UJF distributes $19.8 million; support for campaign stays strong

By The Chronicle Staff July 16, 2009, 1:48 pm 0 Edit

The UJF Trustees recently approved $19.8 million in distributions, about $300,000 more in funding than last year. These funds come from the Annual Campaign, UJF Foundation, Donor-directed gifts, and government and foundation grants. The trustees set allocations from Campaign dollars at a minimum $12.55 million.
“We have much to be proud about related to our campaign. We are way ahead of our peers across the country,” Ted Goldberg, the 2009 campaign chair, said in a prepared statement. “Many organizations are reporting fundraising declines in the double digits. This year, more than ever before, every dollar we are raising, in these final days of the UJF Annual Community Campaign, will really make a difference to our community.”
The net increase in allocations comes from continued support for the Annual Campaign and donor-directed projects, and increases in government grants, UJF Foundation grants, and corporate support through the Pennsylvania Education Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC).
The EITC provides scholarship support for educational programs provided through a variety of schools including synagogues, the Jewish Community Center and the community’s three day schools.
“The most important outcome of this year’s allocations is that we were able to keep the core funding to our agencies at the same level as last year,” Eileen Lane, Chair of the UJF Funding Committee, said in a prepared statement. “We felt this was important because they have lost funding from many other sources, and rely heavily on the UJF Annual Campaign for stable, flexible support.”
The distributions reflect some shifts in priorities caused by the economic climate. UJF Foundation grants and smaller allocations to non-beneficiary agencies show a slight shift toward human services and emergencies relating to the current economic downturn. The UJF Foundation increased human service grants by 6 percent and created an emergency fund to deal with possible crises later in the year.
Highlights of the total funding for 2009 distributions encompass the UJF Annual Community Campaign projected achievement; $3.7 million in government grants; $1.38 million from the UJF Foundation; $2.5 million in donor-designated gifts for specific programs in Pittsburgh, Israel and other overseas communities; and $900,000 to support local human services from the Jewish Healthcare Foundation.
The distributions approved by the Trustees were recommended by a number of committees made up of volunteers representing diverse perspectives and interests from across the community.