Where Does the Money Go?
Paid staff, pay, fundraising and grants to Israel, from each group’s own filings.
The question
The organization describes itself as volunteer-based. Its volunteers are real and unpaid. But the filings also show paid staff in Israel, in the United States and in other countries. How much of the money goes to pay, to fundraising and to grants for Israel? Here are the numbers, from each group’s own filings.
What the organization says
“90 Seconds is the story of how a boy who failed in school created the world’s largest all-volunteer emergency service.”
United Hatzalah website, “90 Seconds Book” page Archived copy, Aug. 11, 2025
“A special ceremony kicking off the 18th year of operations of United Hatzalah, Israel’s leading all-volunteer emergency medical service organization, was held today at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.”
United Hatzalah website, Sept. 28, 2023 Archived copy, Aug. 8, 2025
“Today, we have 8,000 members and more in organization. All volunteer. All volunteers.”
Eli Beer, President of FOUH (the American fundraising arm). The Momentum Podcast, Nov. 9, 2025, at 19:00
The organization’s website also answers this question itself:
“Running a national emergency network requires a professional backbone alongside its volunteers: 24/7 dispatch operators, instructors, fleet technicians, and finance, compliance, and administrative staff. None of these paid employees are compensated for the emergency patient care they may also provide as trained volunteers.”
United Hatzalah website, Frequently Asked Questions, “Why does a volunteer-based organization need paid staff?”
FOUH, the American fundraising arm (US dollars)
| Year | Paid employees (Part I line 5) | All pay and benefits (Part I line 15), share of spending | Pay to officers and directors (Part IX line 5) | Fundraising costs (Part IX line 25, column D) | Grants abroad (Part IX line 3) | Total spending (Part I line 18) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 22 | $2,788,628 (9.8%) | $657,519 | $2,407,040 (8.5%) | $23,844,819 (83.8%) | $28,453,299 | 2020 Form 990 Part I, page 1 2020 Form 990 Part IX, page 10 |
| 2021 | 29 | $3,287,962 (11.0%) | $899,179 | $3,156,528 (10.6%) | $24,100,297 (80.8%) | $29,826,453 | 2021 Form 990 Part I, page 1 2021 Form 990 Part IX, page 10 |
| 2022 | 30 | $4,306,570 (11.9%) | $939,435 | $4,083,210 (11.2%) | $28,312,598 (78.0%) | $36,299,092 | 2022 Form 990 Part I, page 1 2022 Form 990 Part IX, page 10 |
| 2023 | 45 | $5,875,591 (4.0%) | $1,174,513 | $6,261,431 (4.3%) | $132,247,225 (90.7%) | $145,827,389 | 2023 Form 990 Part I, page 1 2023 Form 990 Part IX, page 10 |
| 2024 | 51 | $7,574,508 (18.1%) | $1,801,521 | $6,581,537 (15.7%) | $25,708,619 (61.3%) | $41,907,446 | 2024 Form 990 Part I, page 1 2024 Form 990 Part IX, page 10 |
In 2024 FOUH paid Eli Beer, President of FOUH (the American fundraising arm), $688,791 in total. 2024 Form 990 Schedule J, page 63
From 2020 to 2024 FOUH’s paid staff grew from 22 to 51 people, and its pay and benefits from $2,788,628 to $7,574,508. 2023 grants include a $44,000,000 grant promised that year and paid in 2024.
Ichud Hatzalah of Israel 1221, the Israeli nonprofit (thousands of shekels)
| Year | Wages and related costs (activities + administration) | “Advertising and fundraising” | Value of volunteer time (not cash) | Total costs (activities + administration) | Wages as share of costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | ₪42,953 (37,308 + 5,645) | ₪10,909 | ₪40,474 | ₪215,545 | 19.9% (24.5% leaving out volunteer value) |
| 2024 | ₪51,832 (45,037 + 6,795) | ₪20,362 | ₪52,139 | ₪259,673 | 20.0% (25.0% leaving out volunteer value) |
In 2024 it reported 482 paid employees alongside 8,015 volunteers, and paid its chief executive ₪581,302. GuideStar Israel, nonprofit 580465979 Audited statements for 2024, document 01M52NDS80AGKQ20X7P341ZYNZ, pages 13–14 (notes 14 and 15); statements for 2023, document 01M52NDS47QW7F59K8G4KTVS6K, pages 13–14
Friends groups in other countries
| Group | Year | Paid staff | Pay | Sent to Israel | Total spending | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Friends of United Hatzalah Israel (UK) | 2024 | 3 (administrative) | £380,334 (14.7%) | £1,935,000 (74.6%) | £2,594,503 | Charity Commission, charity 1101329, 2024 accounts pages 11, 18 and 21 |
| United Hatzalah Canada | 2024 | 4 full-time, 1 part-time | C$472,724 (51.0%) | none reported | C$926,727 | Canada Revenue Agency T3010 open data, BN 838255180RR0001 |
| United Hatzalah Canada | 2023 | 4 full-time | C$289,343 (6.2%) | C$3,814,793 | C$4,664,604 | Same |
| United Hatzalah Australia Incorporated (Australian Friends of United Hatzalah of Israel) | year to June 2024 | 1 full-time | A$45,000 (5.2%) | A$800,701 (91.6%) | A$873,743 | ACNC charity record, United Hatzalah Australia Incorporated, ABN 79 595 289 716 (Annual Information Statement 2024) |
| Israel Rescue Coalition (US, EIN 47-4056881) | 2022 | none reported | $0 (line 12 left blank) | $130,000 in grants (line 10; the form does not say where) | $151,444 (line 17) | Israel Rescue Coalition 2022 Form 990-EZ, Part I, page 1 |
| Israel Rescue Coalition | 2023 | 0 (Part I line 5) | $0 (Part I line 15) | $418,090, all as grants outside the US (Part IX line 3) (95.3%) | $438,555 (Part I line 18) | Israel Rescue Coalition 2023 Form 990, Part I, page 1 Israel Rescue Coalition 2023 Form 990, Part IX, page 10 |
| Israel Rescue Coalition | 2024 | 0 (Part I line 5) | $0 (Part I line 15) | $102,177, all as grants to US groups (Part IX line 1); none abroad (19.7%) | $517,773 (Part I line 18) | Israel Rescue Coalition 2024 Form 990, Part I, page 1 Israel Rescue Coalition 2024 Form 990, Part IX, page 10 |
The Israel Rescue Coalition is a separate US charity; its 2023 and 2024 returns list FOUH as a related organization. It reports no paid staff.
What the records show
- The volunteers are unpaid. The groups that raise and spend the money also have paid staff: 51 at FOUH, 482 at the Israeli nonprofit and a few in the British, Canadian and Australian groups. The Israel Rescue Coalition reports none.
- “All volunteer” differs from the record when it is used to describe the whole organization. The organization’s own FAQ says it has paid staff.
- We make no claim about whether the pay levels are right or wrong. These are the figures, so donors can judge.