Hand in Hand: Center for Jewish-Arab Education in Israel

Legal name: Hand in Hand American Friends of the Center for Jewish-arab Education in Isra

Overview

Mission

Hand in Hand’s mission is to build partnership and equality between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel through our growing network of integrated Jewish-Arab schools and communities throughout the country. Shared Communities - Hand in Hand Coming together in a conflict zone is not easy, and so we provide programming throughout the year to cultivate friendships, mutual trust, and appreciation. It is crucial that our community members know that we remain steadfast in our commitment to shared living, no matter the circumstances. Throughout the year, our communities enjoy family bonding activities, lectures and workshops, countrywide family gatherings, leadership seminars, facilitated dialogue sessions, language classes, shared holiday celebrations, cultural text study, and the upkeep of community gardens. They are the engine that drives our work, spreading awareness about our mission...

What it reported doing in 2024

In israel, hand in hand helped support the growth of hand in hand's school in haifa, israel up to 8th grade, with plans in place to expand into 9th grade in 2025-2026 thereby having a full junior high program (and later will expand into 10th-12th grade as well). Hand in hand supported the expansion of its pre-school programs in the hand in hand schools in jaffa, israel and haifa, israel. They provided funding for added school counselors and other mental health staff to help hand in hand school children and teachers deal with the trauma of the october 7, 2023 hamas attacks and subsequent war in gaza. This helped children dealing with trauma and fears and helped prepare and strengthen teachers' work in the classroom. Hand in hand funding also enabled a program at hebrew university in jerusalem, israel to continue in its fourth year.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 97% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 99% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
931269590
IRS 990 coverage
2019–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Headquarters
Portland, OR, Israel
Phone
02-673-5356
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
International Peace and Security
Affiliation
Judaism

Official website

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 90
  • Transparency & Controls: 69
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 27
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 89%; rating input score 89
  • Fundraising efficiency: $12.94 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -21.2%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.74; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.7%; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 5.9% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 8.9% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 21.9% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 3 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 89% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $7.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $286K · 17 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 38 of 38 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 6 annual filings from 2019 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • ALON SHALEV (CEO): $285,900 total reported compensation
  • LEE GORDON (CO-FOUNDER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $140,264 total reported compensation
  • PATRICIA SMITH (SECRETARY (THRU 12-24)): $73,196 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.