07/13/2026
Federation Approves $35.1M in Allocations For 2026-27
Article reprinted with permission from Cleveland Jewish News
by Casey Couch
Sherman
Following a successful Campaign For Jewish Needs which raised $39,035,018 for the community, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Board of Trustees approved allocations for fiscal year 2026-2027 at its June 23 meeting, marking increased investments in local beneficiary agencies serving children, older adults and vulnerable community members, community security and overseas humanitarian needs.
Elisabeth Sherman, chair of the allocations committee, which has over 30 members, told the Cleveland Jewish News that “every dollar is really accounted for and talked about,” and this year was no different.
In fiscal year 2025-2026, the committee had $34,653,829 to allocate. In fiscal year 2026-2027, that amount was raised to $35,105,145, giving the allocations committee an additional $451,316 to work with. Allocable dollars come from both the Federation’s annual Campaign For Jewish Needs, as well as any special funds raised, including United Way contributions.
“We had over $35 million to allocate which was unbelievable,” Sherman told the CJN. “It was a $451,000 increase over last year, which really speaks to the compassion, the understanding and the commitment of Jewish Cleveland.”
Wild
Sherman reported each agency received the same distribution amount that they had received last fiscal year, with increases from there. The four major areas where funds were focused included security, overseas, national and local.
“We’re so lucky that the community puts their trust in the allocations process and the Federation at large to figure out where the most vulnerable communities are and where the money should go in such a model,” she said.
For security – a top priority, Sherman said – the committee allocated $1,800,000, a $50,000 increase from the $1,750,000 that was allocated last year.
Overseas allocations totaled $13,497,332, marking an $80,658 increase from the past year. Of that, $7,957,520 was allocated to Jewish Federations of North America and $5,070,232 was designated for Cleveland overseas projects, with remaining funds going to JDC hunger relief and the Jewish Agency for Israel.
National agencies and programs were allocated $905,356 to be distributed amongst 14 organizations, including the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, Ohio Jewish Communities and more. Locally, $18,902,457 was split between two areas – $10,226,449 to human services and $8,626,008 to education.
Of these, Sherman said this year, the committee was specifically focused on allocating funds to support the needs of children, older adults and vulnerable community members.
New this year, the committee also recommended a one-time allocation of $250,000, made possible by a gift from the Mt. Sinai Health Foundation, to support local beneficiary agencies in navigating changes to Medicaid benefits.
“This is a new opportunity that we had,” Sherman said. “Mount Sinai Health Foundation was generous enough to give the Federation a one time $250,000 contribution specifically to help navigate and create services through JFSA and Gesher to ensure that, as medicaid changes, we have pathways and a structure to work with those changes. Medicaid is kind of up in the air and has become an increasingly complex and challenging situation, so we want to make sure the scaffolding and the infrastructure is there to help the community in the most beneficial way.”
The importance of caring for older adults has always been a priority for the Federation, Sherman added. According to the 2022 population study, 32% of Jewish individuals in Cleveland are 65 years and older, spurring the committee to think about how they can best allocate money to serve that growing population.
The committee also proposed that the $843,262 previously allocated to Menorah Park be distributed as one-time funding following the findings of the Community Planning Committee’s Older Adult Task Force, which identified many funding gaps in existing services for aging adults.
“The Federation is directing the former Menorah Park allocation towards older adults, recognizing the growing needs of the aging population,” Sherman said. “Certain programs include filling the gap in Holocaust survivor care, which will match critical matching dollars from the Claims Conference through JFSA.”
According to Sherman, the committee’s process actually began in Sept. 2025 and went through May 2026 before the committee presented their final recommendations to the board in late June.
“At the beginning, we talk about how the past year went, what this year looks like and opportunities and challenges that we think are going to happen,” she said. “We’re really looking for systemic issues and how we feel we can support the agencies.”
Through subcommittees, members meet with assigned agencies and community partners where they evaluate needs, strengths and gaps.
“The actual allocating of money is only a small part of what we do,” Sherman said.
According to Sherman, the real work comes in during the debates, as each committee member becomes an expert on their assigned agency, but must be challenged to compare their agency’s needs to the needs of another.
“We really debate and we’ve been able to come to a decision where everyone feels comfortable,” Sherman, who just completed the second year of her three year term as committee chair, said.
Jeffrey J. Wild, board chair of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, added in a statement to the CJN, “The strength of our community is reflected in these allocations. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of our donors, we are able to invest more than $35 million in the programs, services, and organizations that care for people in need, strengthen Jewish life, and help keep our community safe. Together, we are ensuring that today’s needs are met while building a stronger future for generations to come.”
