Camp Ramah in the Poconos

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
231607236
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Bala Cynwyd, PA, United States
Phone
(570) 798-2504
Rating
79
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Camps
Affiliation
Judaism

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$8,301,922
Expenses
$7,724,891
Assets
$14,869,781
Liabilities
$857,871

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

25 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ANDREW BARNETT (PRESIDENT)
  • DR NANCY ROTHBARD (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • ELISSA GRUENBERG (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • JOSH PODIETZ (VICE PRESIDENT DEVELOPMENT)
  • MIRYAM SEID (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)

Highest reported compensation

  • MIRYAM SEID (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $220,148 total reported compensation
  • BRUCE LIPTON (DIRECTOR OF FINANCE UNTIL 5/2025): $174,013 total reported compensation
  • RACHAEL ABRAMS (RAMAH POCONOS CAMP DIRECTOR): $144,056 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

We believe in the transformative power of summer camp. Rooted in Jewish tradition and values, our programs are designed to foster personal growth, develop strong relationships, and instill a love for Judaism that will last a lifetime.

What it reported doing in 2024

Camp ramah in the poconos provides immersive jewish overnight camp experiences for children and teens, primarily from greater philadelphia region, south jersey, and the baltimore metropolitan area. Across its programs, ramah serves campers ranging from rising elementary school students through high school, as well as college-age staff and leadership participants.campers participate in jewish learning and ritual, hebrew language programming, israel education, athletics, arts, waterfront activities, outdoor adventure, and leadership development. Through daily communal living, campers build independence, confidence, friendships, and lasting connections to jewish life. During fy 2025, camp ramah in the poconos provided safe and joyful summer experiences for 485 campers, maintained a strong israeli staff presence, expanded camper care and mental health supports, strengthened staff training, and enhanced programming across jewish education, recreation, the arts, and social-emotional learning.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 70% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 94% 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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 74
  • Transparency & Controls: 83
  • Accountability: 82
  • Sustainability: 57
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 79.1%; rating input score 79
  • Program expense ratio: 83.7%; rating input score 84
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.01 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 56
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 7%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.92; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7%; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 5.4% per year; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.5% per year; rating input score 100; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 10.5% per year; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 1 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 79.1% of revenue deployed · 83.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 20 of 20 board members independent · 5 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $6.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $220K · 25 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $3M reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 9 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 17/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 56/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 42/100.