Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley

The strength of a people. The power of community.

Allentown, PA   |  www.jewishlehighvalley.org

Mission

In order to unite, sustain, and enhance the Lehigh Valley Jewish community, and support Jewish communities in Israel and around the world, the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is dedicated to the following core values: Supporting Jews in need wherever they may be; supporting Israel as a Jewish homeland; supporting and encouraging Jewish education in the Lehigh Valley as a means of strengthening Jewish life for individuals and families; supporting programs and services of organizations whose values and mission meet local Jewish needs.

Ruling year info

1952

Interim Executive Director

Mrs. Jeri Zimmerman

Main address

702 North 22nd Street

Allentown, PA 18104 USA

Show more contact info

Formerly known as

Jewish Federation of Allentown

EIN

23-6396949

NTEE code info

Fund Raising Organizations That Cross Categories includes Community Funds/Trusts and Federated Giving Programs) e.g. United Way (T70)

Jewish (X30)

Fund Raising and/or Fund Distribution (Q12)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2020, 2019 and 2018.
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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Federation touches more Jewish lives than any organization on the planet. In places like Ukraine, where elderly Jews with no pension would have to choose between buying medicine and heating their homes -- if we weren’t there to help them. And in places like Cuba where, without us, there would be no Jewish learning opportunities, rabbis or holiday celebrations. When a family in the Lehigh Valley can’t afford to pay for Jewish camp. When a single mother loses her job or a senior needs help around the house and human warmth. Wherever there is a need, we are there to sustain and strengthen Jewish life. We do this by funding and supporting a world-wide network of organizations that do two things: 1. Care for people in need here at home, in Israel and around the world. 2. Nurture and sustain the Jewish community today and for future generations. The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is focused on addressing the most pressing issues facing our community every day.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

PJ Library

We know that something magical happens when parents sit down together to read with their children. PJ Library shares Jewish stories that can help your family talk together about values, traditions, and culture that are important to you. Through PJ Library, a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation in partnership with the Jewish Federation, Jewish Community Center and Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley, all children in the Lehigh Valley ages 6 months through 8 years receive free Jewish books in the mail every month.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Infants and toddlers

Where we work

Awards

Sapir Award for Excellence in Resource Development 2005

Jewish Federations of North America

Sapir Award for Excellence in Resource Development 2010

Jewish Federations of North America

Member (since) 2012

Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO)

Member (since) 2005

Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Total dollars received in contributions

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Jewish people, Economically disadvantaged people, Victims of disaster

Type of Metric

Input - describing resources we use

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Context Notes

Funds raised through the Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs

Total dollar amount of grants awarded

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Jewish people, Economically disadvantaged people, Victims of disaster

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Context Notes

Annual Campaign, earned interest, endowment grants and designated gifts. Excludes agency transfers/withdrawals.

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley aims to fund and support a network of organizations that care for people in need in the Lehigh Valley, in Israel and around the world and nurture and sustain the Jewish community today and for future generations. When disaster strikes anywhere in the world, Federation is there through our vast network of partners. As the leading Jewish organization in the Lehigh Valley, the Federation also strives to build community.

Federation provides funding to a network of organizations at home and abroad that have the ability to make an impact in the Jewish community and beyond. In the Lehigh Valley, those organizations include the Jewish Community Center, the Jewish Day School and Jewish Family Service. Our overseas partners include the Jewish Agency for Israel, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and World ORT.

Federation also makes an impact by providing programs and services that bring the community together.

Federation is uniquely positioned to support the needs of the Jewish community in the Lehigh Valley, in Israel and around the world. With the help of an active Board of Directors and volunteer leaders, Federation strives to have one-on-one conversations with donors in order to address the most pressing needs facing our community every day. A strong endowment through the Lehigh Valley Jewish Foundation ensures that the Federation will continue to have an impact for many years to come.

Established more than 70 years ago, the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley has built a strong Jewish community in the communities of Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton and will continue to do so for years to come.

In 2020, the Federation was able to successfully pivot to maintain community and address increased human service needs in the wake of COVID-19. In the coming year, we will continue to address these needs and create long-term plans that harness the best of what we've learned from the experience.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We demonstrated a willingness to learn more by reviewing resources about feedback practice.
done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • Who are the people you serve with your mission?

    The Jewish Federation primarily serves the Jewish community in the Lehigh Valley, in Israel and in 70 countries around the world. We also support organizations that provide for non-Jewish members in our community through feeding the hungry, providing counseling services and offering education and recreation for families. We provide prejudice reduction education, including free programs in local public schools. Our board of directors of made up of members of the Jewish community, and approximately half of our staff is Jewish.

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • What significant change resulted from feedback?

    We recently surveyed young parents to find out how they prefer to engage with the community. With their feedback, we will be implementing a mix of virtual and in-person events targeted at this group in the coming year.

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback

Financials

Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley

Board of directors
as of 02/22/2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Eva Levitt

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 3/9/2021
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 03/09/2021

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.