BBB Wise Giving Report for
Jewish Education Service of North America

BBB Wise Giving Report issued September 2010
BBB Wise Giving Report expires September 2012


Does not meet one or more standards
This charity does not meet one or more of the 20 standards for Charity Accountability. Find out more...


Find out more about this charity:

Back To Top

Charity Contact Information

Name: Jewish Education Service of North America
Address: 318 West 39th Street, 5th Floor
  New York, NY 10018
Phone: 212-284-6950
Web Address: www.jesna.org
Back To Top

BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 1981, New York
Affiliates: None
Stated Purpose: "to strengthen communities and their educational offerings by providing tested solutions, leveraging partnerships, promoting synergies, and building the connections that strengthen us all."

Back To Top

Evaluation Conclusions

              

Jewish Education Service of North America (JESNA) does not meet the following 5 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Standard 6: Board Policy on Effectiveness - Have a board policy of assessing, no less than every two years, the organization's performance and effectiveness and of determining future actions required to achieve its mission.

JESNA does not meet this Standard because:

  • The board of directors does not have a written policy stating that, at least every two years, an appraisal be done assessing the organization’s performance and effectiveness and determining future actions required to achieve its mission.

Standard 7: Board Approval of Written Report on Effectiveness - Submit to the organization's governing body, for its approval, a written report that outlines the results of the aforementioned performance and effectiveness assessment and recommendations for future actions.

JESNA does not meet this Standard because:

  • It has never completed an effectiveness assessment, and does not have one planned for the near future.

Standard 12: Detailed Functional Breakdown of Expenses - Include in the financial statements a breakdown of expenses (e.g., salaries, travel, postage, etc.) that shows what portion of these expenses was allocated to program, fund raising, and administrative activities. If the charity has more than one major program category, the schedule should provide a breakdown for each category.

JESNA does not meet this Standard because, in the organization's financial statements, the detailed functional breakdown of expenses:

  • Only included one program service category. It did not include a detailed breakdown of expenses for each of its major program activities (learning and consultation, Berman Center, and Lippman Kanfer Institute).

Standard 16: Annual Report - Have an annual report available to all, on request, that includes: (a) the organization's mission statement, (b) a summary of the past year's program service accomplishments, (c) a roster of the officers and members of the board of directors, (d) financial information that includes (i) total income in the past fiscal year, (ii) expenses in the same program, fund raising and administrative categories as in the financial statements, and (iii) ending net assets.

JESNA does not meet this standard because the most recent annual report did not include:

  • Total program expenses.
  • Total fund raising expenses.
  • Total administrative expenses.
  • Total end of year net assets.

Standard 17: Web Site Disclosures - Include on any charity websites that solicit contributions, the same information that is recommended for annual reports, as well as the mailing address of the charity and electronic access to its most recent IRS Form 990.

JESNA does not meet this Standard because the organization's website, www.jesna.org, does not include all of the recommended information for those charity websites that solicit for donations. Specifically, it does not include:

  • Total income.
  • Total program expenses.
  • Total fund raising expenses.
  • Total administrative expenses.
  • End of year net assets.
  • Electronic access to the organization’s most recent IRS Form 990.
Jewish Education Service of North America (JESNA) meets the remaining 15 Standards for Charity Accountability.
Back To Top

Programs

              

JESNA is the Jewish federation system’s educational coordinating, planning, and development agency. JESNA helps to: recruit and prepare new generations of Jewish educators; create and identify models of excellence in educational practice; and assist communities and front-line institutions in improving their programs and performance. JESNA works closely with the central agencies for Jewish education that operate in more than 60 communities and the Jewish federations in more than 150 communities throughout North America.

For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009, JESNA's program expenses were:

  
Program services 3,976,090
Total Program Expenses: $3,976,090
Back To Top

Governance

              

Chief Executive : Dr. Donald A. Sylvan, President
Compensation*:
$212,197

Highest Paid Executive: Jonathan Woocher, Chief Ideas Officer
Compensation*: $260,886

Chair of the Board: David Steirman
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: President of Kestrel Investment Management Corporation

Board Size: 61

Paid Staff Size: 15

*July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.
Back To Top

Fund Raising

              

Method(s) Used:

Direct mail, special events, grant proposals, Internet appeals, planned giving, and membership appeals.
Fund raising costs were 7% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $3,317,000, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)
Back To Top

Tax Status

              

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.
Back To Top

Financial

              

The following information is based on JESNA's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009.

Source of Funds  
Contributions 2,080,598
Program services 1,221,874
Federal allocations 1,077,907
Lease surrender 808,676
Contributed services 158,495
Other income 45,585
Agency dues 33,975
Interest income 12,471
Realized loss on investments -10,622
Unrealized loss on investments -301,020
Total Income $5,127,939


chart



Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 84%  Fund Raising: 5%  Administrative: 11% 

Total income   $5,127,939
  Program expenses $3,976,090
  Fund raising expenses 235,133
  Administrative expenses 534,587
 
Total expenses   $4,745,810
Income in Excess of Expenses   382,129
Beginning net assets   2,900,580
Ending net assets   3,282,709
Total liabilities   1,173,790
Total assets   $4,456,499

Note: According to JESNA, the organization received in-kind contributions in the amount of $507,753, which consisted of professional fees.

Back To Top

An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.

This report is not to be used for fund raising or promotional purposes.

Send to:



What is an Accredited Charity