Rosh Hashanah giving deadlines — please plan ahead

Dear Friends,

As we approach the Jewish New Year, please note the deadlines below. Israeli banking closures through Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot compress our processing calendar considerably, so planning ahead matters this year.

We will issue three grant transfers during this period.

To have a gift granted to a charity before Rosh Hashanah, it must be included in our September 4 transfer:

  • Checks received at the Deluxe processing center by Monday, August 24, 2026. Please mail early — a check postmarked August 24 will not make the deadline.
  • Wires and ACH transfers received in PEF’s bank account by Monday, August 31, 2026.
  • PEF Donor-advised fund recommendations by Tuesday, September 1, 2026.

 

For our mid-holiday transfer on September 25, with funds expected to reach charities at the beginning of October:

  • Checks received by Monday, September 14, 2026.
  • Wires and ACH received by Friday, September 18, 2026.
  • PEF Donor-advised fund recommendations by Tuesday, September 22, 2026.

 

Normal operations resume Monday, October 5, 2026, with our first regular transfer on Friday, October 9 — checks received by September 28, wires by October 5, PEF DAF recommendations by October 6.

Please note that gifts arriving between these deadlines will be held for the next scheduled transfer.

Thank you, and Shanah Tovah U’Metukah — wishing you a good and sweet year.

PEF Israel Endowment Funds

 

PEF is upgrading to a new state-of-the-art processing system. Stay tuned for upcoming changes that will enhance our future processing speed and service. We will continue to update this site as new processes are added. We appreciate your patience and partnership as we complete this transition.

 

PEF was established in 1922 by Justice Brandeis, Rabbi Stephen Wise, Robert Szold and a group of distinguished Americans to enable the direct distribution of funds to selected and approved charitable organizations in Israel. PEF invites gifts, bequests and contributions for specific purposes and institutions. As specifically requested by contributors, PEF grants (now totaling over $2 billion) have touched almost every facet of Israeli life. Areas of support include, but are not limited to: primary and secondary education; supporting scientific research; promoting greater tolerance and understanding between religious and secular communities and between Arabs and Jews; the special needs of women, children and families in distress; special education and education for the gifted; veterans programs; drug abuse; promotion of the arts; and relief for the handicapped.

Public Charity

PEF is a tax exempt public charity, not a private foundation, under Code 501(c)(3). Our tax ID number is 13-6104086. To assure optimum effectiveness of our grant-allocating process and a better understanding in Israel of our function and mission, PEF benefits from site visits in Israel by its Trustees. No administrative deduction is made from contributions. Overhead is approximately 2% of grants, and is met by an administrative charge on endowed funds and special contributions for that purpose. No fund-raising organization is maintained or engaged.

 

Contributions 

All contributions must be in US dollars payable to “PEF Israel Endowment Funds, Inc.” and may carry a recommendation for the use of the funds. Mininum check contribution is $25. Recommendations for PEF registered charities must include BOTH the charity’s full name and their 9-digit Israeli Tax ID number (“amutah number”). You can find currently registered charities and ID numbers here.

To donate by credit card:  Please click the Donate Now button. It’s the easiest way to donate.

To send an ACH or wire transfer:  Send us an email at for our latest instructions. All donors sending ACH or wire transfer gifts MUST send us a notification email with all the information listed in our instructions BEFORE sending the transfer so that we can properly identify the gift.

New Check Process and Address

Mailing a Check
We’ve upgraded how PEF processes donation checks. Many donor-advised fund sponsors have stopped accepting checks altogether; we’re committed to keeping this option, because we know our donors, charities, and community value it. Our new secure lockbox service means your checks are processed faster and more safely.

Please include a completed Check Submission Form with each check — one form per donation. Please note that we can no longer accept multiple recommendations for a single check. Each check must have a single charity or fund recommendation.

Standard mail (USPS)
PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc.
PO Box 70772
Philadelphia, PA 19176-0772

Courier delivery (DHL, FedEx, UPS)
Couriers cannot deliver to PO boxes. Please use this street address instead:
Deluxe — Attn: PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc.
Client ID 70772, RPS No. 7872
400 White Clay Center Drive
Newark, DE 19711

Using the wrong address will delay processing of your gift.
You can download the Check Submission Form and look up any charity’s name and ID number on the Charities Page.

To send stock: Please email us at for current instructions.

 

Terms and Conditions

By making a donation to PEF Israel Endowment Funds, Inc. (PEF), the donor hereby agrees and acknowledges as follows:

  1. Ownership and Discretion

All donations to PEF are irrevocable and become the property of PEF upon receipt.

PEF has the sole and absolute discretion to use all donated funds as it sees fit in furtherance of its tax-exempt charitable purposes.

Although PEF may consider a donor’s recommendation with respect to the use of funds, all such recommendations are advisory only and non-binding, and PEF retains full and exclusive control over the use, allocation, and distribution of all donated funds. PEF, and not the donor, will be the legal grantor of any funds distributed.

  1. No Earmarking or Donor Control

No donation to PEF shall be deemed earmarked for any specific recipient, organization, or purpose.

PEF retains the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to:

  • approve, decline, or modify any recommendation without consulting the donor;
  • determine the timing and structure of any grant; and
  • select alternative charitable recipients.
  1. Donor Representations and Compliance

To the extent a donor provides a recommendation, the donor represents that:

(a) the recommendation:

(1) will be solely for tax-exempt purposes described in Section 170(c)(2)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and not for lobbying (including any direct or grassroots lobbying communications that support or oppose specific legislative proposals); and

(2) will not be for the benefit of an organization that is owned, controlled or managed by, and will not be for or redound to the benefit of, any persons listed on the Specifically Designated Nationals and other blocked persons list maintained by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control (“OFAC”) or organized or resident in a country or region subject to comprehensive U.S. sanctions;

(b) neither the donor nor any of its affiliates, nor to the knowledge of the donor, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the donor, is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC;

(c) neither the donor nor any family member or affiliate will receive more than an incidental benefit as a result of any grant; and

(d) the recommendation, if followed, would not satisfy any legal obligation, including a pledge, of the donor or any family member or affiliate.

For purposes of these Terms & Conditions, “family member” means the donor’s spouse, ancestors, siblings, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and the spouses of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

For purposes of these Terms & Conditions, “incidental benefit” means a token item of tangible personal property, such as a coffee mug, key chain or similar item given by a grantee to the donor in appreciation of the donor’s funding of a grant to the grantee.

  1. Gifts Received Without Clear Recommendations

If a donation is received without a clear or complete recommendation, PEF may, without otherwise limiting its sole and absolute discretion over the use of the donated funds:

  • hold the funds for a period of time to allow for donor clarification; and/or
  • use the funds in any manner whatsoever to support its charitable activities.
  1. Trusts, Bequests, and Third-Party Transfers

If a donation is received from a donor-advised fund or foundation or pursuant to a will, trust or other third-party arrangement that purports to direct or restrict the use of funds:

  • any such direction or restriction shall be treated as a non-binding recommendation only;
  • PEF’s acceptance of such funds is expressly conditioned upon PEF retaining sole and absolute discretion over their use; and
  • PEF shall not be bound by any directive, restriction, or condition that would limit its independent control over the funds.

PEF reserves the right at all times to decline and/or return a donation for any reason or no reason.

  1. Governing Law

These Terms & Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflict of law principles.

Contact

Email:          Tel: 212-599-1260