ABOUT

About the organization

Be-Atzmi is ia nonprofit social organization which, for over two decades, has been integrating and advancing low-opportunity populations in stable and fair employment suited to their skills and aspirations. We develop and run a variety of long-term employment programs in around 150 locations, totaling 150 towns and cities throughout Israel. About 17,000 women and men take part in these programs every year, including families known to social services, new immigrants from Ethiopia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, members of the ultra-Orthodox community, members of the Arab sector, single mothers, people over the age of 40, and others.

The employment programs

By joining the employment programs, which typically last a year, the participants embark on a journey that results in a profound and far-reaching change in their lives. They examine their abilities, desires, inclinations and the employment barriers they face. They boost their self-confidence and self-efficacy, and plan a career path that is consistent with their needs and preferences.

Supported by Be-Atzmi professionals, the participants take steps to achieve their aspirations, while acquiring the job qualifications they lack (language skills, years of schooling, computer literacy, etc.). The participants receive a variety of practical tools that help them look for and hold on to a job.

The participants, without exception, are not required to pay for the programs, which are funded thanks to the partnerships we have forged with the public, philanthropic and corporate sectors. (To read more…)

Activities in the family and the community

In addition to guiding the participants, Be-Atzmi also works with their families and communities. Because the families have a considerable impact on and are greatly affected by the employment change process, they too are guided throughout the process. For example, they are given tools to better manage the family budget, develop a family support system and, on occasion, both adults in the family receive coaching.

Our activities in the community help sustain the success of the employment process by building community-based mechanisms that foster employment – for example, a network of employers that help the participants find jobs, self-help programs for graduates, volunteer mentors who work with graduates, etc.

Activities in the social and public spheres

Be-Atzmi is active in a number of social and public spheres that have an impact on advancing employment among low-opportunity populations. Those activities include taking part in public committees, developing employment-facilitating services for public and social agencies, initiating and building cross-sector partnerships, providing training in academic frameworks and courses to advance the occupational social work profession, and more.  (To read more…)

Developing and customizing solutions

Formulating and tailoring solutions to the changing needs of diverse groups of clients is at the core of what we do. Be-Atzmi develops innovative programs, unique solutions and customized models, and has produced a significant body of knowledge that is used by the organization and its partners.  (To read more…)

Cross-sector partnerships

Consistent with the organization’s professional values, which aim to provide the participants in our programs with a comprehensive and holistic solution tailored to their needs, Be-Atzmi regularly works in cross-sector partnership with agencies and organizations from different sectors. The latter include the public sector – the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of the Economy, the Ministry of Education and others; philanthropic organizations, such as the Ted Arison Family Foundation; businesses, such as Bank Hapoalim and Accenture-Israel and others; and nonprofits and social ventures. All of our partners jointly contribute to creating a broad-based and long-term solution that is adapted to the needs of the participants. (To read more…)

Board of Directors

Be-Atzmi has a distinguished and involved Board of Directors, all of whom donate their time on a volunteer basis. The Board is headed by Mr. Giora Offer, the former CEO of the Discount Group and currently a partner and chairman of the Lahav Fund. Mr. Zvi Tropp, the former Chairman of the Board of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, serves as Vice-Chairman of the Board. Other members include senior executives involved in social services, nonprofit management, financial management, occupational social work and members of the Academy.

Staff and volunteers

Be-Atzmi‘s employees and volunteers are certified and seasoned professionals who have diverse academic backgrounds – whether in labor studies, occupational psychology and positive psychology, occupational social work, human resources, or others. Our employees and volunteers are closely familiar with the job market and provide the programs’ participants with an all-embracing enrichment shell.

And the results speak for themselves:  

• 68% of the participants who were unemployed when they joined one of our programs, found a job.
• 65% of the participants who were underemployed at the beginning of the program, upgraded the nature and terms of their employment.
• 30% of our programs’ participants take vocational training classes, which are funded or subsidized by Be-Atzmi.
• 80% of the graduates who successfully completed their program (namely, they found a job or upgraded their terms of employment) report that they are satisfied at their workplace.
• 55% of the participants who were under the care of a family social worker at the beginning of the program, cut back the frequency of their requests for assistance by the end of the program.
• 91% of the participants reported an improvement in their feeling of self-efficacy (their capacity to take action to achieve success).
• 74% of the programs’ graduates reported a greater awareness of their financial condition, their incomes and expenses.
• 74% of the programs’ graduates report that they have found a job or upgraded their employment in alignment with the employment goal they set for themselves.