A Case Study in Multigenerational Family Philanthropy: Building Upon a Family’s Legacy

Irving and Helen Schneider were the founders and major benefactors of Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel (SCMCI). Established in 1991, the Medical Center is the first and only pediatric tertiary care hospital in Israel providing comprehensive care to all children, irrespective of race, religion or nationality. The Schneiders created Medical Development of Israel (MDI) to guarantee that SCMCI has the resources to deliver the highest standards of medical excellence to children.  In 2017, Kramer, Blum and Associates, Inc. (KBA) was retained by the second generation of the Schneider-Lesser family to develop and implement a strategic plan for MDI and to build upon Irving and Helen’s vision for all children to live a healthy life in a peaceful world.  

The first phase of KBA’s engagement included assessing MDI’s prior and current activities, identifying new philanthropic projects to potentially support, and recommending how MDI could advance its mission in partnership with SCMCI. The assessment included two missions to Israel for the board of directors to learn about the most urgent medical needs of children suffering from painful conditions and deadly diseases in the Middle East.   

KBA’s assessment resulted in the board of directors agreeing to adopt a new mission statement, rebrand MDI as The Children’s Health Alliance for Israel (CHAI) and collaborate with SCMCI to launch two major initiatives, including (1) pilot an early detection program to reform the delivery of child psychiatry services and (2) build a seven-floor, 400,000 square-foot Southern Wing with the most advanced medical equipment and technology available in Israel.  To document this historical shift, KBA produced a video describing CHAI’s new mission statement and priorities with SCMCI.

The second phase of KBA’s engagement included implementing a business plan to launch CHAI and working with SCMCI to develop the Mental Health Pediatric Primary Care Project and to construct the Southern Wing.  KBA was responsible for managing every aspect of these three projects with the CHAI board of directors and SCMCI to ensure their successful completion.  

On March 23, 2023, the CHAI board of directors attended the grand opening of the Southern Wing, ushering in a new era of pediatric health care at Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel. Also, in early 2023, the Mental Health Pediatric Primary Care Project was scaled and replicated throughout Israel, and leading medical journals published academic papers describing the project.  

KBA is currently working with the second and third generations of the Schneider-Lesser family to expand CHAI, launch a major fundraising initiative and develop new programs that expand Irving and Helen Schneider’s unwavering commitment and pioneering spirit to build a comprehensive children’s hospital that serves as a beacon of hope and a bridge to peace in Israel and neighboring countries.