EIN 22-3551013

Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC)

IRS 501(c) type
501(c)(3)
Num. employees
49
Year formed
1997
Most recent tax filings
2022-12-01
Description
The Foundation for Jewish Camp, a public foundation, is the only national organization dedicated to nonprofit Jewish resident camps, advancing program and leadership excellence in camps and access to vibrant Jewish experiences for campers. The Foundation helps raise awareness and support for Jewish summer camps, highlighting their successful track record for building powerful Jewish commitment in young Jews, ensuring future Jewish continuity. FJC works with more than 150 camps, 65,000 campers, and 12,000 counselors across North America to further its mission.
Total revenues
$13,191,042
2022
Total expenses
$15,430,078
2022
Total assets
$48,400,130
2022
Num. employees
49
2022

Program areas at FJC

Yashar - the yashar initiative is a $12 million program generously funded by the harry and jeanette weinberg Foundation. The goal of the initiative is to increase accessibility for campers and staff with disabilities at Jewish summer day and overnight camps. According to a 2013 Foundation for Jewish Camp survey, Camp professionals highlighted two areas, among others, in which they required support to better serve children with disabilities: their need for funding for capital improvements to increase accessibility, and training for staff. This initiative provides day and overnight camps with essential support in both of these areas, and provides funding for professional development, staff training, research, and evaluation. The first round of grant applications opened in winter 2018 and in 2022, we distributed the fourth and final round of grants with 15 camps receiving funding. Over four rounds, 53 grants were distributed to 46 camps. Each Camp received a capital grant ranging in value from $25,000 to $300,000 in addition to a capacity-building grant ranging in value from $20,000 to $30,000. Camps are also required to attend several trainings throughout the year.
CORNERSTONE - Foundation for Jewish Camp's Cornerstone Fellowship was initiated in 2003 to help camps retain experienced bunk counselors and to capitalize on their influence to refresh and enhance the Jewish experience at camp. In fall of 2022, a consortium of four funders (The Marcus Foundation, Crown Family Philanthropies, Morningstar Foundation and an anonymous national funder) agreed to new multi-year funding for the Cornerstone fellowship through 2025. Since inception, Cornerstone has provided over 6,000 participants with a meaningful professional development program worthy of putting on their resumes and an experience for which staff vie to participate. For those camps involved for multiple years, Cornerstone participation has become a highly desired Fellowship for camp staff. Each year, participating camps nominate exemplary returning counselors and specialists as fellows and send them to a 5-day seminar in the spring. The 2023 Cornerstone Fellowship was held in May 2023 and included close to 400 participants. Accompanying the fellows is one member of the camp leadership team, the Cornerstone supervisor, who mentors the fellows and continues their training at camp. The vast majority of these supervisors are in their 20's and 30's. Recognizing the opportunity to provide a rich Jewish and professional learning experience for supervisors, the seminar aims to help supervisors gain an immeasurable sense of themselves as Jewish leaders and community participants. All participants have come to regard Cornerstone as a premier professional development and Jewish educational opportunity that has a profound and lasting impact.
YEDID NEFESH - Foundation for Jewish Camp's Yedid Nefesh (Beloved Soul) initiative launched in 2019 with a visionary gift from The Marcus Foundation to nurture mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health (MESSH) at Jewish camps. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and current youth mental health crisis, more than 90 camps applied for the initial cohort of 30, indicating this as a clear need and priority for camps. Over the years, as youth mental health needs reach crisis levels, The Marcus Foundation increased its financial support from $3M over four years to $5M expanding the program across seven years. In 2021, UJA-Federation of New York provided funding to offer the program at 8 local day camps. They paved the way for Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles to follow suit in 2022, funding the program for an additional 3 camps in the southern California region. To date there are three cohorts made up of 102 Jewish day and overnight camps. Each camp receives four years of financial and programmatic support to address MESSH in holistic ways. The total amount a camp may receive over four years is $36,500 for: hiring a qualified mental health professional on their staff, enhancing and expanding counselor training, integrating new proactive wellness programming into activity areas, and developing outreach initiatives to decrease stigma around mental health in their community year-round. Camp leadership and mental health professionals participate in learning throughout the year, including a monthly Community of Practice and yearly in-person conference. An advisory group of mental health experts, researchers, and educators meet quarterly and create resources available to camp staff. The initiative also includes a fellowship program enabling graduate students pursuing careers in mental health to spend a summer learning on-the-job at a camp, accessing mentorship, benefiting from weekly professional development as a cohort, and receiving a stipend to supplement their summer camp salary - all in an effort to build a talent pipeline as the shortage of qualified mental health professionals continues across North America. For many people, Jewish camp provides a place to feel safe and uniquely empowered to embrace their whole selves. The growing awareness and evolving complexity of mental health challenges in our society necessitates camps be equipped with enhanced staffing and training at all levels to ensure proactive support for the mental health needs of every community member. Through these efforts, we can build stronger, more inclusive, and more resilient communities year-round.
Leaders Assembly - Biennial Field-wide
RSJ Engagement
One Happy Camper
Small Communities Incentive Program
Competitive Edge
Family Camp
Regional Offices
Innovation Programs
Study of Character Dev at Jewish Camps
NY Common Ground
Long Island Professional Development
Israel-Amer. Campers Research
Camper/Staff Satisfaction Insight Surveys
Safety, Respect & Equity
Strategic Grants, Scholarships
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Midwest Camps Leadership Network
COVID Emergency Grants
Jewish Camp Safety and Security
Specialty Camps Incubator III
Talent Compass
Machane Olami
Building Loan Program
Exec. Leadership Instit. IV
Annual Camp Census
Innovation Fund for Jewish Educators
Research on JOC
Counselor Innovation
Other Programming

