Jewish Discovery Center

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
161440147
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2014
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2014
Location
Buffalo, NY, United States
Phone
716.632.0467
Rating
67
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Judaism
Affiliation
Judaism

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$695,583
Expenses
$347,792
Assets
$999,199
Liabilities
$94,472

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2014. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ARTHUR GELLMAN (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • ISRAEL HESCHEL GREENBERG (TRUSTEE): $36,785 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2014. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

We are about to begin another exciting semester of learning and discovery. In this brochure you will find two programs: Course A is a comprehensive program that will lead you through core Jewish knowledge. It will include: Jewish Tradition, Jewish History and Jewish Thought. Course B is an in-depth program that will cover the gamut of Jewish subjects including Biblical studies, history, ethics, mysticism, Jewish law and other topics of interest. We hope you will take the opportunity to join this most dynamic and popular program of Jewish learning. Rabbi Heschel Greenberg.

What it reported doing in 2014

A synagogue concucting religious services. Promote religious, intellectual, moral and social welfare among jewish persons and their families by conducting religious services, maintaining classes and lectures, and disseminating literature. Adult education, sabbath and holiday programs, and regular religious services serve 300, 500 and 200 people respectively.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 98% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and revenue comfortably covers expenses. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 49
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Accountability: 53
  • Sustainability: 76
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 39.7%; rating input score 40
  • Program expense ratio: 79.5%; rating input score 79
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 83.3%; rating input score 83; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Fail
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 50%; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.87; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.09; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 10.6%; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -11.6% per year; rating input score 0; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 28.4% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6.4% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 2 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 39.7% of revenue deployed · 79.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 6 board members independent · 1 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $276K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $37K · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2010 to 2014
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 40/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 33/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 53/100.