Israel Is Chief Cause for $26-Billion Jewish Charity Network

The Jewish Daily Forward examines the size, scope, and spending of what it terms the Jewish charity “industry,” a network of federations, schools, social-service agencies, Israel aid organizations, advocacy groups, and other nonprofits with combined net assets of $26-billion.

The largest share of donor dollars to such groups—about 38 percent—benefits Israel, according to the Forward, which based its reporting on a review of tax filings by more than 3,600 Jewish organizations. One-fifth of fundraising supports education. Grant-making federations remain at the center of what the newspaper calls the network’s “daisy” structure, controlling about $11.6-billion.

The analysis does not include specifically religious entities such as synagogues and seminaries that are not required to disclose financial data. The article is the first in what the Forward says will be series of reports on Jewish nonprofit finances, with the next assessing the network’s reliance on government support through grants, tax breaks, and program fees.