Since 1977, The Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development, an independent, non-political, non-partisan, non-sectarian charitable organization, has supported the development of grassroots Palestinian initiatives in Israel and the Occupied Territories of the West Bank and Gaza. Responding to continually evolving circumstances in these areas, The Jerusalem Fund has channeled direct humanitarian aid to nongovernmental organizations that assist the young, the old, the disadvantaged, and the disinherited. In this way, it has had a consistent impact on thousands of Palestinians beleaguered by occupation.

Originally, The Jerusalem Fund provided scholarships for Palestinian university students to study in Israel, the West Bank, and abroad. To this end, nearly 8,000 scholarships, totaling approximately $4 million, were awarded between 1978 and 1992. In 1983, The Jerusalem Fund expanded its focus to include direct assistance for educational, cultural, medical, and community service institutions in Palestinian society. These institutions became increasingly important as Israeli measures to suppress the first intifada led to new suffering in the Occupied Territories.

Today, as the Palestinian people struggle toward self-determination and freedom, The Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development continues to grow and adapt to their current needs. While continuing to support numerous grassroots nongovernmental organizations providing medical and humanitarian aid, we now also fund projects directed at building a vibrant Palestinian civil society. We are developing new endeavors such as the computer labs in Palestine initiative, which places state of the art facilities in high schools and refugee camp community centers in the West Bank and Gaza.

We feel strongly that through this refocused and expanded mandate, The Jerusalem Fund has responded appropriately to events on the ground. By building stronger human resources, we are building better communities. By bringing cutting-edge technology to those most at risk of being left behind, we are ensuring that when Palestine takes its place among the family of nations, its people are ready to participate.