Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago
ActivePhilanthropy & Voluntarism
About Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago
Community-driven support for JUF’s Annual Campaign enables us to be one of the largest humanitarian organizations in the country. Rooted in collective action and Jewish values, JUF provides life-saving services and life-enriching experiences locally, in Israel and around the world to help people connect to Jewish life and to eradicate hunger, isolation and inequities.
Focus Areas
Local human servicesIsrael and overseas aidJewish educationCommunity buildingAdvocacy and public affairsScholarships and student supportSenior servicesDisability servicesEmergency/humanitarian relief
Who They Fund
nonprofit organizations (as grant recipients)refugees and immigrantsvulnerable / disadvantaged populations served by humanitarian and welfare programs
About Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago
A defining feature of Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago is the scale of its regular campaign support for the Jewish Federations of North America and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, alongside a broad set of local and overseas humanitarian grants. In the most recent grant list, its largest award was $62,054,259 to Jewish Federations of North America for the Regular Campaign, followed by $36,308,755 to Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago to support a range of nonprofit organizations addressing humanitarian, health, and welfare needs. The foundation’s giving also reaches Jewish child and family services, senior care, medical support, and organizations tied to Israel, refugee aid, and community welfare. That mix shows a funder working through both federation infrastructure and direct nonprofit support. Grants in the recent record range from large campaign commitments to smaller operating awards, with recurring support appearing for several organizations over multiple years. The organization’s public profile also includes dedicated program areas such as Israel Experience Scholarships, Jewish Women’s Foundation grantmaking, camp access, student loans, and general community grant opportunities. Across those efforts, the common thread is support for Jewish life, social services, education, and relief efforts.
What Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago Funds
Human services are central to the foundation’s portfolio. It gave $767,405 to Jewish Child and Family Services for HIAS and Other Programming, and $333,999 to The Ark for general operations, both tied to community support and welfare needs. Senior services appear as a separate thread: CJE Senior Life received $424,614 for general operations in one year and $299,884 in another. Health-related support also shows up through $410,000 to Mount Sinai Medical Center for general operations. The foundation also funds organizations connected to Jewish communal life and education, including $235,827 to Ida Crown Jewish Academy for general operations and $156,000 to Hebrew Theological College for general operations. Outside Chicago, it backed American Friends of Magen David Adom with $2,136,280 for general operations, linking its grantmaking to emergency and health services.
How Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago Gives
Typical grants cluster in the mid-five-figure range: the p25 is $16,760, the median is $36,000, and the p75 is $123,750. The recent record shows both very large campaign commitments and smaller operating awards, which fits a portfolio-based funder rather than a single-program grantmaker. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Jewish Federations of North America, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, Jewish Child and Family Services, Jewish Community Centers of Chicago, CJE Senior Life, Mount Sinai Medical Center, and Hebrew Theological College. The foundation is classified as a mixed Jewish Federation and makes grants regionally. Its active programs also show unsolicited application paths for some grant opportunities, along with scholarship, loan, and access-grant programs.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$290.4M
Total Assets
$249.9M
Total Revenue
$163.2M
Total Expenses
$139M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $17K and $124K, with a median of $36K.
25th Percentile
$17K
Median
$36K
75th Percentile
$124K
Geographic Reach
Regional10 states funded
About 63% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
LONNIE NASATIR
Accepts unsolicited proposals
Unlock Deep Analysis
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeSee Similar Funders
Free Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeWant a Personalized Pitch for Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago?
Sign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Free plan available
No contracts
Cancel anytime