Matan – Investing in the Community is the Israeli affiliate of United Way Worldwide. As such, Matan strives to incorporate the UW ethics and models into its ongoing work and models that are tailored to the Israeli culture. By bridging the gap between the business world and societal needs, Matan helps companies identify areas where they can invest in the community through employee volunteer projects and donation programs. Partners come from different sectors including technology, health, welfare, and education. To date, Matan has helped distribute NIS 720 million in community investments and helped companies complete over 238,000 volunteer hours.
HOW WE WORK
Every year Matan invests the many resources it raises through the partnerships it creates, in hundreds of community projects. The investment channels are varied, and they go like this:
- Initiated social projects in partnership with businesses, donors and social organizations
- Grant management for community investors – companies, foundations and private donors
- Grants distributed by Matan
- Development of corporate volunteer projects
- The “Matan Track” Program
Matan helps companies build a community-focused strategy that promotes effective investment in social change. By managing grants for businesses and corporations Matan manages corporate social responsibility and ensures the best social outcomes. In addition to creating strategies and managing corporate social responsibility projects, Matan also designs and implements corporate volunteer programs that identify and bridges community needs with the business world. Finally, through the Matan Track Leadership Program, Matan provides leadership training using the advantages of management from the business sector and applying it to the dynamic world of social activism. Through mentorship and training current and future social organization managers receive invaluable skills that will allow them to improve future outcomes for social organizations.
VISION
A significant time is dedicated for careful due diligence – evaluating and building synergies with the right partners who demonstrate an ability to understand and address issues in a larger perspective. United Way strives to make sure that the ROI is maximized, measurable and most importantly, sustainable.
United Way Israel, Matan envisions an Israel where all people have the opportunity to live a better life. By establishing partnerships between businesses, foundations, and private donors, Matan encourages community involvement to build a strong civil society in areas of education, welfare, and health.
MISSION
United Way is a global movement which seeks to leverage corporate, employee and leadership talent for community development. Additionally, the organization believes that every donation made towards a developmental cause is an ‘investment’ and not merely a financial support.
Matan is a social organization that creates an active and involved civic society, by building and developing partnerships for effective investment in the community between investors – businesses, donors and philanthropic foundations, social organizations, associations, and public benefit companies.
FOCUS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS AREAS
The resources Matan raises through the many partnerships it creates, are invested in a wide range of diverse social organizations operating hundreds of community programs, helping large sectors of Israeli society. The populations that the partnerships will enable and sustain Matan to work with include:
- Children
- Youth
- The Elderly
- People with disabilities
- Physical and mental Health
- Economic Empowerment
- Protection from violence and abuse
- Severe Illnesses
- Tolerance in Israeli Society
- Environmental issues and education
- Education
- Art
- Excellence in the integration of underprivileged groups in society
- Young Leadership rising above and beyond
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT
Their main education program is Password for Every Pupil. It is an advanced educational program available to local educational personnel in both Hebrew and Arabic. The program brings together mayors, local regional council heads, education teams, pupils and parents to share in the learning experience, while aiming to reduce the digital divide. More than 70 000 pupils in 200 schools benefitted from this program, in which partnership is key.