Alexandra Meir, English born, Canadian educated, an Israeli citizen since 1981, Alexandra has been working at the Delegation of the European Commission to the State of Israel for more than 10 years. During this time, she has gained wide experience in the ins and outs of EU funding for Israeli organisations. Today, with the new decentralisation of management of EU budget lines, Alexandra is responsible for the Israeli side of the EU Partnership for Peace Programme

Amnon Rimon, B.A. was until recently the Director of Public Affairs and Resource Development at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. Amnon has extensive experience in business development working with Israeli high tech start ups and has also worked in Germany in resource development for Karen Hayesod. Additionally he served for 25 years as a career officer with the IDF, retiring in 1986 after a 4 years term of service in Europe with the rank of Lt. Col. He lives with his family outside Netanya.

Armand Lauffer Ph.D. recently retired from the University of Michigan, having written more than 20 books on fundraising, resource development, nonprofit management, and training for the human services. His simulation games have been used by public and nonprofit agencies, and in universities in Israel, the United States and elsewhere. His Israel-based design and establishment of grant-related projects span several decades and include: the graduate-level program in nonprofit management at the Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya (2001-04), and Hebrew University’s Social Work Continuing Education Program (1977-77), respectively.

Benny Gidron Ph.D. is the founder and director of the Israeli Center for Third sector Research (ICTR) at Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Beer-Sheva, Israel. He has been researching issues pertaining to the Third Sector and related topics for the past 25 years. He is also a Professor with a joint appointment at the Department of Business Administration and the Department of Public Policy and Administration in the School of Management at BGU. He heads the Nonprofit Organizations Management Specialization that is jointly offered by those two departments. He came to the School of Management after serving for some 20 years at the Spitzer Department of Social Work, where he served as the chair (1985-90). He holds the David and Dorothy Schwartzman Chair for Community Development. He has led a group of researchers in a pioneering study of the Israeli nonprofit sector within the Johns Hopkins Comparative Study of the Nonprofit Sector . This study has provided for the first time important data and insight on the Third Sector in Israel, its size, composition, funding sources as well as its legal structure, history, government policy towards it and patterns of giving and volunteering of the Israeli public. This study and several follow-up studies resulted in a number of articles and a book (with Michal Bar and Hagai Katz) entitled The Third Sector in Israel: Between Welfare State and Civil Society published in 2003 in Hebrew (by Hakibutz Ha'Meuchad) and in 2004 in English (by Plenum).

Chaim fox Emmett returned to live in Israel in 1999 working as an independent Business Consultant and also as Operations Manager for a Social Services Charity. In November 2002 he founded ISRAEMPLOY - The Job Seekers Network – www.israemploy.net a community project to which he now devotes all his time and energy. His initiatives have been recognized by the New Israel Fund/Israel Venture Network – being selected as one of two recipients of the ISEP (Israel Social Entrepreneurship Program) 2004 Fellowships. Chaim’s background is in business management as well as adult training and development, having earned the Institute of Personnel and Development Post Graduate Diploma in Training Management and also a first degree in Hospitality Management. Chaim also holds a City and Guilds of London Institute Professional Chefs Certificate and has a Teachers Training Diploma. He is described as highly proactive, imaginative, and an entrepreneurial problem solver. His infectious enthusiasm is noted as a great motivational factor wherever he works. His great passion is music - particularly baroque and operatic works. As an avid cricket fan he thoroughly revels in watching England’s success in Test Matches. He is married to Judi and lives in Bet Shemesh. Chaim’s motto “ The only limitations people have are those they set themselves”

Chevy Weiss, PhD, has over 15 years of experience in the public relations arena. The owner of Global Visions Israel (www.globalvisionsisrael.com), a boutique public relations firm, Chevy is a public relations strategist for non-profit, corporate, and political clients in Israel, North America, and Europe. Her company handles press and media relations, creates marketing materials, drafts strategic plans, supervises target analysis and research, and conducts advertising campaigns. Chevy is a regular lecturer on the subjects of PR and marketing for MATI, the Jerusalem Business Development Corp., and serves as a private business and PR consultant to small companies and non-profits. Born in Israel and raised in the United States, Chevy returned to Israel in 1998. She currently lives in Bet Shemesh with her husband and 3 daughters.

