abundant natural resources to heat their water while saving on
electricity bills and avoiding utilities cutoffs.
Legal Assistance to Welfare-to-Work Participants: Provides free legal
representation to Welfare-to-Work participants in the appeals process.
Protecting youth from gambling: Prohibits minors from buying lottery tickets.
Higher Education for Single Mothers: Provides single mothers on welfare with
the opportunity to study and continue receiving welfare benefits.
In addition to these laws, another six YEDID initiatives passed their initial reading in the
Knesset, half of them with the support of the government. This greatly increases their
chance of becoming formal laws in 2008 and helping to strengthen Israels most
vulnerable communities. In 2007, together with Knesset Member Colette Avital and the
cooperation of the Forum to Address Food Insecurity in Israel, YEDID spearheaded a
Committee for Food Security in the Ministry of Social Welfare.
YEDID has worked in collaboration with Knesset Members from the full range of
political parties, including MK Colette Avital, MK Ofir Pines, MK Orit Noked, MK Sheli
Yachimovich, MK Nadia Hilou (Labor), MK Zevulun Orlev (Mafdal), MK Ran Cohen,
MK Haim Oron, MK Yossi Beilin (Meretz), MK Yehudah Gafni (United Torah
Judaism), MK Gilad Erdan, MK Moshe Kahlon, MK Gideon Saar, MK Limor Livnat
(Likud), Marina Solodkin (Kadima), Sofia Landver (Yisrael Beiteinu), MK Sara Marom
Shalev, and MK Moshe Sharoni (Gil Pensioners Party).
In 2007, together with these partners, YEDID has worked to place the needs of Israels
most vulnerable citizens on the public agenda, including problems of the working poor,
unemployed participants in Israels welfare-to-work program, the needs of Holocaust
survivors who lack the money for basic necessities, the difficulties of public housing
residents, the struggles of people at risk of losing their homes to mortgage foreclosure,
the difficulties of the residents of Sderot who face the fear of daily missile attacks, and
the troubles of Northern residents who were unable to take advantage of their rights as
victims of the Second Lebanon War.

YEDID has also had a leading role among social change organizations in shaping the
relationship between the government and the non-profit sector. YEDID has worked with
government agencies like the Ministry of Social Welfare to shape policies relating to
issues such as National Insurance benefits and youth at risk, with the Ministry of
Employment on issues relating to the rights of Welfare-to-Work participants, and with
the Ministry of Housing to ensure the rights of public housing residents and mortgage
holders and on all issues relating to housing policy in Israel.
YEDIDs successes in legislative advocacy are due in large part to the organizations
Legal Department. In the end of 2007 Yuval Elbashan came home to YEDID, where
he was the first Legal Department Director. Yuval, who before returning to YEDID
directed the Legal Clinic at Hebrew University, and former Legal Department Director,
Gilad Barnea helped the YEDID Legal Department reach new heights in 2007. YEDIDs
lawyers are among the most professional and valued members of the field of social
justice law in Israel.

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