Council of Jewish Federations (U.S.)

The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), formerly the United Jewish Communities (UJC), is an American Jewish umbrella organization for the Jewish Federations system, representing 141 local Federations and over 350 independent Jewish communities across North America that raise and distribute over $2 billion annually, including through planned giving and endowment programs, to support social welfare, social services and educational needs. Jewish Federations also provides fundraising, organization assistance, training, and overall leadership to the Jewish Federations and communities throughout the United States and Canada. Some of the communal organizations that Jewish Federation gives funding to include Jewish Community Centers, Jewish day schools and summer camps, Jewish Family Services, Hillels and Moishe Houses and Israel-related organizations such as Birthright. Jewish Federations government and advocacy team works towards protecting minority rights and combatting forms of hate, including antisemitism. The Federation movement protects and enhances the well-being of Jews worldwide through the values of tikkun olam, tzedakah and Torah. JFNA was formed from the merger of the United Jewish Appeal (UJA), Council of Jewish Federations, and the United Israel Appeal. Jewish Federations has three core international partners: The Jewish Agency for Israel, The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, and World ORT, for which the Federations system provides the largest amount of unrestricted funding each year. The organization hosts an annual General Assembly event for the broad North American Jewish community. Each local Jewish Federation (JFED) is a secular Jewish non-profit organization found within many metropolitan areas across the United States with a significant Jewish community. They provide supportive and human services, philanthropy, financial grants to refugees around the world, humanitarian and disaster relief, host leadership conferences and fellowship opportunities for women and youth, charitable drives, help those in need navigate comprehensive resources, and provide outreach to at-risk Jewish populations in 70 countries worldwide, and more. While the Jewish Federation was created to primarily service Jewish communities, they also provide for other communities. All federations in North America operate an annual central campaign, then allocate the proceeds to affiliated local agencies.