College Students and Young Adults

Despite the major disruptions to higher education during the spring and summer, Hillel has actively supported its student communities during this time, rapidly scaling successful virtual program offerings, preserving the financial stability of the Hillel movement, addressing the health and well-being of Hillel staff and preparing for the complex scenarios for campus life in the fall. Hillels secured more than $20M in new resources this spring in order to maintain student programming and retain key field staff through a combination of PPP loans, restructured talent grants and strong results from an inaugural “Hillel Global Giving Week” campaign. On a programmatic level, Hillels swiftly pivoted online through a new “Hillel@Home” platform and a range of other digital engagement approaches. In just the past three months, Hillels have hosted thousands of online meetings and events, resulting in more than 170,000 total virtual engagements. Hillel is also taking an active role in the new “Serve the Moment” campaign to address the urgent needs of our communities through meaningful service and is ramping up its signature MitzVote campaign to promote civic engagement during the 2020 election season. As we approach the new academic year, Hillel is engaging in intensive planning to prepare for the broad range of conditions Hillels and students will face. The hybrid and varied nature of academic approaches will require substantial new investments to support continued growth in digital programming; operational safety and sanitation upgrades to Hillel facilities; new approaches to smaller group programming for Shabbat, holidays and all other programs; and targeted resources to address acute student needs – economic, emotional and pastoral. In the face of these many challenges, Hillel is pursuing opportunities to reimagine student engagement and to expand programming and education, including through a new “Hillel Higher Holidays” initiative. At the financial level, Hillels are beginning fundraising for the more than $75M that will need to be raised during fiscal year 2021 to maintain Hillel support for students during this critical and challenging period. Given the growing uncertainties related to individual giving, Hillels will be especially reliant on continued core support from Federation and foundation partners.

Moishe House entered the crisis with a reasonably strong financial position but with great uncertainty about how its core business model of engaging young adults informally through its network of homes would operate amidst the pandemic. The combination of its existing financial base and the PPP loan it received pushed off its financial uncertainty to 2021. However, it reports two unresolved challenges looking at the year ahead: 1. It needs to invest funding to provide additional support for residents and staff, for customized training focused on operating within the crisis and to respond to newly dynamic racial justice issues. In the past, it would have gone out to raise additional funds, but it is unclear whether it can do that in this environment. 2. Looking ahead to 2021, it projects a $1.5M deficit owing to losing nine months of basic organizational work, particularly around fundraising efforts to identify and cultivate new donors. Uncertainty around travel inhibits the ability to engage other partners and donors, and there has been resistance to meeting for fundraising online. The travel concern also means there is no ability to do site visits, which usually generate fundraising opportunities that are not happening. The virtual alternative does not meet the need. Moishe House has been encouraged by the amount of participation in online programming and, with the coming of summer, is also creating outdoor program models. There is greater in-person programming possible in other countries, where the virus has been more effectively contained. Jewish learning has increased as a percentage of the overall programming content. This is a function both of new people being attracted to these programs and of existing participants being more available. Expanding Jewish content will be a priority for national programming. Nonetheless, overall programming is down 60% among local programs and by 100% in its regional and national programs.