Israel's oldest instirution is getting an upgrade to bring it into the 21st century. Keren Kayemet L'Yisrael, also known as KKL, in English known as the Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF), is the oldest organization in the world to establish a platform for mass fundraising, has been reconfiguring the way it works and creating an internal digital revolution.

“The world of donations has changed in recent decades,” says Shariel Gon, director of the fundraising department at KKL-JNF.

“In the past, donors relied on the country’s founders and supplied the necessary funds because they needed to establish a country. Today, people want to know where their funds will be directed and want to receive regular reports and updates on the status of the project. Most of these donors have their money in the Diaspora, are heads of families, well-educated, and want to be able to donate online.”

One of the main reasons KKL-JNF had been established was to incorporate the Jewish people in developing a Jewish State long before the State of Israel was created. It is the organization that is solely responsible for reforesting the country, albeit using trees that were not native to the region which is the topic of another article. Aside from planting trees, in an effort to turn the land of Israel back into a habitable and hospitable area that would attract Jews to return to the land, KKL-JNF constructed nature trails and built roads that criss-cross the country, while ensuring that the water systems were in place near places where people would settle.

But while the organization that is famous for the 'Plant a Tree In Israel' campaigns worldwide grew, they did not keep up with the changing technology. This effort seeks to change that. “KKL-JNF’s Internet presence has increased. We built an online fundraising system for the first time in the history of the organization. Anyone can visit the website and view it in any language, from any country in the world, in ways that enable them to take an active role in building the country,” the fundraising director says. “This is a significant and major breakthrough for us,” he noted.

“KKL-JNF is a traditional organization that played a central role in the establishment of the state through the purchase of land, and for us to use online methods is nothing less than a revolution. In the 1960s and 1970s, most of the donors were Holocaust survivors. It was a generation of donors who did not ask questions and only wanted to donate. “

“Today’s generation seeks control over the projects to which it contributes. Donors want to know that their money is being utilized for the purpose for which it is intended. In addition, we must remember that in some cases, the economic situation in Israel is better than in the donor communities. Today it is up to the donor to be involved, and we must address this,” Gon further mentions.

The person in charge of the entire technological system and new developments at KKL-JNF is Uri Aizikovich, head of the KKL-JNF’s computer system.

“In the past three years, KKL-JNF has been storing old systems, adopting off-the-shelf products, and using advanced technologies to put the donors at the center,” he says. “We have entered the world of digital marketing, relying on advanced information systems, to strengthen the relationship with the donor and provide him with various services and capabilities so that he will become a partner of KKL-JNF for years to come.”