David Lamb has been a prospect researcher for 17 years. He has served as the Director of Prospect Research at the University of Washington and Santa Clara University. He holds a B.S. in Sociology from Sterling College (Sterling, Kansas), an M.S. in Sociology from Wichita State University, and a master's in Divinity from San Francisco Theological Seminary. He is a frequent speaker at professional conferences, including those sponsored by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (APRA). In 1997 he received APRA's Service Award for outstanding service to the profession and in 2001 he was awarded the CASE's Steuben Apple award for excellence in teaching. His Prospect Research Page (www.lambresearch.com ) is a trusted and popular resource among prospect researchers.

David Roth, 36, made Aliyah over eighteen years ago, and is the Executive Director of the Yoreinu Foundation, a private American family foundation that supports programs in Israel in the fields of Jewish identity and Jewish education, as well as a pro-active board member of Torah MiTzion. David has a Master's degree in Nonprofit Management (M.N.M.) from Regis University, and is planning on going into philanthropic and nonprofit consulting. David lives in Jerusalem with his family.

Dr. Dvora Blum is the UJC- Israel Deputy Director General and responsible for developing federation liaison services and strategic initiatives. Prior to her appointment at the UJC she established and managed the Center for Lay Leadership at the JDC -Israel and was a member of the Board of Management. Prior to her employment at JDC-Israel, she served as Associate Director of the Division for Human Resource Development at ELKA and was a faculty member of the Social Sciences of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, where she served as Coordinator of the Unit for Simulation Games. Dvora completed her IDF service as an Operations Sergeant in the Air Force and holds a Ph.D. in Gender Studies and an MA is Social Psychology. www.ujc.org/israel_home.html

Eilat Navon is the Editor of publications at the Voluntary & Nonprofit Sector, the umbrella organization for Israeli NPO's, and editor and principle of the Third Angle (Zavit 3 www.zavit3.co.il) a weekly newsletter featuring news from the non profits sector. Before this, she worked at the JDC Israel Office and the Government Press Office. Eilat lectures on nonprofit internet use and information issues. She has an M.I.L.S. from the Hebrew University and is a member of professional information associations such as the AIIP.

Prof. Eliezer David Jaffe immigrated to Israel in 1960 and was one of the founders and the first teachers in the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work in the Hebrew University. He was educated and trained in the US, where he received a BA in Sociology and Psychology, an MA in Social Work, an additional MA in Criminology and a Doctorate in Social Work. He served as a consultant to the Ministry of Labor and Welfare and was a member of several ministerial committees, including the Prime Minister's (Golda Meir) committee for Youth in Danger, the Prime Minister's Council of Social Welfare Policy (Shimon Peres and Yitzchak Shamir), the President's Committee (Chaim Herzog) for Outstanding Volunteers and the Committee for Determining the Poverty Line in Israel (Menachem Begin). Between 1970 and 1972, Prof. Jaffe headed the Jerusalem Municipality Department of Family and Community Services, initiating important reforms, all adopted since then around the country- specifically the separation of Personal Treatment from the right to Income Support, Decentralization of Community Work Services and establishing a Senior Division and a Welfare Services Planning Unit. Prof. Jaffe was one of the founders of the Zehavi Association- the Israeli Association for the rights of large families; was a member of the Central Social Worker's Committee and a founding member and Head of the ISEF Foundation Academic Committee. He was on the editorial staff of the Social Work Journal "Hevra veRevacha", was a member of the editorial staff of the "Public Management Review" Journal and a member of the Social Workers Council, as well as the management committee of the National Council of Volunteering. Prof. Jaffe was consultant to the Rothschild Foundation and consults private philanthropic funds and private donors in Israel and abroad. In 1990 he founded the Israel Free Loan Association in order to help new immigrants and other Israelis in need and he volunteers as Chairman since then. This association has granted over 28,000 free loans of the total sum of over 58 million dollars. The association was granted the Minister of Immigration Absorption's award for assisting new immigrants, especially from Ethiopia and the former USSR (www.freeloan.co.il).

