Mission: Jewish Federation of Delaware works to mobilize the Jewish community to address issues, meet needs and build an agenda for the future. Our vision is to bring Jewish people together into a community coalition, grounded in Jewish teaching and heritage, to strengthen the State of Israel, the global Jewish family and local organizations in order to further the survival of the Jewish people.
Our goals are to foster identification with our Jewish teaching and heritage to inspire an informed and involved community; build an agenda for the future with clearly defined priorities; take responsibility for raising funds which meet mutually agreed upon goals; allocate and manage the community's resources based upon the community agenda; provide a structure for the Jewish community to interact with the non-Jewish community; and develop Jewish leadership.
Jewish Federation of Delaware is a 501(c)(3) organization, with an IRS ruling year of 1945, and donations are tax-deductible.
Is this your nonprofit? Access your Star Rating Portal to submit data and edit your profile.
Contact Information
101 Garden of Eden Road
Wilmington DE 19803
Important note on the timeliness of ratings
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Financial and Accountability & Transparency score for Jewish Federation of Delaware is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. Please check with the charity directly for any questions you may have.
You are viewing this organization's new Charity Navigator profile page. To view the legacy version, click here.
Star Rating System by Charity Navigator
Charity Navigator evaluates a nonprofit organization’s financial health including measures of stability, efficiency and sustainability. We also track accountability and transparency policies to ensure the good governance and integrity of the organization.
Exceptional
This charity's score is 95.99, earning it a 4-Star rating. Donors can "Give with Confidence" to this charity.
This score is calculated from two sub-scores:
Finance: 94.34 View details
Accountability & Transparency: 100.00 View details
This score represents Form 990 data from 2019. More recent filing data is available, but it has not been factored into this score, due to COVID-19's effect on this organization.
View this organization’s historical ratings.
Rating update postponed due to COVID-19's impact on this organization. View Jewish Federation of Delaware's response.
Star Rated Report
This beta feature is currently viewable only on desktop or tablet screens. Check back later for updates.
Program Expense Ratio
89.9%
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s).
This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver. Dividing a charity's average program expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Administrative Expenses
4.8%
As reported by charities on their IRS Form 990, this measure reflects what percent of its total budget a charity spends on overhead, administrative staff and associated costs, and organizational meetings. Dividing a charity's average administrative expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Expenses
5.1%
This measure reflects what a charity spends to raise money. Fundraising expenses can include campaign printing, publicity, mailing, and staffing and costs incurred in soliciting donations, memberships, and grants. Dividing a charity's average fundraising expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Liabilities to Assets Ratio
36.4%
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990).
Part of our goal in rating the financial performance of charities is to help donors assess the financial capacity and sustainability of a charity. As do organizations in other sectors, charities must be mindful of their management of total liabilites in relation to their total assets. This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and or long term sustainability. Dividing a charity's total liabilities by its total assets yields this percentage.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Efficiency
$0.08
The amount spent to raise $1 in charitable contributions. To calculate a charity's fundraising efficiency, we divide its average fundraising expenses by the average total contributions it receives. We calculate the charity's average expenses and average contributions over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Working Capital Ratio
4.64 years
Determines how long a charity could sustain its level of spending using its net available assets, or working capital, as reported on its most recently filed Form 990. We include in a charity's working capital unrestricted and temporarily restricted net assets, and exclude permanently restricted net assets. Dividing these net available assets in the most recent year by a charity's average total expenses, yields the working capital ratio. We calculate the charity's average total expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Growth
4.84%
We compute the average annual growth of program expenses using the following formula: [(Yn/Y0)(1/n)]-1, where Y0 is a charity's program expenses in the first year of the interval analyzed, Yn is the charity's program expenses in the most recent year, and n is the interval of years passed between Y0 and Yn.
