Jewish Federation of Orange County
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 952407026
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2011–2024
- Official website data refreshed
- Sep 2026
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Irvine, CA, United States
- Phone
- 949.435.3484
- Rating
- 80
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Federated Giving Programs
- Affiliation
- Judaism
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $4,719,188
- Expenses
- $4,566,375
- Assets
- $14,735,910
- Liabilities
- $673,092
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
25 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- ERIK LUDWIG (PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)
Highest reported compensation
- ERIK LUDWIG (PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $374,747 total reported compensation
- KATHLEEN MELLON (CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER): $158,136 total reported compensation
- ADINA KOSOFF (CONTROLLER): $155,796 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Amplifying Jewish Life. Sustaining the Jewish Future. Through an extensive strategic planning process and restructuring of the organization, JFFS begins to evaluate its programs and services. 2021 Jewish Federation & Family Services of Orange County (JFFS) returns to its prior name, Jewish Federation of Orange County (JFedOC). JFedOC enters into a partnership with Jewish Family Services of San Diego (JFSSD) with a goal to sustain and strengthen services to Holocaust survivors residing in Orange County. JFSSD administers the program and maintains assistance for home care, socialization and other services. JFedOC continues to support Holocaust survivors in Orange County through fundraising and volunteer opportunities.
What it reported doing in 2024
Community relations and engagementsolidarity with israel: in september 2024, following the murder of hostages taken during the attack on israel on october 7, 2023, 300 community members gathered for a solidarity rally to mourn the loss and pray for the safe return of the remaining hostages. Additionally, on the first anniversary of october 7, 2023, jfedoc partnered with community organizations to create a memorial program in honor of the victims, attracting the attendance of over 1,000 community members and government officials. Rose project: in february 2024, rose project partnered with uci to host the countering hate summit, which attracted 200 community members, law enforcement personnel, educators, students, civil leaders, and policymakers to address concerns around antisemitism, hate speech, and discrimination. The summit emphasized solidarity, education, and collective action so that allies can become powerful advocates in the fight against antisemitism. Student to student: 3,425 students and educators in orange county middle and high schools learned about jewish life and culture through peer presentations by 70 jewish teen ambassadors in the 2024 cohort of the rose project's student to student initiative. Pj library: in 2024, 2,170 children received free age-appropriate, jewish-themed books (for ages 0 to 12). Over 18,800 books were delivered during the year. Meaningful and exciting activities were also provided for families with their children, as well as parent-only programs.nextgen: 192 young adults in their 20s, 30s, and 40s participated in programs that provided meaningful connection, leadership development, networking, and volunteer opportunities, keeping them connected to jewish life in orange county and empowering them to lead.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 85% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 60% for direct work, and 40% for grants.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
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 program spending has declined or grown slowly.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 76
- Transparency & Controls: 88
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 53
- Growth: 20
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 78.6%; rating input score 79
- Program expense ratio: 78.9%; rating input score 79
- Fundraising efficiency: $15.15 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 24th percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
- Compensation committee: Pass
- Independent consultant: Missing
- Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
- Written employment contract: Pass
- Compensation survey or study: Pass
- Board or committee approval: Pass
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: 96.7%; rating input score 97; 32nd 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: 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: 3.2%; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.23; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 18.3%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: -6.1% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: -2.5% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 5.7% per year; rating input score 100; 38th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- What they do: 1 operating location identified
- Where the money goes: 78.6% of revenue deployed · 78.9% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 19 of 19 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $3.6M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $375K · 25 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $105K reported
- Consistency: 35 of 36 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
- Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
- Filing history: 13 filing years from 2011 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 16 filed money-flow records
- Related organizations: 12 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.
- Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 51/100.
- High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
- High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 45/100.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 14/100.
- Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.