Grants made by FJC

GranteeGrant descriptionAmount
Uja-Federation of New YorkInclusion & Accessibility$323,520
Eden Village CampRsj,mental Health$284,700
Union for Reform JudaismInclusion & Access,$274,950
...and 107 more grants made totalling $5,456,309

Who funds Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC)

Grants from foundations and other nonprofits
GrantmakerDescriptionAmount
Marcus FoundationTo Support the Exempt Purpose of the Recipient Organization$3,334,510
Robert M Beren Family FoundationIn Memory of RMB$1,000,000
Koum Family FoundationGeneral Charity$975,760
...and 65 more grants received totalling $10,622,592

Personnel at FJC

NameTitleCompensation
Jeremy J FingermanChief Executive Officer$539,553
Marina LewinChief Operating Officer$219,427
Avram OrlowVice President , Innovation and Education$124,461
Elisabeth Rimaud WilliamsSenior Director Finance and Administration$44,179
Corey CutlerSenior Director , Development$168,742
...and 16 more key personnel

Financials for FJC

RevenuesFYE 12/2022
Total grants, contributions, etc.$11,888,435
Program services$972,281
Investment income and dividends$299,479
Tax-exempt bond proceeds$0
Royalty revenue$0
Net rental income$0
Net gain from sale of non-inventory assets$-521
Net income from fundraising events$0
Net income from gaming activities$0
Net income from sales of inventory$0
Miscellaneous revenues$31,368
Total revenues$13,191,042

Form 990s for FJC

Fiscal year endingDate received by IRSFormPDF link
2022-122023-08-09990View PDF
2021-122022-08-15990View PDF
2020-122021-08-06990View PDF
2019-122020-10-09990View PDF
2018-122019-10-30990View PDF
...and 9 more Form 990s
Data update history
February 4, 2024
Received grants
Identified 34 new grant, including a grant for $3,334,510 from Marcus Foundation
October 26, 2023
Received grants
Identified 7 new grant, including a grant for $500,000 from Robert M Beren Family Foundation
October 9, 2023
Posted financials
Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2022
October 9, 2023
Updated personnel
Identified 6 new personnel
September 28, 2023
Used new vendors
Identified 1 new vendor, including
Nonprofit Types
Grantmaking organizationsCampsCharities
Issues
Human servicesChildren
Characteristics
Funds one specific organizationJewishReligiousProvides grantsOperates internationallyNational levelReceives government fundingTax deductible donations
General information
Address
253 W 35th St 4th FL
New York, NY 10001
Metro area
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
County
New York County, NY
Website URL
jewishcamp.org/ 
Phone
(646) 278-4500
Facebook page
foundationforjewishcamp 
Twitter profile
@jewishcamp 
IRS details
EIN
22-3551013
Fiscal year end
December
Taxreturn type
Form 990
Year formed
1997
Eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions (Pub 78)
Yes
Categorization
NTEE code, primary
N11: Recreation and Sports Single Organization Support
NAICS code, primary
813211: Grantmaking Foundations
Parent/child status
Independent
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