Founded in 1994, the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land (FFHL) was established by Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land to help stem the Christian exodus from the region.

The Foundation was created to strengthen and support Christianity in the Holy Land through the preservation of Holy Christian sites and the support of the basic human rights and continued presence of the Christian minority living in the Holy Land. 

FFHL is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Our Tax ID Number is 33-0628775. All donations are fully tax deductible to the extent of the law.

FFHL received our ninth consecutive 4-star Charity Navigator rating in 2023 – only achieved by 7% of all charities! Find out more on the Charity Navigator website.

For the past 800 years, the Franciscan Custody has ministered to the Christians and maintained the Holy Sites and Shrines in what is now the State of Israel. Because of their long-standing presence in the region, the Franciscans are extremely knowledgeable concerning the plight of the local Christian community. 

To help a Christian population that receives little foreign aid and doesn’t have an advocating  organization to voice its concerns on a worldwide scale, the Christian churches of Jerusalem—including Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, and Presbyterians—have come together with the Franciscans to formally express support for the goals of the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land. 

FFHL was established to inform, educate and solicit support from as many Christians in the United States as possible, not only about the plight of Christian Palestinians living in the Holy Land, but also of the on-going emigration from the region.

Our spiritual homeland is at risk. Church leaders predict that if the current exodus continues, Christianity could easily cease to exist in the Holy Land within 50 years.

FFHL strives to share the plight of Christians in the Holy Land, where inadequate housing, high unemployment and greatly reduced educational opportunities are causing widespread suffering and a mass exodus of the Christian population. By increasing awareness of the complex human rights issues involving Christians in this part of the world, FFHL seeks to establish equality of opportunity for this underrepresented minority group and safeguard their right to remain in their homeland.

Caught in the middle of an intense religious and ethnic power struggle, Christians in the Holy Land are the forgotten victims in the current political crisis in the Middle East. As a minority population in the Holy Land, Christians in Jerusalem and other Holy Land cities are often among the first to suffer when conflicts between Palestinian and Israeli interests bring new hardships to the area.

FFHL believes that the Christian exodus from the Holy Land can be attributed in large part to a lack of formal education. Without access to education, Christians encounter difficulties in securing meaningful employment, which ultimately leads to a lifetime and generational cycle of financial struggles. Solving this gap in education begins with ensuring Holy Land youth have access to education. These Christian children represent the future hope of permanence in the Holy Land, beginning with early access to education, a higher degree, and ultimately a lifetime of stable income.

Since 1997, FFHL has given full, four-year university scholarships to hundreds of students who were economically marginalized but had strong academic talent. These scholarships lead to degrees that provide necessary skills for successful employment and afford students the opportunity to remain in the Holy Land. The scholarship program pays for four years of college tuition and books. 

• A donation of $24,000 covers a four-year University scholarship for one student 
• A donation of $6,000 covers one-year University scholarship for one student

The best ways you can support our ministry are: 

• Through prayer
• By joining a pilgrimage to strengthen your faith and learn about the plight of the Holy Land Christians 
• By giving a financial gift to ensure FFHL can continue offering critical programs and resources so our Christian brothers and sisters remain in their homeland

Since 1994, Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land’s headquarters have been in Washington, D.C.

Please use our contact forms on the Contact Us page for general inquiries. Allow 24-48 hours for a response. 

If you are a student in the Holy Land looking for more information on scholarship opportunities, you may use the Education Sponsorship Opportunities form on the Contact Us page.


Our toll-free line is (855) 500-3345 (FFHL).