FAQ
Donor questions
What donors ask before giving.
Is my donation tax-deductible?+
No. Not in the US, the UK, or anywhere else.
Deductible structures for foreign charitable work do exist, and some American charities equip units abroad with non-lethal gear. Whether this fund's mission fits those frameworks is a real question, and US tax authorities look hard at anything that supports a foreign military. It deserves a lawyer's answer, not a website's.
The fund is being registered as a nonprofit. If deductible status ever becomes real, it will be announced here first.
Is this an official IDF project?+
No. The fund is an independent initiative, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Israeli army or the State of Israel.
It also doesn't work around the units it serves: requests come from soldiers inside them, and every delivery is checked with and accepted by unit commanders.
Why not give to an established organization instead?+
If what you want to fund is what they do, you should. The large organizations supporting Israeli soldiers work at a scale this fund will never touch.
This fund is built for the purchases too small and too time-sensitive to fit a large organization's process: a ₪900 part, a specific tool, a printer needed this month.
What will you buy, and what won't you?+
Will: 3D printers, printer ink and filament, spare parts for equipment in service, hand and power tools, batteries and chargers, connectors, cabling, and workshop consumables. Small, off the shelf, immediately useful.
Won't: weapons, ammunition, weapon accessories, or anything that requires a defense or export license.
How do I know the money actually arrives?+
The fund keeps receipts and records for every purchase, in a dedicated bank account separate from anyone's personal money. We publish our costs and share what we can about where the money went; security limits the detail in some cases.
Questions go to the person who runs the fund. If you want more before giving, write and ask.
Who decides what gets funded?+
Needs are flagged by soldiers inside the units and verified with unit commanders before money moves. Between verified needs, priority goes to whichever purchase unblocks the most work soonest.
Can I earmark my donation?+
No. Pooled money is the mechanism that makes same-week purchases possible, and earmarking would require publishing exactly the kind of specific-gap information we keep off the internet.
For a larger gift where you want a real conversation about its use, write to contact@defenseofinnovation.com.
Why doesn't the site name the units?+
A public list of which units lack what is information an enemy could use. So unit names, base locations, soldiers' identities, and open equipment gaps never appear here, and what the fund shares about its purchases stays general.
How much goes to overhead?+
There is no staff, office, or paid fundraising to pay for. Donations sit in a dedicated bank account, and the card-processing fee is the only cost taken out; the rest goes to purchases.
What happens to unspent money?+
It waits for the next verified need. If the fund ever winds down, whatever remains goes to another registered nonprofit supporting Israeli soldiers, and donors are told how it ended.