The Jewish Community Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
946098382
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2019
Official website data refreshed
Jun 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2019
Location
Berkeley, CA, USA
Phone
4157770411
Rating
85
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Single Organization Support
Affiliation
Judaism

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$31,858
Expenses
$53,492,018
Assets
$0
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2019. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

28 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SANDY COLEN (PAST PRESIDENT)
  • JOSEPH FELSON (PAST PRESIDENT)
  • JOE HURWICH (PAST PRESIDENT)
  • JOEL KREISBERG (PRESIDENT)
  • EILEEN RUBY (PAST PRESIDENT)
  • MORTON FRIEDKIN (VICE PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • DENNIS ALBERS (DIRECTOR)
  • ROBERTA COHN (DIRECTOR)
  • BARRY COHN (DIRECTOR)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2019. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Built around the values of tzedakah (righteousness, charity) and tikkun olam (repairing the world), the foundation works with east bay jewish donors to realize their philanthropic goals and create a rich, supportive, inclusive and strong community.

What it reported doing in 2019

We make grants that promote the continutiy and richness of jewish life. And to help meet the needs, present and future, of our people.

Operating model

Revenue model
Investment-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from recurring investment income.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 100% 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. Expenses are high relative to revenue and some related-organization disclosures are missing.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 89
  • Transparency & Controls: 88
  • Accountability: 94
  • Sustainability: 8
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: No; rating input score 0

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 86
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -167,807.6%; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 43.1% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.5% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -0.7% per year; rating input score 0; 41st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 100% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 28 of 28 board members independent · 6 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $53.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 28 people listed
  • Consistency: 17 of 18 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes grants
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2009 to 2019
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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.

Grant-readiness screening is separate from the live rating, not a measure of program quality. Review the source records before making a grant decision.

  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Related-party transparency scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 2/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Audit committee oversight not reported.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Schedule R controlled transactions itemized did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Grant Readiness: California registration: this organization is recorded as not currently operating in California.