Source: IRS Form 990
Governance
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has these governance practices in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990
| Governance: | |
|---|---|
| Independent Voting Board Members ... (More) | |
| No Material Diversion of Assets ... (More) A diversion of assets – any unauthorized conversion or use of the organization's assets other than for the organization's authorized purposes, including but not limited to embezzlement or theft – can seriously call into question a charity's financial integrity. We check the charity's last two Forms 990 to see if the charity has reported any diversion of assets. If the charity does report a diversion, then we check to see if it complied with the Form 990 instructions by describing what happened and its corrective action. This metric will be assigned to one of the following categories:
| |
| Audited Financials Prepared by Independent Accountant ... (More) Audited financial statements provide important information about financial accountability and accuracy. They should be prepared by an independent accountant with oversight from an audit committee. (It is not necessary that the audit committee be a separate committee. Often at smaller charities, it falls within the responsibilities of the finance committee or the executive committee.) The committee provides an important oversight layer between the management of the organization, which is responsible for the financial information reported, and the independent accountant, who reviews the financials and issues an opinion based on its findings. We check the charity's Form 990 reporting to see if it meets this criteria.
| |
| Does Not Provide Loan(s) to or Receive Loan(s) From Related Parties ... (More) | |
| Documents Board Meeting Minutes ... (More) | |
| Distributes 990 to Board Before Filing ... (More) | |
| Compensates Board ... (More) |
Policies
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization has these policies in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
| Policies: | |
|---|---|
| Conflict of Interest ... (More) | |
| Whistleblower ... (More) | |
| Records Retention and Destruction ... (More) | |
| CEO Compensation Process ... (More) | |
| Donor Privacy ... (More) Donors can be reluctant to contribute to a charity when their name, address, or other basic information may become part of donor lists that are exchanged or sold, resulting in an influx of charitable solicitations from other organizations. Our analysts check the charity's website to see if the organization has a donor privacy policy in place and what it does and does not cover. Privacy policies are assigned to one of the following categories:
The privacy policy must be specific to donor information. A general website policy which references "visitor" or "user" personal information will not suffice. A policy that refers to donor information collected on the website is also not sufficient as the policy must be comprehensive and applicable to both online and offline donors. The existence of a privacy policy of any type does not prohibit the charity itself from contacting the donor for informational, educational, or solicitation purposes. (Less) |
Transparency
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization makes this information easily accessible.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
| Transparency: | |
|---|---|
| CEO Salary Listed on 990 ... (More) | |
| Board of Directors Listed on Website ... (More) | |
| Key Staff Listed on Website ... (More) | |
| Audited Financial Statements on Website ... (More) | |
| Form 990 Available on Website ... (More) |
Additional Information
Unscored
This beta feature is currently viewable only on desktop or tablet screens. Check back later for updates.
Total Revenue and Expenses
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Salary of Key Persons
Presented here are this organizations key compensated staff members as identified by our analysts. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting
Seth J. Katzen, Chief Executive Officer
$224,113 (4.32% of Total Expenses)
Current CEO and Board Chair can be found in the Leadership & Adaptability report below.
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2020
Business Master File Data
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Activities:
Community Chest, United Way, etc. (BMF activity code: 600)
Foundation Status:
Organization that normally receives no more than one-third of its support from gross investment income and unrelated business income and at the same time more than one-third of its support from contributions, fees, and gross receipts related to exempt purposes. 509(a)(2) (BMF foundation code: 16)
Affiliation:
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). (BMF affiliation code: 3)
Data Sources: IRS Forms 990
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to view this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available).
Pandemic Response
This organization was impacted by COVID-19 in a way that effected their financial health in 2020. This normally would have reduced their star rating. Due to the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, we give charities such as this one the opportunity to share the story of COVID's impact on them, and doing this pauses our revision of their rating. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal.
Jewish Federation of Delaware reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Administrative Capacity
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
Federation's immediate response to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in two Emergency Campaign; the COVID-19 Emergency Fund followed by the Human Services Relief Matching Fund (HSRMF) that raised more than $400,000 for our local community. Coupled with the success of the 2020 Annual Campaign, Federation raised approximately $2,400,000 this past year.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
Since the pandemic began, all programming and events went virtual. Doing so posed certain limitations on deliverability and outreach but we learned to pivot to continue serving as the community convener for Jewish Delaware.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
Pivot was one of the most common and overused words of 2020, however, this word epitomizes what Jewish Federation of Delaware has been doing since the pandemic began. While the past 18 months have been challenging, we have actively engaged our community through ongoing virtual programming and enhanced communications for Federation to remain consistently connected and continually in-touch.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
We are currently in a hybrid return to normalcy. Our staff is in a Phase II return, namely split into two shifts and alternating days in the office. Our programming is still virtual but we have planned in-person events beginning in August 2021.
