These JNF Canada donors are split about the embattled charity’s future

The CJN Daily with Ellin Bessner

When news broke of the Jewish National Fund of Canada losing its charitable status on Aug. 10, the move meant the Canada Revenue Agency also stripped the venerable Jewish charity of its ability to issue tax receipts to donors. This poses a serious challenge to the historic Zionist fundraising organization–which received $20.2 million in donations in 2023: will supporters still want to give money to JNF Canada for environmental and resilience projects in Israel if they can no longer write the philanthropy off on their Canadian income tax forms?

Some donors are taking a wait and see approach, but want answers as to why JNF Canada admits it kept quiet for years about its problems with the federal tax auditors who warned them about "repeated and serious non-compliance" with Canadian tax rules dating back to at least 2014, and earlier. But other philanthropists say the bureaucrats didn't treate JNF Canada fairly, and they expect the charity will win both of its appeals in court: to block the suspension, and to eventually overturn it.

On today's episode of The CJN Daily, we're joined by two prominent JNF Canada donors: Jonathan Goodman of Montreal, who is raising $10 million for JNF Canada's new Climate Solutions Prize to boost "green technology", and also by Mary Ellen Herman of Toronto, who donated half the cost of an accessible playground built in southern Israel.

What we talked about

• Learn more about the accessible playground JNF Canada helped build in Kiryat Malachi with the donation by philanthropist Mary Ellen Herman and family
• Read The CJN’s previous coverage of JNF Canada’s Climate Solutions Prize launched by Montrealers Jonathan Goodman and Jeff Hart, in thecjn.ca
• Read why JNF Canada has known for nearly a decade it was at risk of losing its charitable status, in thecjn.ca.
• Why JNF Canada hasn’t yet wound down its Canadian charitable operations just yet, in thecjn.ca.

Credits

• Host and writer: Ellin Bessner (@ebessner)
• Production team: Zachary Kauffman (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer)
• Music: Dov Beck-Levine

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