Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
860096795
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2020
Location
Tucson, AZ, USA
Phone
5205779393
Rating
76
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Federated Giving Programs
Affiliation
Judaism

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$5,902,010
Expenses
$6,150,915
Assets
$23,665,441
Liabilities
$400,766

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

Leadership & pay

26 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • HAVA LEIPZIG HOLZHAUER (CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • HAVA LEIPZIG HOLZHAUER (CEO): $263,745 total reported compensation
  • EMILY RICHMAN (CDO): $218,691 total reported compensation
  • KIMBERLY L DRISKELL (CFO): $177,740 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Jewish philanthropies of southern Arizona (jpsa) is committed to achieving the full potential of jewish philanthropy, now and for future generations. Comprised of jewish federation of southern Arizona (jfsa or federation) and jewish community foundation (jcf), jpsa provides planning, vision, programming, and funding to address community-wide priorities including jewish engagement, education, outreach, security, and advocacy. Jfsa funds and supports our five beneficiary agencies - jewish family and children's services, tucson hebrew academy, tucson jewish community center, tucson jewish museum & holocaust center, and the university of Arizona hillel foundation - as well as a wide range of community programs and core initiatives such as jewish community security, jewish community relations council (jcrc), weintraub israel center, and pj library. These partnerships ensure vibrant jewish life and uplift the entire southern Arizona community. Jfsa also responds to critical, emergent needs l

What it reported doing in 2024

After the october 7 attack on israel, jfsa spearheaded the planning and coordination of a community solidarity gathering that drew almost 1,000 tucsonans. Since then, jfsa has taken the lead in raising awareness, combatting antisemitism, and raising funds to support basic and emergency needs in israel and associated local causes in southern Arizona. The jfsa jewish community security initiative continues to keep our community safe. Security directors regularly monitor gatherings, respond to concerns, communicate with law enforcement and community leaders, conduct facility security assessments, and assist local synagogues and jewish agencies with the homeland security grant application process. And central to our mission, throughout 2024 jfsa focused on strengthening jewish life in southern Arizona by: 1) supporting and enhancing programs serving those in need; 2) educating our community about critical issues; 3) providing opportunities for community members to gather, celebrate, volunteer, and advocate; and 4) developing jewish community leadership.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 42% for direct work, and 58% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 60
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 45
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 66.8%; rating input score 67
  • Program expense ratio: 64.1%; rating input score 64
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.22 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 6 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • 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: 98.6%; rating input score 99; 35th 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: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • 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: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -4.2%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.85; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 15.5%; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.6% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.3% per year; rating input score 100; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.2% per year; rating input score 100; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 66.8% of revenue deployed · 64.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 21 of 21 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $3.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $264K · 26 people listed · 6 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 36 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 21 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 17 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 14/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 21/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 18/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.