08/06/2024
Federation Allocates Over $33M to Local, National, International Causes
COURTNEY BYRNES | CJN
Article reprinted with permission from Cleveland Jewish News
After another record-breaking Campaign for Jewish Needs, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland increased its allocable funds by over $1 million compared to last year.
The 2024 annual campaign raised $36,355,013, an increase of $1,484,192 from the 2023 campaign. After accounting for $1,363,313 in shrinkage, $3,417,371 for campaign and collection expenses, and adding $1,291,000 from United Way and $280,000 from prior year collections, there were $33,145,329 funds left to allocate, an increase of $1,149,280 compared to last year.
“I think it’s a testament to the overall commitment of the Cleveland Jewish community to not only take care of our local Jewish community, but Jews throughout the world,” Michelle Hirsch, chair of the allocations committee, told the Cleveland Jewish News on July 25. “And at the level that our community stepped up, especially after everything that the world has been through this past year, it’s just incredibly inspiring to be part of this amazing community.”
With the 2024 campaign already underway when the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel took place, the Federation had launched a co-current Israel Emergency Campaign to address the immediate needs. Raising $33,349,261 for Israel by the time the annual campaign closed, the Federation raised over $60 million across the two campaigns over two months.
Hirsch
To begin allocating the funds from the annual campaign, the allocation committee recommended a base allocation to each agency and program equal to what they received last year. The increase was then divided with an additional $275,000 toward community security; $412,640 for overseas to be divided further between the Jewish Federations of North America core allocations and the Cleveland Overseas Projects; $49,000 among national agencies; and $243,458 toward local human services and $169,182 toward local education agencies.
Due to the sale of Menorah Park to Outcome Healthcare, a for-profit company, in December 2023, that Jewish senior facility is no longer eligible to receive an allocation from the Federation, Hirsch said. Therefore, the funds previously allocated to Menorah Park, now King David Center, was divided into a $300,000 one-time fund set aside to support older adult services and the remaining $543,262 divided among local agencies for one-time project requests and included in their 2024-2025 allocation.
“The Federation still takes on the responsibility of caring for older adults; it remains a top priority,” Hirsch, a resident of Orange and member of B’nai Jeshurun Congregation in Pepper Pike, said. “When Menorah was sold, Federation created a separate Older Adult Task Force that is chaired by Susan Hurwitz. They are in the process of assessing the current and future needs for older adults in the community.”
Of the $300,000, $200,000 is set aside for Holocaust survivor needs and $100,000 is for Jewish Family Service Association’s older adult programs.
The Ohio Jewish Communities was also included as a national agency for the first time during this year’s allocation process. Hirsch said that previously OJC had received funds through charges to the local beneficiary agencies and prior year collections, but felt it aligned with other national agencies.
“Federation has always supported OJC,” she said. “The allocations committee felt that it should be a national agency due to the nature of the organization’s efforts, especially with all their current lobbying efforts that affect our agencies. By including OJC as a national agency, donors now have visibility to their extraordinary work via the campaign allocations process.”
Additionally, the Federation’s newest overseas partnership with Kibbutz Kissufim was included in the allocation process for the first time this year. The partnership came about earlier this year to help the Israeli community rebuild after the devastating Oct. 7 attacks.
“While our overall allocation to overseas is the $12.8 million ($12,894,592), Federation’s decision to add this new partnership is important,” Hirsch said. “Partnering directly with Kibbutz Kissufim is a very specific and impactful way to make a difference within an Israeli community directly affected by the war.”
In total, $18,044,717 of this year’s allocable funds went to local agencies, including $9,445,890 for human services and $8,568,827 for education. National agencies received $706,020, while community security received $1,500,000. The $12,894,592 for overseas was divided with $8,144,002 for JFNA and $4,750,590 for Cleveland Overseas Projects.
Hirsch expressed gratitude for the community continuously stepping up year after year to address the growing needs of the community and looked forward to the 2025 campaign, which launches with a Super Sunday Kickoff on Sept. 8.
“Hopefully for this year’s campaign, which starts in September, we can not only stay the course, but raise even more because the needs are just going to continue to grow,” Hirsch said. “And that’s what we do, it’s what Jewish Cleveland does.”
Community organizations receiving 2024-25 Federation campaign funds:
Jewish Family Service Association $2,844,337
Jewish Family Service Association - Older Adult Programs $100,000
Fund for the Jewish Future (Family) $2,136,054
Mandel Jewish Community Center $2,015,865
Jewish Federation of Cleveland $1,572,182
Jewish Federation of Cleveland - Holocaust Survivor Needs $200,000
Jewish Education Center of Cleveland $1,527,875
Hebrew Academy of Cleveland $1,366,893
Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau $1,295,543
Fund for the Jewish Future (Campaign) $1,131,265
Cleveland Hillel Foundation $730,722
Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School $635,799
Fuchs Mizrachi School $625,415
Gross Schechter Day School $545,008
Yeshiva Derech Hatorah $360,596
Hillel at Kent State University $308,226
Maltz Museum $295,304
Jewish Education Center - Akiva High School $239,924
Hebrew Shelter Home $83,711
