Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago

Allocations (Local) - The Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago (JUF) conducts fundraising activities by means of annual calendar year campaigns and makes allocations to Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago (JF) and Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). Through its allocation to JF, JUF supports various nonprofit organizations in the Chicago area that provide assistance to people of all faiths, including hot meals and groceries, utility and rent assistance, prescriptions and medical care for impoverished families; job training and placement for people who are out of work; multi-faceted, specialized support services for people with disabilities; support services for Holocaust survivors; assisted living, specialized Alzheimer's care and transportation for seniors; respite services for caregivers of frail seniors and people with disabilities; counseling, prevention and intervention services for troubled teens; and an entire continuum of prevention and therapeutic services for individuals and families in crisis.Because the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago are so closely linked in numerous ways (combined Board of Directors, shared professional staff, shared office space, etc.), and because JUF provides an annual, multi-million dollar allocation to the Jewish Federation, we measure and report our program and service results jointly for the combined JUF/Federation enterprise, which are summarized below:Mental Health:Prolonged isolation, uncertainty and financial stress have taken a toll on mental health across our community. Last year, JUF deployed an additional $2.2 million to ramp up mental health programs for people who were in crisis, struggling with anxiety, depression and addiction. In FY22, thousands more needed help. According to the most recent Chicago Jewish Population Study, mental health care is the greatest single health service need in our local community, with 1 in 4 local Jewish households requiring mental health assistance. The need is particularly stark among people ages 22-39, with nearly half (45%) of young couples and 1 in 3 (36%) young singles requiring mental health care. At the beginning of the fiscal year, there were 200 people on the waitlist for JCFS counseling services and there was a two-month wait for a counseling appointment at CJE SeniorLife.With JUF's support, our agencies stepped up to meet this growing need: - 36,000 people got mental health support from JUF agencies across the community in 2021- a 65% increase over 2020. - JCFS Chicago doubled respite services for families of people with disabilities.- 5,800 professionals throughout the community got training to ensure they could offer appropriate resources and referrals to meet community members' mental health needs.- 800 JCC staff, Jewish preschool and day school teachers got coaching to better serve children's mental health needs and to assist with their own self-care.- Historically, in a typical year, JCC would provide mental health supports to 15% of its campers; in summer 2021, half of its campers required this assistance. With JUF's support, Jewish institutions have added mental health facets to their programming:- Hundreds of young adults got support at one of Chicago's four Base centers- including individualized care, referrals to additional resources and programming to foster emotional resilience through a Jewish lens- to complement connections to community. - Scores of young professionals benefited from additional mental health and employment support through a joint initiative of JUF's Young Leadership Division and JCFS Chicago.- Hundreds of adults of all ages participated in weekly mindfulness programs with OROT.Security:Live Secure Chicago was launched in FY 21-22 to extend JUF's security support across our entire community, with the goal of ensuring that no Jewish institution's security choices are compromised by limited resources and that every member of our community can safely and proudly participate in Jewish life.- To date, 100 Jewish groups have been assisted by JUF in procuring government funds to strengthen their security, including $20 million in federal and $6 million in state security grants. Our goal is to expand JUF's grant writing capacity to fully serve upwards of 300 Jewish organizations, enabling them to apply for- and win- more federal and state grants.- 88 Chicagoland Jewish groups have received $1.6 million in JUF matching grants in the last three years, which leveraged an additional $2.3 million in matching funds, resulting in nearly $4 million of new or improved physical security protecting 37,000 people. Our goal is to establish annual rounds of security grants to extend protection to all local Jewish schools, synagogues, camps and other institutions, ensuring that each facility can rely upon predictable funding cycles to update security plans- and the equipment to back them up. - JUF estimates that our community now spends $5 million annually on security at facilities and events. Our goal is to raise nearly $1 million more annually to extend protection to all local Jewish institutions. - JUF has conducted 250 security audits of local Jewish institutions to date and facilitated over 50 institutional security plans to help protect community members of all ages. Our goal is for every Jewish facility and program in the Chicago metropolitan area to have access to JUF's security expertise and technical assistance to ensure their safety. - In partnership with law enforcement agencies, to date JUF has hosted 20+ community security seminars and dozens of scenario trainings for organizational leaders. Our goal is to offer these seminars and training sessions to more organizations and more people, including staff, faculty and volunteers.- JUF has relationships with 24 federal, state, county, and local law enforcement agencies to ensure our community's access to top officials, security information and resources. Those relationships- and the expertise of those officers- are strengthened via JUF-sponsored Security Seminars in Israel. As part of expanded security operations, our goal is to hold these seminars more frequently. Community Engagement in Jewish Life:In 2021, JUF connected young families to Jewish identity and community:- 11,000 local children get free, monthly Jewish books through PJ Library & PJ Our Way. - 8,000 young families participated in programs and events through JUF and its agencies last year- 1 in 5 of them for the first time.- JUF and its agencies hosted 300 events for young families throughout the yearDynamic, JUF-supported programs engaged teens, college students & young adults in Jewish life:- 7,400 teens engaged Jewishly through programs run by JUF and JUF-supported agencies- an 87% increase over 2020. - 5,500 young adults engaged in programs provided by JUF and its agencies in 2021- half of them for the first time. - 2,300 (36%) of all Jewish college students in Illinois participated in Hillel in 2021.- 1,500 college students attended 54 pre-Israel programs and events held on 16 college campuses across Illinois- 1,200 youth received $1 million in scholarships and vouchers for Jewish summer camp.JUF continued to make Jewish education more affordable: - 4,300 individuals received $45.6 million in scholarships & tuition assistance in 2021 to help them afford Jewish preschool, day school, graduate and undergraduate programs.- 3,500 local Jewish Day School students- 76% of those enrolled- received scholarships and/or tuition assistance from JUF-supported day schools, which totaled $43.8 million in 2021.- 500+ preschoolers- 1 in 5 of those enrolled- received $1 million in scholarships and subsidies from JUF and JCC to help make their early childhood education possible. JUF continued to engage community members of all ages:- 48,000 community members attended outreach & education programs through JUF agencies in 2021, from support groups and workshops to genetic education and Jewish enrichment. - 22,000 adults attended 275 local Jewish programs provided by JUF and JCC Chicago.- 9,300 older adults participated in programming across JUF agencies.