Currently Professor Jaffe is an Emeritus Professor of Social Work at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and was the first Chair of the Centraid L. Jacques Menard for the Study of Volunteering, Non-Profit and Philanthropy. This is the only chair on this subject in Israel and is an important part of the Non Profit Management MA Program in the Hebrew University. Recently, Prof. Jaffe created an important internet site (www.givingwisely.org.il) which contains approximately 30,000 profiles of Non-Profit Organizations and Funds in Israel. He is married with 4 children, all born and living in Israel

Ivri Verblin MBA, is the CEO and founder of Goodvision, the Israeli pioneer CSR consulting firm which he founded in 2002, after service in the Israeli Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation. Ivri also helped establish the Peres Centre for Peace in 1996, and served as the Centre's director for special projects. Ivri lectures on business and community in the Recannati M.B.A. programme in Tel Aviv University and writes extensively about business and community issues in daily and professional media. www.goodvision.co.il

Judith Nichols Ph.D. is a development practitioner, author and consultant with a variety of NPO’s across the USA, Canada, Australia, South America, the U.K. and Europe. A highly respected researcher, trainer and presenter, she specializes in helping organizations understand the implications of changing demographics and psychographics on fund raising, marketing, and membership. She has more than thirty years of fundraising and marketing experience, working with higher education as well as with arts and cultural, health-related, human benefit and social service, membership, and youth organizations. Clients include: American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, American Red Cross, Girl Scouts of the USA, Mercy Corps International, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (UK), the Presbyterian Church (USA) Foundation, the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (UK), The Salvation Army, and Volunteers of America. Dr. Nichols has been a featured speaker and trainer at numerous conferences, workshops, and symposia. Her latest book is Pinpointing Affluence in the 21^st Century. Dr. Nichols is the editor of Modern Donor, an e-newsletter with over 12,000 subscribers(which can be ordered FREE of charge by visiting www.moderndonor.com ).

Liora Asa, M.A. International Affairs, George Washington University, (will complete her MBA, University of Haifa, in September). Ms. Asa’s career as a fundraising professional has spanned 15 years. She began her career in the U.S., in the Washington, DC office of the New Israel Fund working in the direct mail department, and then was responsible for writing large multi-year grants to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for a US government contractor, Chemonics International. Since making aliyah in 1996, Liora has worked as a fundraising consultant for several non-profit organizations and for Shatil since 2000 as Resource Development Consultant providing support to over 40 NGOs in the North and facilitating training on a broad array of resource development topics. The mini course curriculum she developed together with a colleague on grant writing is widely used by Shatil for their member organizations.

Marty Davis came to Israel 25 years ago after serving as the director of the Long Island Hadassah Zionist Youth Commission, Young Judaea and Camp Tel Yehudah. In Israel he has worked in the field of rural and urban development, strategic planning, training, implementation, fundraising, leadership development and donor development. His work includes contacts with top business people in Europe, South Africa, South America and North America. In 1981 Mr. Davis began working for the Ashkelon Development Company as a Director. This was followed by a three year Keren Hayesod shlichut in Great Britain. During the same period the Israeli Foreign Ministry sent Mr. Davis into the FSU to gather information, set up groups, etc. In 1991 he became Managing Director of the British Joint Israel Appeal’s Israel operation. In December 1997 he joined the Jewish Agency (JAFI) under contract as a senior consultant. During his period at the Agency he edited the Catalogue for people to people programs, wrote and edited the first Overseas Needs and Assessment Survey. From 1999 - 2001 he was the Vice President for International Development for the Israeli Masorti (Conservative) Movement. In August 2001 Marty accepted a four year Schlichut in Ottawa, Canada to serve as the Executive Director of the Financial Resource Development Unit. During this period he increased the annual campaign by 65%, raised the insurance program to $20 million and raised $25 million for the endowment fund.

