Jerusalem Post/Business & Innovation/All NewsData from the Jgive and Charidy platforms show that Israelis continue to open their wallets, but their targets are shifting from acute emergency needs to long-term issues.Follow us on GoogleFood basket distribution: Snir Association for Equal Opportunity.(photo credit: FORTE)ByAVICHAY CHAIMSEPTEMBER 10, 2026 12:10Even after two years of war and economic uncertainty, Israelis continue to open their wallets: The number of donors on Charidy jumped by nearly 10%, and Jgive recorded a 53% increase in donation volume during the Tishrei holiday season within four years. However, the targets are changing: Donations for mental health and post-trauma surged almost fivefold compared to 2023, while donations to campaigns for soldiers and reservists fell by 52% from their peak.Nearly three years of war, prolonged reserve duty, uncertainty, and the cost of living have not stopped Israelis from donating. New data from the fundraising platforms Charidy and Jgive point to continued growth in the scope of giving and the number of donors, but also reveal a significant shift in the goals to which the public chooses to direct its money: Less to immediate wartime needs, and more to mental health, rehabilitation, welfare, commemoration, and food assistance.According to data from Charidy, more than NIS 2 billion was raised through its campaigns worldwide in the Jewish year 5786, an increase of more than 5% compared to 5785. A total of approximately 1.82 million donors participated in campaigns worldwide. In Israel, about NIS 340 million was raised through the platform from 509,793 donors. The number of Israeli donors rose by nearly 10% compared to the previous year, when it stood at about 467,000.Data from Jgive also point to a significant expansion of the circle of giving. During the Tishrei holiday period, the volume of donations grew within four seasons from about NIS 44.7 million to about NIS 68.5 million, a 53% surge. At the same time, the number of donations rose by 57%, from 63,110 to 99,066. However, a deeper change is hidden behind the overall numbers.Ori Ben Shlomo, founder and CEO of Jgive (credit: official site, OR SULTAN)Donations shift from war needs to mental healthWhile at the beginning of the war the public mobilized on a large scale for soldiers, reservists, and immediate emergency needs, a movement of donations toward the long-term consequences of the war is now evident. Between January and July 2026, 1,165 donations were recorded on Jgive for campaigns related to mental health and post-trauma, compared to only 250 in the corresponding period in 2023, a 4.7-fold increase. Conversely, the number of donations to campaigns identified with soldiers and reservists stood at about 7,400, approximately 52% lower than the peak recorded in 2024.Economic distress is also evident on the donation map. Between January and July of this year, 3,551 donations were recorded for food basket and food package campaigns, compared to 2,069 in the corresponding period in 2023, an increase of more than 70%. During the Tishrei period, the two leading fields in terms of the number of donations were welfare and national emergency assistance. The welfare sector, which includes financial aid, food, and support for the needy and the elderly, drew between 16,000 and 20,000 donations totaling approximately NIS 12.7 million. National emergency assistance drew between 18,000 and 18,700 donations, totaling approximately NIS 5.8 million.Commemoration is also taking up a larger place. The number of donations in the field of commemoration and memory rose from 4,058 in 5782 to 12,694 in 5786, more than tripling. The sector, which was in fourth place in terms of number of donations, moved up to third place, with a monetary volume of about NIS 3.5 million. The change is not only in who receives donations, but also in who donates and how. According to Jgive data, the proportion of recurring donations rose from 14% to 17.5%, and the median donation grew from NIS 120 to NIS 150.However, a significant portion of the money still comes from a relatively small number of large donations: Donations of more than NIS 5,000 account for only 1.27% of all donations, but are responsible for 59% of the total amount donated. At the same time, a sharp decline was recorded in the share of foreign-currency donations, falling from about 53.7% of the total money to only about 16%. This comes while the total number of donors grew by 45% and the monetary volume rose by 53%, a figure that may indicate a strengthening in the weight of local donors.In the week preceding Rosh Hashanah, approximately NIS 14.1 million was donated in 16,421 donations, an average of about NIS 860 per donation. In the week preceding Yom Kippur, 24,152 donations were recorded, totaling about NIS 13.4 million. That is, more people donated, but in smaller amounts, an average of about NIS 554 per donation. Looking at a four-year period, the volume of donations during the Ten Days of Repentance surged by 112%, and in the period between Sukkot and Simchat Torah, an increase of 284% was recorded.Big campaigns continue to draw major donationsAt the other end of the scale are the large campaigns. According to Charidy, the campaign that raised the highest amount in 5786 was by the Vizhnitz Hasidic center, with more than NIS 32 million. The campaign with the highest number of participating donors was "Meitar Rose Wants to Live," with 42,822 donors. The campaign enabled eight-year-old Meitar to receive the first treatment in Israel for Duchenne disease, using a medication considered one of the most expensive in the world. The single largest donation recorded on Charidy stood at NIS 375,000 and was given to the Shalom Rav Yeshiva. In Israel, the single largest donation stood at NIS 108,000 and was designated for the Tzedakah Center."One of the interesting things we see is that the public is mobilized and responds quickly to needs that arise from the ground, especially in times of emergency," says Ori Ben Shlomo, founder and CEO of Jgive. "During the war, the money flowed quickly to soldiers and immediate needs, and today it is already shifting to mental health, rehabilitation, and welfare. In this sense, the donation map is an early indicator of the needs the public identifies, and sometimes also of the places where it feels the existing infrastructural response is not yet sufficient."Rabbi Shay Chervinsky, CEO of Charidy, added that "the data for the year 5786 are an impressive testament to the power of mutual responsibility. Even in a year of war, uncertainty, and economic challenges, the public did not withdraw into itself, but continued to open its heart and give. More than half a million donors in Israel and millions of donors around the world chose to take part and assist, and the numbers show that the desire to give and help others is strong even during the most complex periods."Follow us on Google