Communications and "Jewish Chicago: The JUF Magazine" works to ensure JUF/Federation maintains a strong public profile across traditional and social media, serving effectively as the voice of Chicago's Jewish community and bringing JUF's lifesaving mission to life. With average monthly circulation of 40,000 homes, Jewish Chicago is the largest circulation of any Jewish publication in Chicago and the Midwest and spotlights the breadth, depth, diversity and vitality of Chicago's Jewish community.

Allocations (Overseas) - Through its allocation to JFNA, JUF supports services to millions of individuals in Israel and 70 other countries. These range from basic social service programs addressing needs of all age groups to formal and informal Jewish education/identity development. The major beneficiary organizations which engage in overseas work through support from JFNA are the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the Jewish Agency for Israel and the World ORT.

Community Relations - Through its support of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), JUF coordinates the collective policies and programs among 43 constituent Jewish organizations active in public affairs/community relations work. JCRC educates and mobilizes the Jewish community for action through JUF and those constituent groups on internal and domestic issues ranging from Israel advocacy to combatting anti-Semitism, and works to strengthen our community's intergroup relations (interfaith, interethnic, etc.). JCRC activities and engagement take place with the media, campuses, government, foreign diplomats and religious and civic leaders.

Israel office and other programs: The organization maintains a small office in Israel with four employees. The Israel office expense and employee salaries are paid to Jewish Federations of North America, which is based in New York, and is the umbrella organization for all Jewish Federations in North America. The Israel office coordinates educational missions and monitors Israeli programs that are funded by JUF. JUF coordinates missions to Israel, Russia, Poland and various other countries in order to give donors the opportunity to travel with other Chicagoans to Jewish communities all over the world and see JUF dollars at work. The missions also allow individuals to visit with people who live in Israel and other countries, explore family roots and learn about worldwide Jewish culture. Missions give participants the opportunity to see first-hand what can be accomplished by the Jewish people when our energy and resources are operating at full capacity. JUF pays for certain mission travel expenses and then participants reimburse JUF for the costs. The revenue and expenses of missions are reported on the 990 on a gross basis.