Needs and Responses

College Students and Young Adults

Needs

Campus

Adapting from In-Person to Online Engagement: According to the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) document, “Business Continuity Issues for Major Jewish Communal Networks,” the pandemic has already led to substantial changes for Hillel, with most colleges and universities shifting to online-only instruction. As a result, campus Hillels have quickly adapted to digital engagement strategies, including through its new Hillel@Home platform.
Fundraising Disruptions: The vast majority of Hillel revenue comes from philanthropic support, and the pandemic has significantly disrupted fundraising for Hillel’s current fiscal year, ending on June 30, the JFNA reports. “While Hillel International is still assessing short-term financial risks for local Hillels, they are anticipating between $1-2M of shortfalls across the Hillel network for the current fiscal year. While also too soon to know likely impacts for Fiscal Year 2021, Hillel International is beginning to plan for decreases in general fundraised revenues (based on average fundraising declines following previous financial crises), representing between $7.5-15M. Hillel will not only be subject to the direct risks to in-year fundraising during FY21, but also to risks to the many partner organizations that place or subsidize staff at campus Hillels (including nearly 80 Israel Fellows co-funded through the Jewish Agency for Israel, 30 “IACT” Israel engagement coordinators funded through a partnership with Combined Jewish Philanthropies, and JLIC educators on 23 campuses, funded through the Orthodox Union).

Moishe Houses

Program Disruption: According to the JFNA, Moishe House “normally provides 1,000 programs/month and all programming has stopped.”
Personnel and Other Expenses: The JFNA reports that Moishe House is currently using reserves to sustain its national staff and continue rental subsidies for its residents. It is not clear from the report whether it is continuing to pay all 63 employees around the country. “They have enough reserves to see this approach through for about three months, after which they will have face significantly greater difficulty. After they deplete their reserves they anticipate it would cost $700K/month to maintain this approach.”
Financial Insecurity of Moishe House Residents: According to the JFNA report, “additional degree of risk comes with the potential that current residents find themselves unemployed and have to move out, which could destabilize the existing homes as there is no ability to recruit new residents in the current environment.”

Responses

The JFNA report suggests that business continuity loans, especially if forgivable, and other short-term grants “could play important roles in sustaining Hillels through the current crisis.” It also recommends a business continuity loan for Moishe House, which “could help them stretch their ability to manage through the current uncertainty.”

On April 20, the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) launched the more than $80 million Jewish Community Response and Impact Fund (JCRIF), supported by a seven foundations, including the Aviv Foundation, the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, the Jim Joseph Foundation, Maimonides Fund, the Paul E. Singer Foundation, and the Wilf Family Foundation, which will operate in coordination with the JFNA. The invite-only program will be divided in two, with a loan program based at the Nonprofit Finance Fund, providing payroll and basic operational assistance for non-profits in the coming months. JCRF’s focus is to maintain the infrastructure of Jewish life that advances Jewish education, engagement and leadership.

JDC Entwine, JDC’s young adult initiative, reports that it is offering an online platform where young Jewish adults can connect virtually with their peers, engage in global Jewish causes, and build Jewish community. The organization is also developing customized content for young adults with disabilities

Resources

Nonprofit Funding Proposals

Teen Suicide Prevention Program

Description - Funding Proposal

Source - Rohr Jewish Learning Institute

If you have additional information about needs and responses, please contact us:

Needs and Responses

College Students and Young Adults

Campus

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Teen Suicide Prevention Program

If you have additional information about needs and responses, please contact us: