A Jewish Federation is a confederation

Confederation

A confederation in modern political terms is a permanent union of political units for common action in relation to other units. Usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution, confederations tend to be established for dealing with critical issues such as defense, foreign...

 of various Jewish social agencies, volunteer programs, educational bodies, and related organizations, found within most cities in North America that host a viable Jewish community. Their broad purpose is to provide "human services", generally, but not exclusively, to the local Jewish community..

History

The first Jewish federation was founded in Boston in 1895. Federations were soon formed in Cincinnati, then in many other cities.

Structure

Each federation is autonomous from federations of other cities and they tend to focus on local concerns. The federations typically have elected boards or trustees that are accountable to the community, paid staff, and volunteer leadership.

Fundraising and spending

Federations raise money for central "community chests" that support the organizations of the entire local Jewish community. Between 30 and 50 percent of Jewish households in the United States typically contribute to their local federation.

They engage in centralized planning for the needs of the local community, and may provide centralized administrative services for their constituent agencies. Federation spending and efforts have adapted as the need for particular social services has changed—for example, from Jewish orphanage work in the early 1900s to retirement homes in the late 1900s.

More than half of all funds raised by federations are earmarked for various local Jewish social service agencies, with the largest single allocation to Jewish education, typically constituting 25 percent. After education, Jewish community centers, family and child services, homes for the aged, and campus Hillels are the next largest drawers of financial support.

Role in community

Jewish federations can wield a sizable degree of influence in the Jewish communities in which they are located. Many of the local federations hold annual fundraising drives that are expected to raise most of the next year's budgeting for many community programs. In return, in many communities the agencies which receive funding from the federation agree not to engage in major fundraising for themselves for a number of months often called the "primacy period" when the local federation's fundraising has primacy. Decisions made by the local federations can have a great impact on the community, including the opening or closing of programs, staff hirings and firings, and land purchases and sales.

A significant feature of the annual federation campaign is "Super Sunday", a day designated for community-wide phone banking, seeking contributions from members of the community.

National umbrella organization

The original umbrella organization

Umbrella organization

An umbrella organization is an association of institutions, who work together formally to coordinate activities or pool resources. In business, political, or other environments, one group, the umbrella organization, provides resources and often an identity to the smaller organizations...

 for the federations was the National Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds. "National" was dropped from the name in 1935 and "Welfare Funds" was removed in 1979.

In 1999, the CJF merged with the United Jewish Appeal

United Jewish Appeal

The United Jewish Appeal was a Jewish philanthropic umbrella organization that existed from its creation in 1949 until it was folded into the United Jewish Communities, which was formed from the 1999 merger of United Jewish Appeal , Council of Jewish Federations and United Israel Appeal, Inc.In...

 to become the United Jewish Communities. In October 2009, the UJC was renamed the Jewish Federations of North America.


After the 2009 launch of the new logo for The Jewish Federations of North America, increasing numbers of local Federations are switching to some variant of that logo. An example is the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.

Four hundred smaller Jewish communities in North America are members of the Network of Independent Communities, which are administered via the JFNA.

California

Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay

Jewish Federation of Greater Long Beach & West Orange County

Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles

Jewish Federation of Orange County

Jewish Federation of Palm Springs and Desert Area

Jewish Federation of the Greater Sacramento Region

Jewish Federation of San Diego

Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, Peninsula, Marin & Sonoma Counties

Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley

Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara

Jewish Federation of Ventura County

Colorado

Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado

Connecticut

The Jewish Federation Inc. (Danbury)

Jewish Federation of Eastern Connecticut, Inc.

UJA/Federation of Eastern Fairfield County

UJA/Federation of Greenwich

Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford

Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven

United Jewish Federation of Greater Stamford, New Canaan and Darien

The Federation & Foundation Jewish Communities of Western Connecticut, Inc.

UJA/Federation of Westport-Weston-Wilton-Norwalk

Florida

Jewish Federation of Brevard

United Jewish Community of Broward County

Jewish Federation of Collier County

Jacksonville Jewish Federation

Jewish Federation of Lee & Charlotte Counties

Greater Miami Jewish Federation

Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando

Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County

Jewish Federation of Pinellas & Pasco Counties

Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County

Tampa Jewish Community Center & Federation, Inc.

Jewish Federation of Volusia & Flagler Counties

Georgia

Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta

Augusta Jewish Federation

Savannah Jewish Federation

Illinois

Champaign-Urbana Jewish Federation

Jewish United Fund/ Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago

Jewish Federation of Peoria

Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities

Jewish Federation of Greater Rockford

Jewish Federation of Southern Illinois, Southeastern Missouri and Western Kentucky

Springfield Jewish Federation

Indiana

Fort Wayne Jewish Federation

Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis

Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis

The Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis is the central philanthropic, planning and community relations organization of the Jewish community...

Jewish Federation of Northwest Indiana

Jewish Federation of St Joseph Valley

Iowa

Jewish Federation of Des Moines

Jewish Federation of Sioux City

Kentucky

Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass, Inc.

Jewish Community Federation of Louisville

Louisiana

Jewish Federation of Greater Baton Rouge

Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans

North Louisiana Jewish Federation

Maryland

THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore


Jewish Federation of Howard County

Massachusetts

Jewish Federation of the Berkshires

Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston

Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts

Fall River UJA, Inc.

Merrimack Valley Jewish Federation

Jewish Federation of Greater New Bedford

Jewish Federation of the North Shore

The Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts

Michigan

Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor

Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit

Flint Jewish Federation

Jewish Federation of Grand Rapids

New Jersey

Jewish Federation of Atlantic and Cape May Counties

Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey

Jewish Federation of Greater Clifton-Passaic

Jewish Federation of Cumberland, Gloucester & Salem Counties

The United Jewish Communities of MetroWest New Jersey

Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County

Jewish Federation of Greater Monmouth County

Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey

Jewish Federation of Ocean County

United Jewish Federation of Princeton Mercer-Bucks

Jewish Federation of Somerset, Hunterdon & Warren Counties

Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey

New York

Jewish Federation of Greater Buffalo

Jewish Federation of Dutchess County

Jewish Community Federation of the Mohawk Valley & Jewish Community of Utica NY

UJA-Federation of New York

UJA-Federation of New York

UJA-Federation of New York, is the largest local philanthropy in the world...

Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York

Jewish Federation of Greater Orange County New York

Jewish Community Federation of Greater Rochester

Jewish Federation of Rockland County

Syracuse Jewish Federation

North Carolina

Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte

Durham-Chapel Hill Jewish Federation

Greensboro Jewish Federation

Raleigh-Cary Jewish Federation

Ohio

Jewish Community Board of Akron

Jewish Community Federation of Canton

Jewish Federation of Cincinnati

Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland

Columbus Jewish Federation

Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton

United Jewish Council of Greater Toledo

Youngstown Area Jewish Federation

Pennsylvania

United Jewish Community of Greater Harrisburg

Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley

Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia

United Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh

Jewish Federation of Reading PA Inc.

The Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania

Jewish Federation of Greater Wilkes-Barre

Tennessee

Jewish Community Federation of Greater Chattanooga

Knoxville Jewish Alliance

Memphis Jewish Federation

Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee

Texas

Jewish Community Association of Austin

Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas

Jewish Federation of El Paso, Inc

Jewish Federation of Fort Worth & Tarrant County

Jewish Federation of Greater Houston

Jewish Federation of San Antonio

Virginia

Jewish Community Federation of Richmond

United Jewish Federation of Tidewater

United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula

Federations in Canada

UIA Federations Canada:
UIA Federations Canada is a trans-Canada Jewish agency created in 1998 by consolidating United Israel Appeal of Canada and the Council of Jewish Federations of Canada.

Calgary Jewish Community Council

Jewish Federation of Edmonton

Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver

Jewish Federation of Winnipeg

UJA Jewish Federation Hamilton Ontario

London (Canada) Jewish Federation

Jewish Federation of Ottawa

UJA Federation of Greater Toronto

Windsor Jewish Federation

Federation CJA (Montreal)

External links

• Jewish Federations of North America
• Publications on Jewish Federations at the Berman Jewish Policy Archive @ NYU Wagner

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