Jewish Federation of Detroit
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 381359214
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2010–2024
- Official website data refreshed
- Sep 2026
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Bloomfield Hills, MI, United States
- Phone
- 248-642-4260
- Rating
- 84
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Federated Giving Programs
- Affiliation
- Judaism
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $62,046,677
- Expenses
- $64,488,605
- Assets
- $46,508,558
- Liabilities
- $29,247,784
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
215 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- STEVEN INGBER (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)
- CAROLYN BELLINSON (VICE PRESIDENT)
- RALPH GERSON (VICE PRESIDENT)
- DANI GILLMAN (VICE PRESIDENT)
- BRIAN HERMELIN (VICE PRESIDENT)
- SHERRI KETAI (VICE PRESIDENT)
Highest reported compensation
- STEVEN INGBER (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $518,375 total reported compensation
- DOROTHY BENYAS (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $306,357 total reported compensation
- THEODORE COHEN (CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER): $273,149 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Our mission is simple: To take care of the needs of the Jewish people and build a vibrant Jewish future, in Detroit, in Israel and around the world. For more than a century, the Federation has brought our community together to respond to urgent needs, provide essential services and invest in the strength and continuity of Jewish life. We are powered by thousands of donors, volunteers and partners who share a deep commitment to Jewish values, collective responsibility and a sense of belonging to something greater than ourselves. Our Impact.
What it reported doing in 2024
Distribution of funds to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations that serve the jewish community overseas, including jewish federation of north america, jewish agency for israel and the american jewish joint distribution committee, and other overseas organizations.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
- Distribution model
- Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 80% of its reported program spending out as grants.
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 90
- Transparency & Controls: 75
- Accountability: 99
- Sustainability: 22
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 95.4%; rating input score 95
- Program expense ratio: 91.8%; rating input score 92
- Fundraising efficiency: $23.24 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 21st 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: Missing
- Compensation survey or study: Pass
- Board or committee approval: Pass
- Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
- Grant itemization coverage: 99.9%; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 99.4%; rating input score 99; 54th 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: -3.9%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.72; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.63; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 3.5%; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 5.2% per year; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 3% per year; rating input score 100; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 3% per year; rating input score 100; 20th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- What they do: 3 operating locations identified
- Where the money goes: 95.4% of revenue deployed · 91.8% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 172 of 173 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $59.2M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $518K · 215 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $1.4M reported
- Consistency: 33 of 34 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
- Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
- Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 94 filed money-flow records
- Related organizations: 140 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.
- Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 14/100.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 28/100.
- High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 26/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 31/100.
- Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.