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November 12, 1999/3 Kislev 5760, Vol. 52, No.11
Jewish philanthropies make 'top 400'
JULIA GOLDMAN
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
A strong economy revved up philanthropic giving last year and Jewish philanthropies were among
the beneficiaries.
Some 27 Jewish organizations made it into the Philanthropy 400, the annual listing of America's
most popular charities, which is compiled by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, a biweekly newspaper of the
nonprofit world. Included are 15 Jewish federations, two Jewish defense organizations, two American universities
and three "friends" of Israeli universities.
At No. 44, the top Jewish philanthropy on the list is the UJA-Federation of New York, which last
year ranked one notch higher at 43. This year the powerhouse social-service and fund-raising
organization brought in just over $156.9 million in private support, and a total income of just under $202.6
million, according to its entry in the Chronicle.
This year's list, which covers funds raised in 1998, reflects "the best year many fund-raisers have
seen," according to the Chronicle. The journal attributes the success to the stock market's strong
performance overall and the beginning effects of what is expected to be the largest intergenerational transfer of
wealth in American history.
Bequests provide tax benefits for donors, including a way to protect assets from what is known as the
"death tax" on the estates of the wealthy, the Chronicle explains. Citing a Boston College study, it says that
charities stand to gain $6 trillion to $25 trillion in bequests over the next 50 years.
Although it did not make the top 400, the Phoenix Jewish community is among those benefiting from
the trends cited by the newspaper. Local federation income has been increasing steadily in recent years,
with $11.36 million in revenue reported for 1998, most from private sources, according to Art
Paikowsky, executive vice president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix.
Paikowsky noted that many of the community federations on the Chronicle's list are in older cities in
the eastern part of the country, with well-established support bases. Jewish communities in western cities
such as Phoenix, Las Vegas and Seattle lag those eastern communities, despite rapid population growth in
recent years.
"It's a mixed picture, but our growth in Phoenix has been impressive," said Paikowsky. "Our
endowments and annual campaigns are seeing strong growth."
Rankings on the 400 list are based on income from private support, which refers to funds raised
from individuals, foundations and corporations. To be included on the list, organizations must raise at least
$22 million from private sources.
Among the other Jewish federations making the list were those in Chicago, San Francisco,
Detroit, Cleveland, Boston, Baltimore, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Western New Jersey, Washington,
D.C., and Florida's Palm Beach County and Miami.
Other Jewish organizations and institutions making the top 400 were Yeshiva University,
American Society of Technion Israel Institute of Technology, the Anti-Defamation League, Brandeis
University, American Friends of Hebrew University, American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science,
Jewish National Fund, Jewish Theological Seminary of America, P.E.F. Israel Endowment Funds and the
American Jewish Committee.
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