This Week
By The Numbers
Jewish giving increases, but not at the rate of other U.S. charities.
JULIE WIENER
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
New York
A
merican Jewish organizations were signifi-
cant fund-raising powerhouses last year,
bringing in more money than the year
before. But they did not grow as fast as
other top U.S. philanthropies.
The Chronicle ofPhilanthropy's annual ranking of the
top 400 philanthropies in the United States — based
on tax forms from 2000 — includes 25 Jewish organi-
zations and institutions.
The rankings — based on data collected during a
time of unprecedented peace and prosperity in the
United States — do not reflect the current challenges
many philanthropies are now anticipating in the wake
of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the faltering U.S.
economy.
Some Jewish organizations jumped in their rankings,
including the Jewish Communal Fund in New York
and the Jewish Federation of MetroWest, N.J.
But for every group that increased its ranking, there
were more Jewish philanthropies — including several
major federations, Hadassah: The Women's Zionist
Organization of America and the Jewish National
Fund — that saw their rankings decline.
Beyond the rankings, most Jewish groups listed
increased their totals last year, but not at the same over-
all rate — 13 percent — for all American charitable
groups.
The Jewish federation system saw several drops in
ranking, with federations in New York, Chicago,
Detroit, Boston, San Francisco and Palm Beach, Fla.,
all going down in the list.
At the same time, MetroWest, N.J., joined the list
for the first time, while the Cleveland, Los Angeles and
Miami federations also saw their rankings increase.
Among the more dramatic changes in the federation
world was that the Jewish Communal Fund in New
York, an offshoot of the New York federation that
allows donors to create their own foundations and
endowments for a variety of charitable causes, sur-
passed the federation in size and ranking. The fund
reported $173.5 million in private donations.
One of the highest-ranked Jewish organizations —
American Friends of Bar-Ilan University — turned out
to be there in error. In a misunderstanding caused by
the fact that the university is chartered in New York,
rather than in Israel, Bar-Ilan's entire budget — $120.2
million — was reported, rather than the approximately
S20 million the school raises in the United States.
Another institution under modern Orthodox aus-
pices, Yeshiva University in New York, jumped from
264th to 170. However, the Conservative movement's
Jewish Theological Seminary, disappeared from the list,
after ranking 253rd last year.
"Friends of" several Israeli institutions — including
American Friends of Tel Aviv University, which was not
on the list last year, American Friends of Hebrew
University of Jerusalem and the American Committee
for the Weizmann Institute of Science — also jumped
in their rankings.
While many Jewish leaders have long worried that
American Jewish support for Israel is waning, experts
on Jewish philanthropy say these statistics show that
American Jewish giving to Israeli causes is increasing.
"Jewish giving to Israel remains very strong and it's
just going in more directed avenues," said Gary Tobin,
Good Numbers
The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit,
and its land and banking arm the United Jewish
Foundation, may have dipped in the rankings of
the top philanthropies in the United States, but
Robert Aronson is thrilled.
According to The
Chronicle of
Philanthropy's top 400
organizations based on
tax forms from 2000,
federations in New
York, Chicago, Detroit,
Boston, San Francisco
and Palm Beach, Fla. all
took a dip.
"According to the
numbers, I was
thrilled," said Aronson,
Robert Aronson
Detroit Federation CEO.
"We are now the third largest federation in
income in the country, behind New York and
Chicago. It gives me an opportunity before the
General Assembly to stick it in the ear of a few
people."
The 2000 totals reflected more Millennium
gifts, the $50 million campaign to bolster Jewish
continuity in Detroit, he said. The totals were
the same in 2001, "which means that we evened
it out in other sources of income. It's a real cred-
it to our community."
— Harry Kirsbaum, staff writer
PHILANTHROPY on page 17
Top Philanthropies
New York/JTA — The following Jewish organizations ranked among the top U.S. philanthropies (parentheses show overall U.S. ranking; dollar amount is pri-
vate support for the last year in millions of dollars):
11/2
2001
12
United Jewish Communities (33)
Jewish Communal Fund (New York) (52)
United Jewish Appeal-Federation
of Jewish Philanthropies of New York (62)
Jewish Federation/Jewish United Fund
of Metropolitan Chicago (110)
United Jewish Foundation and
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit (159)
Yeshiva University (170)
Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco,
the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties (192)
Hadassah, the Women's Zionist
Organization of America (196)
Jewish Federation Council
of Greater Los Angeles (200)
Brandeis University (216)
Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland (222)
American Committee for the
$245.3
$173.5
$157.1
$109.5
$81.2
$77.2
$72.0
$70.6
$68.4
$61.7
$60.5
Weizmann Institute of Science (247)
United Jewish Federation
of MetroWest, N.J. (248)
Combined Jewish Philanthropies
of Greater Boston (266)
Anti-Defamation League
0 (270)
Jewish Federation
of Greater Philadelphia (285)
American Friends of
the Hebrew University (306)
Jewish Community Foundation (Los Angeles) (311)
P.E.F. Israel Endowment Funds (319)
American Society for Technion (322)
Greater Miami Jewish Federation (337)
American Friends of Tel Aviv University (364)
American Jewish Committee (379)
Jewish National Fund (383)
Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County (394)
$53.8
$53.4
$47.6
$47.0
$43.4
$40.3
$39.7
$38.3
$37.7
$36.7
$33.7
$32.3
$31.8
$30.8