Historical Ratings
| Date Published | Form 990 FYE | Overall Score | Overall Rating |
| Rating Version: 2.1 | |||
| 4/1/2021 | 2019 | 95.99 | |
| 10/1/2019 | 2018 | 96.79 | |
| 4/1/2019 | 2017 | 97.25 | |
| 12/22/2017 | 2016 | 97.79 | |
| 10/1/2016 | 2015 | 94.59 | |
| 7/1/2016 | 2014 | 90.29 | |
| 6/1/2016 | 2014 | 88.76 |  |
This organization received multiple star ratings within this fiscal year, due to an update to its Accountability and Transparency data and/or the receipt of an amended Form 990. | |||
| Rating Version: 2.0 | |||
| 5/1/2015 | 2014 | 93.37 | |
| 11/1/2014 | 2013 | 87.24 | |
| 7/1/2013 | 2012 | 83.99 | |
| 7/1/2012 | 2011 | 80.20 | |
| 12/1/2011 | 2010 | 79.59 |  |
Previous: Finance & Accountability / Next: Leadership & Adaptability
Impact & Results
This score estimates the actual impact a nonprofit has on the lives of those it serves, and determines whether it is making good use of donor resources to achieve that impact.
Impact & Results Score
Not Currently Scored
Jewish Federation of Delaware cannot currently be evaluated by our Encompass Rating Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
Do you work at Jewish Federation of Delaware? Join the waitlist for an updated Impact & Results score.
Additional Information
Unscored
This beta feature is currently viewable only on desktop or tablet screens. Check back later for updates.
Largest Programs
Jewish Federation of Delaware reported its three largest programs on its FY 2019 Form 990 as:
$2,452,494
Spent in most recent FY
52%
Percent of program expenses
Educational Services
$2,027,136
Spent in most recent FY
43%
Percent of program expenses
Grants and Allocations
$181,790
Spent in most recent FY
3%
Percent of program expenses
Jewish Voice Publication
Previous: Impact & Results / Next: Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
This score provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
Leadership & Adaptability Score
100
out of 100
The score earned by Jewish Federation of Delaware is a passing score. This score has no effect on the organization's Star Rating.
Encompass Rating V4 provides an evaluation of the organization's Leadership & Adaptability through the nonprofit organization submitting a survey response directly to Charity Navigator.
Leadership & Adaptability Report
100
of 100 points
Mission
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s mission
The Jewish Federation of Delaware works to mobilize the Jewish community to address issues, meet needs and build an agenda for the future. Our vision is to bring Jewish people together into a community coalition, grounded in Jewish teaching and heritage, to strengthen the State of Israel, the global Jewish family and local organizations in order to further the survival of the Jewish people. Our goals are to foster identification with our Jewish teaching and heritage to inspire an informed and involved community; build an agenda for the future with clearly defined priorities; take responsibility for raising funds which meet mutually agreed upon goals; allocate and manage the community's resources based upon the community agenda; provide a structure for the Jewish community to interact with the non-Jewish community; and develop Jewish leadership.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Vision
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
Our vision is to bring the Jewish community together into a community coalition, grounded in Jewish teaching and heritage, to strengthen the State of Israel, the global Jewish family and local organizations in order to further the survival of the Jewish people. We Grow Stronger TOGETHER.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Strategic Goals
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Caring for the Jewish Vulnerable
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: Embracing Jewish Culture, Identity and Education
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Three: Fostering our Connection to Israel and Goal #4) Developing Jewish Leadership
Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Leadership Development
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Describe an investment in leadership
We dedicate financial and administrative resources to provide ongoing leadership development training and programming in our community. In the past 12-18 months we developed a three-part leadership series; 1) Board Roles & Responsibilities, 2) Leadership and Culture Change, and 3) Strategic Planning with a professional facilitator. We are also facilitating a session on Resiliency with a burn-out expert and consultant for the boards of our organization, our five beneficiary agencies and seven state-wide synagogues.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Mobilizing for Mission
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
This organization mobilizes for mission in the following ways:
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
Community Building
Policy Advocacy
What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?
