 As mayor, he did not take any salary from the city of Jerusalem.Nir Barkat's entry into politics was gradual, after his exposure to and philanthropic investments in Jerusalem's education system.In 1999, the Barkat family began to explore the educational gaps in Jerusalem through their investment in The Snunit Center for the Advancement of Web Based Learning, a non-profit, non-governmental organization which uses web based resources to improve online education and improve personal and social growth within the Israeli society.