Matti Munk has been working in the field of banking for 10 years and in the framework of his position at the Bank of Jerusalem he is responsible for developing services for non profit clients www.bankjerusalem.com

Meir Charash B.S., M.S.W. has been the Director of the Israel Office for the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia since 1988, overseeing projects such as Partnership 2000, allocations that are made by the Federation’s Center for Israel and Overseas, missions, volunteer projects and maintains connections with local municipalities, the Jewish Agency, the Joint Distribution Committee and communal leaders. He is an avid mountain bike rider and participates in the Annual Alyn Charity Bike Ride for the children of the Alyn Rehabilitation Hospital and serves as Co-Chair of the Kol HaNeshama Synagogue, a leading Reform Synagogue in Israel. Meir is married with three children and resides in Jerusalem

Shlomo Dushi holds a Masters degree in Public Policy from the Tel Aviv University and serves as the Executive Director of "Zionism 2000" since the year 2000. "Zionism 2000" is an apolitical movement for social responsibility that aims to promote the development of the Israeli civil society. It does so by operating programs such as "Business for the Community", which helps businesses develop programs for the community, and social and business entrepreneurship programs for youth at risk. In addition, "Zionism 2000" works to create new models and frameworks for community involvement and social change. Prior to his noteworthy work in "Zionism 2000" Shlomo Dushi served as the General Director of the Israeli Scouts Movement and has been sent to USA and Canada as one of the key Shlichim of the Jewish Agency and the Scouts Movement.

Stuart Hershkowitz is a qualified attorney in both the U.S. and Israel. He is the Deputy C.E.O. of the Bank of Jerusalem and the manager of the International Division. Stuart is responsible for developing business with non profit organizations in Israel and their ‘Friends Of’ organizations in the U.S.

Zeev Schwartz has an MA in Public Administration from Bar Ilan University was the founding executive director of Torah Mitzion www.torahmitzion.org religious zionist kollels were he continues to serve as its executive director and also serves as the chairman of www.levyehudi.org ,which is an outreach organization that deals with kiruv among Israeli backpackers in India. Zeev also has served as the campaign manager of the religious zionist slate - votetorah campaign. www.votetorah.org.

Zeev made aliya from South Africa 21 years ago and studied at Yeshivat Har Etzion and served in the Givati Infantry Brigade. Zeev is married to Shulamit and has five children

Howard Weisband currently serves as Senior Advisor on Israel Affairs to the President of Yeshiva University and Adjunct Faculty at YU in Jewish Communal Studies, is a Fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, and presently Israel President and Associate President of the World Council of Jewish Communal Service. Howard has held positions as the Director General of UIA Federations Canada (2001-2004), Vice President for International Development at Bar-Ilan University (1997-2001); Secretary General of The Jewish Agency for Israel (1985-1997); and Executive Director of the Memphis Jewish Federation (1977-1984).

Howard earned an M.A. in Jewish Communal Studies and an M.A. in Jewish Education from Hebrew Union College( H.U.C.), Los Angeles, in 1975, and was awarded a Doctorate Honoris Causa in Jewish Communal Service by H.U.C. in 2000.

Howard, his wife Kayla, and their family made aliyah in 1986. They live in Jerusalem and have four children, one of whom is married.

Chaim Jutkowitz was born in Detroit and started his fundraising career by working for National UJA though the Hillel foundations, organizing university and college campuses in the Midwest of United States.
A 1977 graduate of Yeshiva University School of Social Work (Wurzweiler) in 1977, with special emphasis on the Jewish Communal field, Chaim worked in various field positions in the U.S. working with Russian Jewry, the Boro Park (Brooklyn) YMHA, director of a drug prevention program for a Bronx educational institution, and various campaign positions in the New York and New Jersey Federations.

