Our Approach
UJA-Federation of New York brings people together to make extraordinary things happen. With the support of 65,000 donors, we have an enduring impact on the multitude of issues that matter to us as Jews and New Yorkers.
What sets UJA-Federation apart is also what makes us so effective. Years of experience have taught us to see beyond what is — and envision what could be.
We dream it and we do it.
Strategic Planning
We take a strategic approach to identifying issues and providing solutions, all within the framework of our mission and vision. Our professional staff and volunteer leaders are deeply connected to Jewish day schools, synagogues, Jewish community centers, Hillels, and the human-service system in New York and around the world. To stay abreast of changing needs, we convene experts in the field and organize high-level conferences and symposiums. We draw on cutting-edge research and guide new research as necessary. All this ensures that we are positioned to respond quickly and effectively to unforeseen crises and emerging opportunities.
Innovation
When we identify an unmet communal need or a better way of doing things, we bring together agencies and other key stakeholders, and provide the funds necessary to transform an idea into reality. Our recent special initiatives range from launching Connect to Care, a program to help middle-class families and others devastated by the economic downturn; to creating the Israel Trauma Coalition; to changing the way people approach the end of life.
Strengthening Our Network of Agencies
We've helped build a network of more than 100 human-service, educational, and community-building agencies. Each agency offers dozens, even hundreds, of programs that enrich lives. In uniting under the umbrella of a single network, the strengths of individual agencies are compounded to the benefit of the entire community.
We work with our agencies on how to operate more efficiently and cooperate with other agencies to increase their reach. We advocate for government funding on their behalf, resulting in millions of additional dollars for important programming. Additionally, we provide educational opportunities and support for strengthening agency leadership, governance, in-service programs, marketing, technology, and fundraising.
UJA-Federation is also one of the few philanthropic organizations that allocates core operating support — the unrestricted funding that supports agencies and allows them to determine where money needs to be spent. It's critical for the agencies' day-to-day operations and long-term planning.
Trust, Delivery, and Impact
We hold ourselves to the highest standard of fiscal transparency, and we do the same for every agency that belongs to UJA-Federation's network. A stringent review of each agency is part of our affiliation process.
When people give to UJA-Federation, they know critical help will reach men, women, and children who would otherwise be invisible and forgotten. We reach out right next door and across the world. We're the way to impact New York, Israel, and the Jewish people everywhere, bettering society as a whole. It all starts here.