The Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning

Legal name: The Florence Melton Adult Mini-school Corporation

Overview

Mission

The Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning™ engages adult learners in a life-enhancing study of Jewish texts and ideas that nurtures and deepens Jewish community worldwide. Members of the Melton Rabbinic Council serve in an advisory capacity guiding Melton as we pursue new directions and special initiatives in service of our mission. Council members are rabbis, chosen based upon their significant involvement with Melton and their dedication to the support and advancement of adult Jewish learning. Rabbi Richard Camras Rabbi Richard Camras. Relevancy:** We are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to fulfill our mission, renewing and refreshing our ideas and practices, our educational content and its delivery. Connection:** We seek opportunities to foster deeper connections between people, between Jewish communities throughout the Diaspora and to the State of Israel...

What it reported doing in 2024

Travel seminars - melton's sought-after travel programs connect passionate learners with the diversity of jewish life & history all over the world. Our trips to the middle east, europe, and central america immerse participants in culture, landmarks, and cuisine that bring their learning of the jewish world alive. Hundreds of travelers have joined melton. Not merely a tour, our traveling learners engage with the history through text study and meeting with community leaders wherever they go.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 84% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
010725179
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Official website data refreshed
Aug 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Headquarters
New York, NY, USA
Phone
1-646-921-0747
Rating
67
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Judaism
Affiliation
Judaism

Official website

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 64
  • Transparency & Controls: 48
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 33
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 69.2%; rating input score 69
  • Program expense ratio: 70.8%; rating input score 71
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.62 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 29.5%; rating input score 30; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 2.5%; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.58; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.22; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 15.2%; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 10% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.6% per year; rating input score 100; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 10.4% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: Mission, programs, and operating context captured from the official website.
  • Where the money goes: 69.2% of revenue deployed · 70.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 18 of 18 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $1.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $178K · 21 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 36 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 annual filings from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 15 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Leadership & pay

21 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • RABBI RACHEL BOVITZ (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $178,035 total reported compensation
  • ANDREA GARDENHOUR (DIRECTOR OF EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL): $122,463 total reported compensation
  • RABBI DR MOREY SCHWARTZ (INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR): $105,016 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.