Marks JCH of Bensonhurst

Legal name: Edith & Carl Marks Jewish Community House Bensonhurst Inc

Overview

Mission

The mission of the Marks JCH of Bensonhurst, known as the JCH or “J,” is to be a center of community life in Brooklyn, rooted in Jewish values and fostering an inclusive environment. Founded in 1927 by the children of Jewish refugees from Eastern Europe, the JCH has always been a home for the Jewish community and our neighbors to gather, to celebrate, and to support one another in times of need. In the 1940s and onward, Jewish refugees fleeing Syria began to call the JCH home. In the 1950s and 1960s, the JCH was a basketball powerhouse, with famous JCH alumni like Sandy Koufax and Gary David Goldberg playing hoops. Beginning in the 1980s and peaking in the 1990s, the JCH became a haven for Jews from the former Soviet Union. Today, the primary constituency served by the JCH are Russian-speaking Jewish residents of Brooklyn. The staff of the JCH are largely Russian-speakin.

What it reported doing in 2024

Youth and young adult workforce - through a multi-year investment from nyc's department of youth and community development, the marks jch has established and rapidly scaled youth and young adult career development opportunities. Through the train & earn initiative, youth aged 16-24 years old, are equipped with skills to secure employment in the high-demand healthcare sector in addition to occupational credentials in certified nursing assistant (cna), certified medical assistant (cma) and phlebotomy and ekg technician. Through the mriya program, funded by robin hood foundation, marks jch provides employment, pathways to college, internship and apprenticeship opportunities to young adult ukrainian newcomers. Through the summer youth employment program, marks jch provides job readiness and summer internships to more than 700 youth annually. Participants gain hands-on experience in real-world settings under the mentorship of experienced professionals, bridging classroom learning with practical application and significantly enhancing job readiness. Uplifting and placing youth in our community on sustainable and rewarding career paths.bridge of cultures - asian american/pacific islander and jewish heritage celebration (aapi) -through a unique cultural initiative, shalom dragon, the marks jch is building bridges and strengthening relationships between brooklyn's jewish and aapi communities. Featuring a series of immersive events that create a welcoming space for community members to learn, honor and explore shared immigrant stories and values. Elements include cultural dialogue and inter-generational storytelling, traditional dance and music performances, educational panel discussions and film screenings. The program leads to a large-scale community cultural festival, bringing together more than 1,000 community members, filled with food, dance, music, resources and connection for all ages. This is program is generously funded by the nyc council immigrant cultural initiative, jewish community relations council and uja federation of ny.from good to great: tri-lateral community connections mark jch is a proud partner of the good to great program bringing together dozens of organizations and leaders from across jccs in an exchange of ideas, mentorships and meaningful community connections across the globe. For the past several years the marks jch has been part of a tri-lateral partnership with the jcc of krakow in poland as well as the jewish cultural center of solomonika in dnipro, ukraine. Among the established collaborations are opportunities for academic tutoring by marks jch young adults of children in dnipro, professional mentorship by agency leaders and emergency assistance for families living under harsh conditions in ukraine. Through shared programs and dialogue participants strengthen jcc's global peoplehood.

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 98% 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
111633484
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Aug 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Headquarters
Brooklyn, NY, United States
Phone
718-331-6800
Rating
87
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Community Recreational Centers
Affiliation
Judaism

Official website

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown and reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 83
  • Transparency & Controls: 87
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 56
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 82%; rating input score 82
  • Program expense ratio: 88.5%; rating input score 88
  • Fundraising efficiency: $47.49 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd 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; 66th 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: 8%; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.59; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.19; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7.1%; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 5.6% per year; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.6% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7.3% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 82% of revenue deployed · 88.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 25 of 25 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $12.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $367K · 31 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 annual filings from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Leadership & pay

31 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • ALEX BUDNITSKY (CEO/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $367,049 total reported compensation
  • GELENA BLISHTEYN (COO/ ASST. EXEC. DIRECTOR): $242,880 total reported compensation
  • VIOLETTA SHMULENZON (ASST. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $231,707 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.