named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Camperships & Scholarships
Provides financial assistance for Jewish summer camps, Israel travel programs, and academic studies for college and graduate students
Havurah Initiative
Funds and supports small, peer-led Jewish interest groups (havurot) such as book clubs, young families, LGBTQIA+, and crafting groups, each led by a Connector
Israel Experience Savings Program
Matching savings account program that provides incentives for families saving for a child's trip to Israel
Jewish Coalition for Literacy
Places volunteer literacy tutors in public schools to support K–3 students’ reading skills and runs Books for Kids to provide free books
The LAB Center for Learning and Belonging
Offers leadership training, professional development, and educational workshops for communal organizations and lay leaders
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Jewish Leadership Development 1 activity
- Delivering educational workshops and training programsOffers annual workshops for community members led by scholars, experts, and Jewish professionals. Also provides onboarding, training, coaching, and facilitation for lay leaders and delivers personalized training and workshops for partner organizations, including over 28 sessions previously offered through the CEP.
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Jewish Religious Institution Support 1 activity
- Funding community organizations and programs in the Jewish communityProvides financial resources to support Jewish community needs locally, nationally, in Israel, and globally through grantmaking. This includes funding organizations, programs, and services that address community needs.
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Food Distribution and Hunger Relief 1 activity
- Operating food and meal service programsOperates the Shalom Food Pantry in Delmar, NY, and a soup kitchen at Congregation Beth Emeth, providing food assistance and meals to individuals in need.
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Children's Book Distribution Programs 1 activity
- Operating literacy tutoring and book distribution programs for K–3 studentsProvides one-on-one literacy tutoring to K–3 students in Albany public schools through volunteer readers and distributes free books to students through the Books for Kids program to support at-home reading.
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Volunteer Engagement and Capacity Support 1 activity
- Organizing volunteer engagement eventsOrganizes an annual phonathon event and other volunteer opportunities, engaging volunteers of all ages in community service activities.
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Jewish Religious Education and Outreach 1 activity
- Supporting peer-led Jewish interest groups (havurot)Provides funding and operational support for the formation and development of peer-led Jewish interest groups (havurot), including assigning a Connector to each group and offering monthly coordination support for the first two years.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$5.93M
Contributions & grants$4.10M69%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$1.34M23%
Other revenue$492K
expenses
Total expenses$5.86M
Program expenses83%
Admin / overhead9%
Fundraising8%
Salaries & benefits$1.66M
Grants paid out$3.26M
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$35.57M
Cash$1.14M
Investments$29.55M
Liabilities$3.00M
Net assets$32.56M
Liquid reserves62.8 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -6.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 6
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROBERT KOVACH | PRESIDENT / CEO | 40 | $224K |
| KARILYN B GOODKIN | DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGA | 40 | $120K |
| ROCHELLE SHAPIRO | DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RELA | 40 | $115K |
| DEBORAH CHAPMAN | DIRECTOR OF PLANNED GIVING | 40 | $113K |
| AMY DRUCKER | DIRECTOR, FINANCIAL RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT | 40 | $113K |
| LINDA POLLACK | DIRECTOR, WOMEN'S PHILANTHROPY | 40 | $112K |
board members · 19
- ABBY NASH — DIRECTOR
- AMANDA AUSSEMS-POSKANZER — DIRECTOR
- BETTE KRAUT — DIRECTOR
- BRUCE ROTOR — DIRECTOR
- CHERYL HOFFMANN — DIRECTOR
- DANIEL WEINBERG — DIRECTOR
- DEBORAH ZAMER — DIRECTOR
- DOUGLAS GOLDMAN — VICE CHAIR
- DR DAVID MORRISON — SECRETARY
- DR EDWARD JACOBS — DIRECTOR
- DR EDWARD WLADIS — TREASURER
- DR IRA ZACKON — DIRECTOR
- DR MALCOLM SHERMAN — DIRECTOR
- DR ROBIN SOLOMON — DIRECTOR
- DR STEVEN KAMENIR — DIRECTOR
- ERIK LUSTGARTEN — VICE CHAIR
- GAIL SACCO — DIRECTOR
- GARY WEISKOPF — DIRECTOR
- ILENE FRIEDMAN — DIRECTOR
relationships · 13
Who they work with
- Albany Public Schools Partner — Collaborates with the Jewish Coalition for Literacy to provide literacy support to K–3 students in Albany public schools.
- CEP Partner — Partner organization through which leadership training and workshops have been jointly offered.
- Congregation Beth Emeth Partner — Collaborates with the Jewish Federation of NENY on soup kitchen operations and volunteer events.
- Daughters of Sarah Senior Community Partner — Hosts volunteer programs including gift shop operations, resident visitation, and religious services support.
- Foundation for Jewish Camp Partner — Collaborates with the Foundation for Jewish Camp to promote the One Happy Camper grant program for first-time campers.
- Greater Albany Jewish Federation Coalition — Consolidated with Schenectady Jewish Federation to form United Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York in 1986.
- HGF Partner — Collaborates with HGF to provide resources and support to havurot.
- Jewish Federation Partner — Collaborates with partner organizations to deliver services and support to the Jewish community and those in need.
- Jewish Federations of North America Network — Member of the National Women's Philanthropy network under the Jewish Federations of North America.
- Schenectady Jewish Federation Coalition — Consolidated with Greater Albany Jewish Federation to form United Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York in 1986.
- Sue Litynski Partner — Point of contact for the Israel Experience Savings Program.
- politicians Partner — Politicians participate alongside volunteers in the Super Sunday phonathon.
- rabbis Partner — Rabbis participate alongside volunteers in the Super Sunday phonathon.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Community-Supported Grantmaking to Strengthen Resiliencemethodology: community-supported grantmakingBy funding local, Israeli, and global organizations and programs, the organization strengthens the well-being and resilience of the Jewish community worldwide because strategic philanthropy amplifies impact beyond direct service and builds collective capacity.
- Financial Access Reduction to Enable Program Participationmethodology: financial_access_barrier_reductionBy providing financial assistance to reduce economic barriers, the organization increases access to Jewish experiential programs such as summer camps and Israel travel because equitable access ensures broader, more inclusive community engagement across income levels.
- Peer-Led Community Groups for Deeper Engagementmethodology: peer-led community groupsBy supporting small, peer-led Jewish groups centered on shared interests, the organization deepens personal meaning and strengthens community connection because peer-facilitated experiences foster belonging and sustained engagement more effectively than top-down programming.
- Structured Volunteer Engagement to Broaden Participationmethodology: structured_volunteer_engagementBy using a structured approach with training, scripts, and reference materials, the organization enables broad participation in volunteer activities such as fundraising calls because lowering the barrier to entry increases volunteer recruitment and retention across diverse skill levels.