Social services provided by state authorities can be compared to a patchwork quilt. It will always be smaller than the ever growing social needs, and require updating in light of economic, social, and political changes. Policy decisions in the face of such ever-changing needs will be determined based on political priorities.
Every government bases its decisions to invest in the social infrastructure in light of various considerations that arise from a social, economic, ideological, and political perspective.
Once we understand the political and economic reality, the question regarding the role of philanthropy arises: In many ways, responding to social needs where there is a public government void is the most important role of philanthropy.
But what happens when the need far outdoes what philanthropy can impactfully respond to? In such as case, promotion of a fair public policy would probably be more effective than any philanthropic action. Yet there is a reluctance among philanthropists and donors to engage in such activities, and they prefer to continue to invest in “local” solutions.
I believe that the philanthropic community must overcome its tendency to avoid activities that proactively call for change in public policy. Let’s examine one of many examples of change in priorities of Israel’s government investment.
Until about five years ago, preschool education in Israel was not included in the state budget.
Transforming Early Childhood Education: A Journey
For years, government officials were sure that education began at age three and therefore the state had no interest in investing in professional early-childhood education. As educational and social research developed – and following deep crises in early childhood care giving – a public call for government responsibility and sponsorship of early childhood education arose. After years of social struggle led by civil society organizations, the government finally decided in 2022 to budget for the professional development of early childhood educare givers.
Recently, the Education Ministry decided to dramatically cut the budget, probably due to a change in political priorities. Is the distress in the area small? No, on the contrary, it is even more dire as a result of the war and its effect on infants, families, and care givers. A proper early childhood educare system is an existential-social necessity, ensuring that every child is cared for and receives education, health, and the opportunity for optimal development.
What happens, then, when the government decides that such care for its most vulnerable citizens is not an important enough policy goal?
How can we ensure optimal educare without state investment? Should philanthropy support charities that will run day-care centers? Can such support ensure early childhood education for all infants? The answer is clear: Social organizations can indeed go “under the stretcher” when there is an urgent need (and even do so in an exemplary manner), but one cannot rely on one-off social action in a place where the need is national, broad, and has long-term implications for the nature of Israeli society.
IN THIS case as in other burning social problems, we can define the question for philanthropists as such: Is the role of philanthropy one that asks to plug the hole in the bucket or can it promote its reconstruction? Such sustainable reconstruction can be promoted by investing in the publicizing of policy void, bringing it to public and political attention, presenting the effects of the existing policy, and revealing alternatives to it.
Unfortunately, donors often shy away from investing in social policy moves for fear that it is “political support” or “lobbying” activity. It is important to clarify that a contribution to the promotion of legislation or policy for the sake of broad social public interest is not equal to the lobbying activity of commercial companies or capitalists interested in a narrow interest. The decision-makers and even the lobbyist law clearly differentiate between them.
The process of promoting social policy includes many steps: data collection and analysis, developing possible mechanistic and economic solutions, writing policy and position papers, promoting publications, and more – long before the actual lobbying that promotes a policy proposal.
There is no limit in the law (not in Israel nor abroad) for grants to non-profit organizations promoting public policy and if the organization, among other things, works to promote policies by lobbying among Knesset members – as long as the organization’s total budget is divided between a wide range of activities – there is no obstacle to donating to it. Donors can even define in advance whether their contribution is devoted specifically to research, writing, or publishing, for example.
Support for social policy promotion is a significant democratic tool, allowing civil society to fill in the blind spots of government policy and promote sustainable systemic solutions, leading to the rebuilding of the social and public infrastructures in the country. Today, as the needs are so dire and the government so politically constrained, it is more important than ever to do so.
The writer is a former chairman of the Philanthropic Funds Forum and a member of the board of directors of the 121 Association.