Charles Bronfman

In the U.S. and Canada, 50% of the young leadership of all the organizations like AIPAC and Hillel are Birthright alumni. ”

Over 90% of participants are satisfied with the Birthright experience. ”

In my 40s - when I was giving to the Red Cross, United Jewish Appeal and other charities - I said to myself, this is all well and good, but these are really amorphous things, and maybe there are some causes out there that I really give a damn about. ”

Philanthropy is in the DNA of my family. ”

Across all religions in the United States, people 18-30 are more spiritual than before, but they don't like organized religion. What sets Birthright apart is that no one's hitting on you to be Jewish in any particular way, and you can define Jewish any way you want. ”

I have often spoken about the importance of intentionality in philanthropy: that it has to stir the soul. This is true whether you are feeding the homeless, mentoring a child or working on climate change. ”

Doing what we can to repair the world was instilled in me from an early age. I will never forget my siblings and me knitting squares for blankets to be sent to the troops during World War II. This was an inspiration from my mother. ”

Philanthropy and social change work are at their best when they are driven by your values and connected to what you care about most. ”