After Aliyah in 1983 Chaim joined the Training, Planning and Evaluation Division of the Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs. His responsibilities over 12 years included working with the Memorandum of Understanding on welfare issues between the United States government and The State of Israel, researching and putting together source materials, and assisting to create and direct the staff of The First National Self Help Clearing House. In these positions, Chaim both taught fundraising techniques to many non-profit organizations in the beginning stages of development, and provided in-service training in developing Board growth and lay leadership roles for both volunteers and professionals. His experience in the field of fundraising in Israel also includes working for a range of Israeli non-profit organizations including the Jerusalem College of Technology, the Bet-El Yeshiva Center, The Temple Institute, the OU Israel Center, and Mercaz Harmony, where he developed grant proposals and expanded overseas solicitations.

Ruth Uritsky, M.A. supervises and is the team leader of the department of Academic (university graduate) job seekers in the Jerusalem vicinity for the Israel Government Employment Agency and has over 25 years experience in the field of job placement, re-training programs and group management. Ruth specialty is aiding new immigrants, especially from English speaking countries, dealing with all aspects of employment absorption in the country, setting up courses and organizing events pertaining to this field.
Ruth was born in Poland and was raised in the United States, where she made Aliya from almost 30 years ago. Ruth earned both a B.A. & M.A. degrees in Applied Linguistics and Education as well as a Teaching Certificate from Tel Aviv University. Ruth, her husband Michael and their three daughters live in Givat Zeev.

Jeff Kaye serves as the Director of Resource Development & Public Affairs in the Jewish Agency for Israel. In this capacity, Jeff also holds responsibility for the Israel Education Fund, and the U.S. Government Grant.

Prior to joining the Jewish Agency in 2000, he served as the Director of the United Israel Appeal’s Israel Office. His long stint of professional involvement in the Jewish community includes positions at the Jewish Community Centers Association and Melitz. Both of these positions were in Israel.

Abroad, Jeff was the Community Emissary (shaliach) to Detroit during the years 1993-97. In addition to his work at the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, Jeff was responsible for all emissaries (shlichim) in the Midwest region of the United States.

Jeff also has extensive experience in special education, both as a teacher and supervisor. From 1989-93 he was the principal of the Kiryat Ye’arim Youth Aliyah Village, after having served for seven years as a teacher for children with special needs in schools in Jerusalem.

Jeff received his BA in Psychology and Politics from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland. He also received diplomas of Special Education from the David Yellin College of Education, and from the Hebrew University in the area of School Management.

Jeff made aliyah in 1981 from Scotland and still serves as a reserve soldier in the Israel Defense Forces. He lives with his wife and two children in Tsur Hadassah, a community not far from Jerusalem.

Binyamin (Binny) Shalev specializes in resource development and philanthropy in Israel, with a special connection to the Galilee. From 1991-1997, he was the driving force behind the excavations and development at Zippori National Park, one of the most visited historical sites in Israel. Between 1997 and 2000, Shalev was involved in Israel-Diaspora relations, first as a representative of the Jewish Federations of Palm Beach and Pittsburgh, and then as a Senior Advisor to the Minister of Diaspora Affairs in the Prime Minister's Office. During 2001-2004, Shalev served as Director of the Safed Foundation, established to restore and promote Safed's cultural and historical resources. Today, Shalev heads EPI Consultants - Effective Philanthropy in Israel (www.epi.co.il), which provides a full range of planning, strategic and management services for individuals and organizations committed to philanthropy in Israel. Binny lives with his family in the Galilee community of Hoshaya.

Danny Gewirtz was born in New York City and attended Scarsdale High School and later went on to Pace University, graduating in 1982 with a BA in Marketing. He came to Israel in September of 1983, made Aliyah and married in1984. Danny was Sales Director for the Virtual Jerusalem website for three years before opening up the premier online placement agency serving the Jewish community with his partner Dov Kunstler, D&D Marketing Solutions. D&D has placed online campaigns for over 500 clients over the past five years.
As of May 1, 2006 D&D Marketing Solutions merged with a rival company, Eshop Enterprises to form the J Media Group.