Jewish Federation serves as community convener. Our mission is to address issues, meet needs and build an agenda for the future. We fund and support a broad network of organizations that fulfill our sacred mission - 1) Feed, clothe, comfort, support and rescue people in need 2) Inspire, educate and connect people to their Jewish identity In addition to our network of agencies and partners, Federation departments include; Jewish Community Relations Committee (JCRC) - political and social advocacy arm Outreach - PJ Library, PJ Our Way and Shalom Baby Publish j-VOICE Monthly - the only state-wide publication with a Jewish lens Connect/Young Adult Network Women's Philanthropy
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Story of Adaptability
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
Our community and our country have faced unprecedented times due to the coronavirus, impacting the ability of our agencies to deliver much needed social services, programs, and connections to Jewish life. Federation’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund and subsequently the Human Services Relief Matching Fund provided direct financial assistance to address the immediate needs of vulnerable individuals in our Jewish community and our agencies. Thank you to the members of our community who, during these challenging months, answered the call and responded generously to ensure the survival of our Jewish communal infrastructure. In addition to the two successful emergency appeals, the 2020 Annual Campaign raised the highest level in Federation history. This is a remarkable achievement by itself but doing so during the pandemic is a testament to the unwavering support of our generous community. As we continue to move forward to a new normal, Federation and our agencies must address ways of remaining relevant and how to continue responding to community needs in new and nontraditional ways. We are all continuously learning how to best communicate digitally and providing more and more programming and outreach initiatives online. Regardless of strategy or methodology, Federation will continue to be here and serve as the pillar of our community. Federation is a product of understanding the fundamental principle that “each Jew is responsible one for the other.” We understand that by working TOGETHER we can accomplish so much more than any one person can working alone. This guiding vision has enabled Federation to enhance, educate, assist and touch the lives of thousands of Jews in Delaware and the Brandywine Valley, in Israel and around the world in so many ways.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Additional Information
Unscored
This beta feature is currently viewable only on desktop or tablet screens. Check back later for updates.
Organization Leadership
Seth J. Katzen
President & Chief Executive Officer
Russell Silberglied
Board Chair
Previous: Leadership & Adaptability
Culture & Community
This score provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves. Learn more about how and why we rate Culture & Community.
Culture & Community Score
100
out of 100
Jewish Federation of Delaware has earned a passing score. This score has no effect on the organization's Star Rating. The organization provided data about how it listens to constituents (Constituent Feedback) (see report below).
The Culture & Community Beacon is comprised of the following metrics:
Constituent Feedback: 100/100 (100% of beacon score)
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: Not Scored
Culture & Community Report
100
of 100 points
This beta feature is currently viewable only on desktop or tablet screens. Check back later for updates.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
This organization has not provided information regarding the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices it is presently implementing. As such, the organization has not earned a score on this metric. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective DEI policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
Methodology
We are utilizing data collected by Candid to document and assess the DEI practices implemented by the organization. Nonprofit organizations are encouraged to fill out the Equity Strategies section of their Candid profiles to receive a rating.
Learn more about the methodology.
Constituent Feedback
100/100 points
100% of beacon score
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations that engage in inclusive practices, such as collecting feedback from the people and communities they serve, may be more effective.
View this organization's Constituent Feedback Practices
Methodology
We've partnered with Candid to survey organizations about their feedback practices. Nonprofit organizations can fill out the How We Listen section of their Candid profile to receive a rating.
Learn more about the methodology.
Analysis and Research
Like the overall Encompass Rating System, the Culture & Community Beacon is designed to evolve as metrics are developed and ready for integration. Below you can find more information about the metrics we currently evaluate in this beacon and their relevance to nonprofit performance.
Constituent Feedback
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
