"Renewable Energy Technologies (E.T.) are going to constitute the next great global industry. They will rival and probably surpass Information Technology (I.T.). The country that spawns the most E.T. companies will enjoy more economic power, strategic advantage and rising standards of living." 
            -Thomas Friedman, New York Times Correspondent, Pulitzer Prize Winner

WHO IS I-SAEF

I-SAEF is spearheaded by successful Silicon Valley technology entrepreneurs and a team of leading scientists, accomplished business leaders, venture capitalists and philanthropists within Israel, the U.S and worldwide.

I-SAEF is a 501(c)(3) charity and is a supporting foundation of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin & Sonoma Counties.  To contact us, please e-mail: [email protected].

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A HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A MAJOR IMPACT

Funding early-stage alternative energy technology research is a highly leveraged and historic opportunity for tikkun olam.

By working to free the world of its dependency on fossil fuels from destabilizing states, this investment in Israeli research will help build a more prosperous and secure Israel as well as a healthier, safer and cleaner planet.


I-SAEF'S UNIQUE PHILANTHROPIC MODEL:

I-SAEF’s goal is to fund a minimum of 100 Alternative Energy research projects at Israeli universities over 10 years by:

• Supporting only high impact projects selected through an objective and rigorous external peer review process so that research is funded based on merit and not internal university politics.
  
• Taking action now with the awareness that the race for alternative energy technology has already begun. Countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and China are investing billions of dollars to build their capabilities in this important industry. (Examples include the $20 Billion Masdar project in the UAE to build a carbon-neutral city).
  
• Empowering Israel to leverage its tremendous intellectual capital and business expertise to become a leader in the $6 trillion energy industry by filling a critical gap in early-stage research funding.

A FUNDING NEED ONLY PHILANTHROPY CAN MEET:

Early-stage technology research has historically been the source of the biggest scientific breakthroughs and Israel has demonstrated time again its unique ability for scientific innovation and building companies around new technologies. However, this technology research was made possible in large part by military funding.

Presently, there is an unprecedented lack of government funding for early-stage alternative energy research. Private for-profit funding, such as Venture Capital, is generally not available for high-risk early-stage research projects because the science is not yet proven. While Israeli universities have the laboratories and scientists needed to make break-through discoveries, funding for early-stage research in Israel is scarce.  

I-SAEF bridges the funding gap and enables this promising research to move forward. Learn about the first I-SAEF grantee to achieve commercial success here.

"I-SAEF support is critical for alternative energy research in Israel and a model
for others wishing to benefit the country in this way. The need is great: as science becomes increasingly technological, the cost is growing, and Israeli laboratories struggle to keep pace. 

The management of I-SAEF is extraordinary. All funds raised go to the recipient
laboratories. The review process is conducted by world experts in the relevant
fields. The subject areas are not only important for Israel, but for the benefit of
all people." 

Professor Roger Kornberg, I-SAEF Advisory Board Member
Stanford University, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 2006

Board of Directors

Lev Leytes  
President, I-SAEF

Galina Leytes
Vice President, I-SAEF

Jim Koshland
Former President, San Francisco
Jewish Community Federation

Mark Reisbaum
Chief Endowment Officer
Jewish Community Endowment Fund of the San Francisco Jewish Community Federation

Advisory
Board Co-Chairs

Dr. Alan Heeger
Nobel Laureate

Jack Levy
General Partner
Israel Cleantech Ventures

I-SAEF Founders Lev and Galina Leytes to be honored at the San Francisco Federation's 2016 Business Leadership Breakfast. Learn more and register here.   

​Read I-SAEF's 2015 Annual Update to learn about I-SAEF's unmitigated success. 

Read a Jerusalem Post report on one of I-SAEF's earliest success stories.

Learn about one I-SAEF grantee, known as "Israel's Solar Star" 

Watch a presentation by Eyal Rosner, Israeli Prime Minister's Office, Alternative Fuels Initiative, in which he speaks of the critical role that I-SAEF has played in inspiring this exciting new enterprise.