Jewish Federation announces more than $7.6 million in allocations
'It's important to know that an organization here in Pittsburgh has raised dollars and is then putting them into the community in places that serve both the Jewish community and the Pittsburgh community as well'
Pittsburgh and Israeli organizations, as well as initiatives worldwide, will receive allocations totaling more than $7.6 million from the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.
Last week’s announcement followed a process guided by Federation’s Planning and Impact Committee, according to Federation’s Associate Vice President of Marketing David Heyman.
The committee ensures donations, which primarily come from benefactors in the Pittsburgh area, go “right back into the community,” Heyman said. Of the more than $7 million allocated, “a good amount of the money goes for aging and human needs.”
With around 3.4 million older adults, Pennsylvania has the fifth-largest senior population in the country, the commonwealth reports.
Although human services and aging programs typically receive funding from state and federal agencies, the Federation gave these areas extra attention this year because of the current political climate.
“Many federal grants have been paused, reduced or eliminated,” Federation President and CEO Jeffrey Finkelstein said in a prepared statement. “These allocations represent our deep commitment to strengthening Jewish life in all its dimensions, from meeting urgent human needs and securing our community to engaging the next generation and fighting antisemitism.”
This year’s key disbursements include nearly $1.5 million — including support from the Jewish Healthcare Foundation — to fund aging and human needs through Jewish Family and Community Services, Jewish Association On Aging and The Branch; $1.3 million to support Pittsburgh Jewish communal life, including the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, Jewish campus organizations and communitywide initiatives; and $1.2 million to fund early childhood education, teen learning programs and the city’s three Jewish day schools.
Each of Pittsburgh’s Jewish day schools saw changes from last year’s allocations: Community Day School will receive $241,162 (a $7,394 decrease); Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh will receive $267,972 (a $2,478 decrease); and Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh will receive $273,754 (a $9,872 increase).
The changes, Heyman noted, reflect a shift in per capita funding for each school based on enrollment reported for 2023-2024.
During the same period, and even earlier, there was also a decline in enrollment at Pittsburgh Public Schools; between 2019-2020 and 2023-2024, the total number of students fell from 21,291 to 18,532, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The Commonwealth Foundation notes that Pennsylvania’s public schools are experiencing a similar downturn, driven in large part by the state’s declining population.
Regarding post-secondary educational life, Federation’s allocations recipients include Hillel JUC, which will receive $154,681, a $17,651 decrease from last year, and Penn State Hillel, which will receive $30,215, a $5,000 decrease from last year. Chabad of Carnegie Mellon University and Chabad House on Campus will each receive $3,426, marking an $1,800 decrease for each group since last year.”
Last year’s sums included one-time resiliency grants given by Federation to address campus-related issues, Heyman said. This year’s allocations reflect a “return to baseline levels.”
The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle was allocated $9,529, a $471 decrease from last year.
In addition to more than $7 million in allocations, nearly $400,000 in community priority grants were awarded to 22 programs under the categories of “addressing antisemitism and engaging young adults.” The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh received $65,000 to “engage Christian clergy in confronting antisemitism through interfaith dialogue”; the 10.27 Healing Partnership received $35,000 to “expand the REACH Speakers Bureau, amplifying survivor voices and promoting healing”;
StandWithUs received $30,000 to support student leadership and programming on Pittsburgh-area campuses; and the JCC received $20,000 to “grow peer-led Shabbat experiences that bring young adults together.”
The process for determining grant recipients largely mirrored the allocation process, as community members met with Federation’s Planning and Impact team to deliver input and updates, Heyman said. “What we’re looking to do is find the organizations that have the need and are fulfilling the goals of our organization: creating a flourishing Jewish community.”
Judi Kanal, chair of the Planning and Impact Leadership Committee, praised the process and said in a prepared statement that “every dollar allocated reflects both rigorous planning and our community’s collective priorities that were set with community input.”
Though Federation’s Planning and Impact Committee controlled more than $7.9 million, the total was $331,808 less than last year. The 4.16% decrease in allocable dollars was due to the annual campaign not yet being closed, changes in the way Jewish Healthcare Foundation funds grant recipients and returns on investment from the Federation Foundation, Heyman said.
In April, the Jewish Healthcare Foundation announced $690,000 in grants had been approved to support healthcare, immigrant services, reproductive health and regional innovation efforts “largely affected by policy and funding changes enacted since the new federal administration took office in January.”
On July 1, the Jewish Healthcare Foundation implemented a decision to increase its block grant to the Jewish community from $900,000 annually to $1 million.
The change, according to representatives, allows the organization to align its “annual grantmaking more closely with its mission of advancing healthcare innovation, advocacy, collaboration and education.”
Supported organizations include the JCC, JFCS, JAA and Squirrel Hill Health Center.
The Jewish Healthcare Foundation’s allocation process is driven by “content experts” focused on several areas, including health and human services, teen mental health, older adults and women’s health, according to Karen Wolk Feinstein, president and CEO of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation.
“We are knowledgeable about what we do, and we see lots of opportunities for growth,” she said.
As for the Federation’s allocations, Heyman hopes the announcement regarding this year’s recipients helps the community “understand who the Federation is and what we do,” he said. When donors support the Federation, “they’re not giving money to a specific cause, but to an organization that looks out across the entire community and has visibility towards where the greatest needs are,” he continued. “It’s important to know that an organization here in Pittsburgh has raised dollars and is then putting them into the community in places that serve both the Jewish community and the Pittsburgh community as well.” PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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