Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 112642599
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2009–2024
- Official website data refreshed
- Sep 2026
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Suffern, NY, United States
- Phone
- 845.352.3505 ext. 148
- Rating
- 81
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Judaism
- Affiliation
- Judaism
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $5,983,905
- Expenses
- $6,590,290
- Assets
- $1,983,078
- Liabilities
- $1,305,893
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
12 people listed
Highest reported compensation
- MICHAEL ROTHCHILD (EXECUTIVE DI): $199,809 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Over 100 years ago, Rabbi Yisrael Meir HaKohen Kagan (the Chofetz Chaim) saw the widespread neglect of the mitzvos of Shmiras Haloshon and Ahavas Yisrael, and made it his mission to teach Klal Yisrael the importance of positive speech and the power of every word. An exceptional anti-bullying program, an adorable animated backpack teaches children how to treat others during recess. Geared for grades 2-6, the intent of this program is to help students monitor their own words and actions and learn to use social behaviors that will strengthen friendships. 16,115 students 124 Schools Learn More. Recognizing the devastating impact of lashon hora and sinas chinum, he made it his mission to teach Klal Yisrael the importance of positive speech and the power of every word. The Chofetz Chaim taught that by strengthening these areas, we can strengthen Jewish unity, elevate our daily lives, and...
What it reported doing in 2024
Production of audio, video and printed materials to disseminate the works of the chofetz chaim regarding ethical behavior and in particular refraining from gossip and harmful speech. Also, comforting people in times of crisis with prerecorded messages on dedicated telephone lines.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 75% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 82% 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
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 80
- Transparency & Controls: 87
- Accountability: 84
- Sustainability: 19
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 89.5%; rating input score 90
- Program expense ratio: 81.3%; rating input score 81
- Fundraising efficiency: $6.38 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
- Compensation committee: Pass
- Independent consultant: Pass
- 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: 99.8%; rating input score 100; 41st 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 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Other executive compensation review process: Pass
- Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Missing
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -10.1%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.3; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.66; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 3%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 5.7% per year; rating input score 100; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 5.1% per year; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 3.9% per year; rating input score 100; 29th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- What they do: 1 programs and campaigns described on the official site
- Where the money goes: 89.5% of revenue deployed · 81.3% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $5.4M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $200K · 12 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
- Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
- Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
- Related organizations: 3 filed related-organization links
- 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.
- High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 23/100.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 13/100.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 9/100.
- High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 14/100.