Shalem Foundation

Shalem Foundation (קרן שלם) is an Israeli public benefit foundation established in 1983 by the Union of Local Authorities in Israel in cooperation with the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security. Its purpose is to help regional and local authorities develop community services for people with disabilities. Originally focused on people with intellectual developmental disabilities, the foundation expanded its scope in 2022–2023 to also support people with sensory, physical, and cognitive disabilities. The foundation operates as a central partner in the state's social activity, providing grants, consultation, and strategic thinking to promote quality of life in the community for people with disabilities throughout their lives. It funds physical development of community frameworks, encourages innovative initiatives, supports professional enrichment, assists a variety of projects for and by people with disabilities, promotes public awareness, and develops knowledge through research grants and professional conferences. According to its website, Shalem Foundation assists approximately 200 projects and initiatives across Israel each year, in full cooperation with supervisors of the Administration for Disabilities at the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security, welfare department representatives in local authorities, operating bodies, and other funding partners. The foundation's grant tracks include the "Ma'ale" grant for developing and upgrading day frameworks in the community for toddlers, children, and adolescents; the "Tzameret" grant for physical projects for day frameworks in the community; research grants; and additional tracks. It also supports awareness and exposure programs, social initiatives in rural and peripheral areas, professional development, national service volunteer positions, and unique projects such as the accessible dictionary, the Lilach learning module on women's health, the "Zuzu – Together for Healthy Lives" exercise initiative with Special Olympics, a training kit on verbal violence, the "Vi-Job" therapeutic video tool, and the "Shalem Bishvilchem" website for people with cognitive and intellectual disabilities. The foundation is chaired, as of 2019, by Eli Dukorsky, mayor of Kiryat Bialik. It is registered as a public benefit company (עמותה ציבורית / מלכ"ר) and operates as a non-profit organization.

Shalem Foundation was established in 1983 by the Union of Local Authorities in Israel in cooperation with the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security. Its original purpose was to provide comprehensive assistance in developing services for people with intellectual developmental disabilities in local authorities. The foundation has operated since then as a central partner in the state's social activity. In 2022, with the enactment of the Welfare Services for People with Disabilities Law, the foundation's scope was expanded to also support people with sensory, physical, and cognitive disabilities. According to its website, from 2023 the foundation extended its assistance to developing services for people with sensory, physical, and cognitive disabilities as well. The foundation's activities focus on assisting regional and local authorities in developing community services for people with intellectual, sensory, physical, or cognitive disabilities, in order to enable them to live full lives as equal-rights citizens. It provides grants, consultation, and strategic thinking to promote quality of life in the community throughout the person's life, based on a deep understanding of the complexity of the therapeutic needs of the person with a disability and those around them. Shalem Foundation assists approximately 200 projects and initiatives across Israel each year, in full cooperation with supervisors of the Administration for Disabilities at the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security at headquarters and in the districts, welfare department representatives in local authorities, operating bodies, and other funding partners who take part in steering committees. The foundation's grant tracks include physical development (funding construction, expansion, accessibility, renovation of buildings, and purchase of equipment for frameworks providing support and treatment services in the local community); awareness and exposure programs; social initiatives in rural and peripheral areas; professional development; research grants; conferences and seminars; and national service volunteer positions. Unique projects developed or supported by the foundation include the Lilach learning module (a free module on women's health in simple language, available in Hebrew, Arabic, Russian, and Amharic, with a special version for the Haredi community); the accessible dictionary (an online dictionary of simplified terms for people with cognitive disabilities); Zuzu – Together for Healthy Lives (a joint initiative with Special Olympics and the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security to make physical activity accessible in simple language); a training kit on verbal violence against people with intellectual disabilities; Vi-Job (a therapeutic tool for learning desired behaviors through video scenarios); and Shalem Bishvilchem (a website for people with cognitive and intellectual disabilities aggregating content in simple language). As of 2019, the chairman of the association is Eli Dukorsky, mayor of Kiryat Bialik. The foundation is registered as a public benefit company (עמותה ציבורית / מלכ"ר) and operates as a non-profit organization.

• 2023

  The foundation extends assistance to developing services for people with sensory, physical, and cognitive disabilities.

• 2022

  With the enactment of the Welfare Services for People with Disabilities Law, the foundation's scope is expanded to people with sensory, physical, and cognitive disabilities.

• 2019

  Eli Dukorsky, mayor of Kiryat Bialik, becomes chairman of the foundation.

• 1983

  Shalem Foundation established by the Union of Local Authorities in Israel in cooperation with the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security.

A public benefit foundation and central partner in Israel's social activity, funding community services for people with disabilities through local authorities.

• Ma'ale grant

  Fully funded by Shalem Foundation; a shortened procedure for the development and upgrading of day frameworks in the community for toddlers, children, and adolescents.

• Tzameret grant

  Any local or regional authority in Israel may apply to Shalem Foundation for a financial grant for physical projects for day frameworks in the community.

• Research grants

  Aimed at promoting and improving services for people with intellectual, physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities; includes scholarships for researchers and master's or doctoral students.

• Accessible dictionary

  An online dictionary of common and important words for daily functioning of people with disabilities, with simplified definitions, examples, and symbols, in a simple interface.

• Lilach learning module

  A free module on women's health in simple language, available in Hebrew, Arabic, Russian, and Amharic, with a special version for the Haredi community.

• Zuzu – Together for Healthy Lives

  A joint initiative of Shalem Foundation, Special Olympics, and the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security to make physical activity accessible in simple language through videos.

• Vi-Job

  A therapeutic tool enabling learning of desired behaviors and new skills through video scenarios, suitable for group or individual learning.

• Shalem Bishvilchem

  A website for people with cognitive and intellectual disabilities, aggregating content for family members and content in simple language, accessible from computers and mobile devices.

1. 1עמוד הבית - קרן שלםkshalem.org.il
2. 2אודות קרן שלם - קרן שלםkshalem.org.il
3. 3קרן שלםhe.wikipedia.org
4. 4Wikidata Q16133315wikidata.org