Yale University gave $1 million to ‘Israeli’ army support group, tax filings show

A student-led advocacy group at Yale University has accused the institution of donating $1 million to the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF), a US nonprofit that raises funds for the ‘Israeli’ army.

The report, made by the Yale Endowment Justice Coalition (EJC) on Thursday, has sparked a campus-wide controversy, drawing scrutiny to the university's financial policies and investment transparency.

The donation was uncovered by a review of Yale’s 2024 IRS Form 990 Schedule I, a public document that details grants issued through the university’s donor-advised fund program.

"FIDF is an American nonprofit that helps recruit 'lone soldiers' to carry out Israel's occupation in Palestine and the genocide in Gaza," the EJC said in a statement.

The group also accused Yale of "enabl[ing] wealthy donors" to establish funds while retaining final approval over the distributions, thereby making the university "complicit in 'genocide' and 'scholasticide'".

The term "scholasticide" refers to the destruction of educational institutions.

The donation was channeled through Yale’s donor-advised fund (DAF) program, a charitable savings account that allows donors to receive an immediate tax deduction for contributions.

While donors can recommend how funds are distributed, the university maintains legal control and final approval over the grants. To establish a DAF at Yale, a donor must make a minimum initial gift of $5 million, and distributions to outside organizations must be for $50,000 or more.

This controversy is the latest effort by the EJC, which has a long history of challenging the university's investment practices.

The group has previously led successful movements to divest from apartheid South Africa in the 1980s and more recently from fossil fuels and Puerto Rican debt. In response to the FIDF controversy, the EJC launched a parallel fundraising campaign, "Yalies for Humanity," to raise funds for Palestinian families in Gaza, a name that intentionally mirrors Yale's own multi-billion dollar "For Humanity" campaign.

The recipient, Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF), is a US-based nonprofit that states its mission is to provide for the "well-being" of the ‘Israeli’ military soldiers, veterans, and their families.

The organization operates programs such as the "Lone Soldiers Program," which supports approximately 7,000 foreign volunteers and ‘Israelis’ without family support.

FIDF itself has recently been navigating a significant internal crisis. In mid-2025, its chairman and CEO abruptly resigned following a leaked internal investigative report that detailed allegations of financial mismanagement, including excessive spending and the "double-selling" of donor-named projects.

The report also accused the organization of fostering a "toxic workplace culture". The internal turmoil led to a drop in donor confidence, with more than $10 million in donations reportedly postponed.

A UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry report recently accused ‘Israel’ of committing "genocidal acts" in Gaza, a finding vehemently rejected by ‘Israel’, which called the report "distorted and false" and its authors "Hamas proxies".

A direct link to Yale’s 2024 IRS Form 990 Schedule I has been publicly provided, and confirms the EJC’s statement.